A new study revealed the biggest threats to Colorado's Canada lynx habitat and insight into solutions that can bolster the success of the iconic animals' population after their reintroduction more than two decades ago.
The new research was published as a collaborative project by scientists with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and the University of Wyoming, and focused on the southern Rocky Mountains, but particularly in western Colorado. They found that land management, wildfires, and habitat alteration or loss are the most notable risks to Canada lynx survival. About one-third of the areas where lynx are likely to live overlap with those disturbances.
These iconic wild cats came back from the brink of extinction in Colorado in the late 20th century. They are currently listed as endangered in Colorado and are federally listed as threatened, however the latter may change under President-elect Donald Trump.
For this study, researchers used GPS collars to track Canada lynx within the study area, and considered more than 40 habitat and environmental characteristics, the USFS said. This included the amount of snow versus rain in a habitat, road density, vegetation and more.
"Combining GPS and habitat data and using state-of-the-art statistical tools and modeling methods, these scientists identified which characteristics best predicted where lynx were found and used this information to map 'likely' lynx habitat where cats have a high probability of living, breeding, and successfully raising young," the USFS said.
The USFS then took this information and compared it to areas with risks of insect outbreaks, wildfire, timber harvest and development to publish its findings late in 2024.
How Canada lynx bounced back in Colorado
Canada lynx called the forests of Colorado's high elevations home in the late 1800s, but trapping, poisoning and loss of habitat led to years of decline. By 1930, they were considered "rare," and about 40 years later, only a few of them remained in Colorado, if any, according to CPW.
In the late 1990s, CPW published a document titled "Draft Strategy for the Conservation and Reestablishment of Lynx and Wolverine in the Southern Rocky Mountains." