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Endangered Species Coalition 2015 Top 10 Report Nominating Form General Information 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nominating Organizations: Please use this Column to Provide the Requested Information Organization & Web address Contact name for species info Address Email & phone Communications staff contact name Email & phone Rocky Mountain Wild, www.rockymountainwild.org Paige Singer 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80202 [email protected], 303-454-3340 Same as above Same as above General Species Information 7 8 Common name, genus, and species Geographic range 9 Conservation status 10 Remaining population size Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis Alaska, Canada, and in the lower 48-states, the Northeast, Great Lakes, Northern Rocky Mountains, Southern Rocky Mountains and the North Cascade Mountains Listed as threatened under the ESA anywhere lynx are found in the lower 48 states (79 Fed. Reg. 54782-54846) For the contiguous United States, “unknown but likely small” (USFWS 2013), likely fewer than 2000 (NatureServe 2015) Report Questions 11 12 13 Do you have high-resolution photos that can be used in the report? Will you want printed reports? If so, how many? If your species is selected, will you use the report as a tool to organize around the species and/or publicize its plight? Potentially Yes, 2 please if our species is selected. Yes Public Engagement Questions (Please explain why the species is interesting, why it matters, why decision-makers + the public should care.)0 14 Interesting facts about the species Canada lynx have large feet covered with thick fur that creates a natural snowshoe, allowing the cat to walk on top of deep, fluffy snow. This likely gives them an advantage over other predators, such as bobcat and coyote, in the snowy, cold, high altitude climates they require (ILBT 2013, Gonzalez et al. 2007). Please cite any substantiating scientific studies 15 Additional background information to complete the species profile in the report 16 What are the most important messages that should be communicated about this species' decline? Please be sure to indicate your organization’s lead message that you would like to be included in the report. 17 Is your NGO working to save the species? If yes, how? (Optional) 18 How can individuals help? Please be as specific as possible. 19 Is there anything else that governments or others could/should/are doing to save the Lynx are medium sized cats with a grayish coat, large feet on long legs, a ruffed face, long ear tufts and a short, solid black tipped tail. Lynx prefer subalpine coniferous forests in the west and coniferous, mixed coniferous/deciduous forests in the Midwest and east (ILBT 2013). Snowshoe hares and red squirrels are lynx primary and main alternate prey species, respectively (ILBT 2013, Shenk 2009). Lynx are wide-ranging animals with mean annual home range size reported up to 107 square miles for males and 52 square miles for females (ILBT 2013). Lynx are a wide-ranging species that are in dire need of connectivity, especially in the face of a changing climate. These beautiful cats are dependent on high elevation habitat with cold, snowy winters and connected landscapes for genetic exchange. As temperatures rise with climate change, the snowpack and forests that lynx rely on are predicted to move upward in altitude and northward in latitude. As their habitat shifts upward in elevation, current lynx populations will likely become more isolated. Thus, maintaining and restoring important movement corridors is critical in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species. Rocky Mountain Wild has long been a champion for lynx in the Southern Rockies Region. The organization helped build public support for lynx reintroduction in the region, challenges high-impact development projects in lynx habitat that would irreversibly fragment or damage the habitat, and works to press the responsible state and federal agencies to adequately protect lynx habitat, especially in light of global warming. We have also pushed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a recovery plan for the species and are currently working to build Colorado’s first wildlife overpass over I-70 in a known movement corridor for lynx. Several other regional and national organizations work hard to conserve this species and its habitat as well. Support Rocky Mountain Wild and other organizations that are working to protect lynx and their habitat in the lower 48-states. Contact the responsible agency to speak out when irresponsible development and resource extraction is planned in sensitive lynx habitat. Investigate trapping laws and their potential impacts on lynx in your home state. In response to the extirpation of lynx in the Southern Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) launched an ambitious and Please cite any substantiating scientific studies species? popularly-supported reintroduction effort. Between 1999 and 2006, 218 lynx were released in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado. The reintroduced cats have spread throughout the region and the restoration was a deemed a success in 2010 (CPW 2010). In order to ensure their continued survival in the Southern Rockies and throughout the lower 48-states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should designate critical habitat in the Southern Rocky Mountains and complete a recovery plan for the species (they are under court order to complete one by 2018). Criteria-specific Questions – Please feel free to answer N/A or “see above/below” as appropriate. