Sunde, P., Stener, S.Ø. & Kvam, T. 1998: Tolerance to humans of resting lynxes Lynx lynx in a hunted population. - Wildl. Biol. 4: 177-183.
The tolerance of lynxes Lynx lynx to human presence and disturbance in a hunted population in Norway was studied using telemetry. Forest land within 200 metres from the nearest road or house was avoided by lynxes when resting (P < 0.01). The tolerance distance of resting lynxes towards intruding people was short (median 50 m), though strongly correlated with the horizontal vegetation cover (partial correlation, P < 0.02) and forest maturation stage (partial correlation, P < 0.02), but not with terrain inclination (partial correlation, P > 0.3). The lynxes did not enter steeper country (P > 0.4) or alter their daily walking distance (P > 0.7) after being disturbed. The data indicate that lynxes, even when suffering extensive, man-induced mortality, may tolerate high human activity within their range as long as sufficient stands of undisturbed, mature forest with dense horizontal cover are present.
Key words: cultural landscape, disturbance, habitat, habitation, Lynx lynx, roads
Peter Sunde*, Snorre Ø. Stener & Tor Kvam, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, N - 7005 Trondheim, Norway
*Present address: Department of Population Biology, University of Copenhagen. Universitetsparken 15, DK - 2100 København Ø, Denmark -e-mail: PSunde@zi.ku.dk
Received 23 September 1997, accepted 12 March 1998
Associate Editor: Paolo Cavallini