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies. 20 Describe the specific threat(s) to the species. 21 Why is it in need of greater connectivity? The updated 2013 Canada Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy outlines climate change, vegetation management, wildland fire management and fragmentation of habitat as the “4 anthropogenic influences that are of greatest concern to the conservation of the lynx” (ILBT 2013). Climate change and habitat fragmentation are perhaps the two most pertinent to this report. A warming climate may shift the distribution of lynx and their prey, change snowshoe hare cycles, impact lynx habitat and associated populations due to changes in precipitation and disturbance events, influence demographic rates, and upset predator-prey relationships (ILBT 2013). Climate change is likely to interact with, and potentially intensify, the impacts of the other three identified threats (ILBT 2013); and a warming climate may also increase bobcat occurrence in lynx habitat, potentially harming lynx recovery through increased competition and interspecies hybridization (Schwartz et al. 2004). Habitat fragmentation “describe[s] human-caused alterations of natural landscape patterns that reduce the total area of habitat, increase the isolation of habitat patches, and impair the ability of wildlife to effectively move between those patches of habitat” (ILBT 2013). Lynx are wide-ranging animals with mean annual home range size reported up to 107 square miles for males and 52 square miles for females (ILBT 2013). Schwartz et al. (2002) found that gene flow in lynx populations is realized by the long distance movement of dispersing animals. In fact, the species is thought to exist as a metapopulation in the lower 48-states, meaning the population is made up of a number of discrete isolated subpopulations that are connected and maintained by dispersal from other subpopulations. Over time, the larger metapopulation endures as Please cite any substantiating scientific studies 22 Is its geographic range shifting? 23 Is there concern around the cyclical/seasonal life of the species and its interactions within ecosystems? 24 Does it have isolated populations? 25 Is it at risk of low genetic diversity? 26 How urgent is the need for greater connectivity in order to conserve this species? Does it face a current, imminent, or future threat? 27 Indicate if there is an associated political threat. For instance, is this species being actively attacked by an industry group or member of Congress? subpopulations come and go (McKelvey et al. 2000). Habitat fragmentation and climate change have been identified by a team of interagency lynx experts as two of the most concerning anthropogenic influences on lynx and their habitat (ILBT 2013), and many leading lynx experts agree that lynx conservation should focus on minimizing fragmentation and maintaining connectivity (Schwartz et al. 2002, Squires et al. 2013). Yes, it is thought that lynx range is likely to shift northward in latitude and upward in elevation in response to a changing climate (ILBT 2013; IPCC 2014; Gonzalez et al. 2007; Jacobson et al. 2009). Yes, it is possible that climate change could affect the interaction between lynx and snowshoe hares thought to exist in Canada and Alaska and potentially, to a lesser extent, in the lower 48-states (ILBT 2013; Hodges 2000). According to the 2013 Canada Lynx Conservation and Assessment Strategy, “[t]he loss of the hare cycle would likely translate into a reduced potential for lynx to expand into new or unoccupied habitat in Canada or the adjoining United States” (ILBT 2013). Yes, it is thought that most lynx populations in the lower 48-states exist in habitat types that are “either peninsular extensions of larger habitat areas in Canada or discrete islands” (McKelvey et al. 2000). Yes, Schwartz et al. (2003) found that periphery lynx populations had lower genetic variation than core areas likely due to smaller population sizes and limited connections to other populations. The contiguous U.S. seems to be considered the southern periphery of lynx range (Schwartz et al 2002; Schwartz et al. 2003; ILBT 2013). As a wide-ranging species, lynx rely heavily on the availability of connected landscapes for their daily, seasonal and life needs. As many leading lynx experts agree that lynx conservation should focus on minimizing fragmentation and maintaining connectivity (Schwartz et al. 2002, Squires et al. 2013), the need for improved connectivity is an urgent need for this species. This need will only magnify as humans continue to encroach into wild places and the climate increasingly warms. Not currently. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies Judge’s Score for Severity and Extent of Threat: 3 28 Detail information on any social or economic benefits the species provides—e.g., its value for recreation or as a subject of scientific research. (Optional) 29 Detail the ecological importance of the species (e.g., is it a keystone species?). 30 Describe how the species could be considered an "ambassador" or “flagship” species to enlist public support for conservation. 0 Many people would say that having wildlife on the landscape affords many benefits essential to their well-being. In 2011, roughly 54.9 billion dollars were spent throughout the U.S. on expenditures associated with wildlife watching and approximately 10.4 million people 16 years old and over participated in wildlife watching of large land mammals away from the home (USDOI and USDOC 2011). As such, it could be argued that lynx provide both social and economic benefits. Lynx conservation is directly tied to forest management, so much that they were first listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to an “inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, specifically the lack of guidance for conservation of lynx and lynx habitat in Federal land management plans” (65 Fed. Reg. 16052-16086). As an umbrella species for their forests habitats, conserving habitat for lynx will benefit the multitude of other species that rely on the same ecosystem to survive. Lynx are a wide-ranging species that epitomize the need for connectivity to be restored or maintained on the landscape. In fact, Canada lynx has already served as the “ambassador” or “flagship” species to enlist public support for conservation – the cats are the mascot of Rocky Mountain Wild’s work to build an overpass on Vail Pass, stop development on Wolf Creek Pass, and were chosen as the totem species for the Southern Rockies portion of TrekWest, John Davis’s of the Wildlands Network 5,000 mile journey through wildlife corridors that connect the West from Mexico to the Canada (http://www.twp.org/wildways/western-wildway/trekwest). Judge’s Score for Importance of Species Judge’s Final Score Literature Cited: CPW (Colorado Parks and Wildlife). 2010. DOW Declares Colorado Lynx Reintroduction Program a Success. Press Release. Available at http://dnr.state.co.us/newsapp/Press.asp?PressId=6650 (Accessed: May 28, 2015) Gonzalez, P., R. P. Neilson, K. S. McKelvey, J. M. Lenihan, and R. J. Drapek. 2007. Potential impacts of climate change on habitat and conservation priority areas for Lynx canadensis (Canada lynx). Report to the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C., and NatureServe, Please cite any substantiating scientific studies Arlington, Virginia. 19 pp. Hodges, K. E. 2000. Ecology of snowshoe hares in southern boreal and montane forests. Pages 163–206 in L. F. Ruggiero, K. B. Aubry, S. W. Buskirk, G. M. Koehler, C. J. Krebs, K. S. McKelvey, and J. R. Squires, editors. Ecology and conservation of lynx in the United States. University Press of Colorado. Boulder, Colorado, USA. ILBT (Interagency Lynx Biology Team). 2013. Canada lynx conservation assessment and strategy. 3rd edition. USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, and USDI National Park Service. Forest Service Publication R1-13-19, Missoula, MT. 128 pp. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2014. Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Field, C. B., V. R. Barros, D .J. Dokken, K. J. Mach, M. D. Mastrandrea, T. E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K. L. Ebi, Y. O. Estrada, R. C. Genova, B. Girma, E. S. Kissel, A. N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P. R. Mastrandrea, and L. L. White (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-32. http://ipccwg2.gov/AR5/images/uploads/WG2AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf Jacobson, G. L., I. J. Fernandez, P. A. Mayewski, and C. V. Schmitt, editors. 2009. Maine’s climate future: an initial assessment. University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA. McKelvey, K. S., S. W. Buskirk, and C. J. Krebs. 2000. Theoretical insights into the population viability of lynx. Pages 21-38 in Ruggiero, L. F., K. B. Aubry, S. W. Buskirk, G. M. Koehler, C. J. Krebs, K. S. McKelvey, and J. R. Squires, (eds.). Ecology and conservation of lynx in the contiguous United States. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. NatureServe. 2015. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: May 28, 2015). Schwartz. M.K., K.L Pilgrim, K.S. McKelvey, E.L. Lindquist, J.J. Claar, S. Loch, and L.F. Ruggiero. 2004. Hybridization between Canada lynx and bobcats: Genetic results and management implications. Conservation Genetics 5: 349-355. Schwartz, M. K., L. S. Mills, K. S. McKelvey, L. F. Ruggerio, and F. W. Allendorf. 2002. DNA reveals high dispersal synchronizing the population dynamics of Canada lynx. Nature 415: 520-522. Schwartz, M. K., L. S. Mills, Y. Ortega, L. F. Ruggerio, and F. W. Allendorf. 2003. Landscape location affects genetic variation of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Molecular ecology 12: 1807-1816. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies Shenk, T.M. 2009. Post-release monitoring of lynx reintroduced to Colorado. Period covered: July 1 2008 – August 31, 2009. Wildlife research report, Colorado Division of Wildlife. 16pp. Available at: http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/SpeciesOfConcern/Lynx/Reports/LynxAnnualReport2008-2009.pdf (Accessed: May 28, 2015). Squires, J. R., N. J. DeCesare, L. E. Olson, J. A. Kolbe, M. Hebblewhite, and S. A. Parks. 2013. Combining resource selection and movement behavior to predict corridors for Canada lynx at their southern range periphery. Biological Conservation 157:187–195. USDOI, USFWS and USDOC, USCB (U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau). 2011. 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Revised February 2014. USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 2013. Canada Lynx Lynx Canadensis. Fact Sheet. Available at http://www.fws.gov/mountainprairie/species/mammals/lynx/CandaLynxFactSheet_091613.pdf (Accessed: May 28, 2015). Please submit to [email protected], and thank you for participating in the 2015 Top 10 Report. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies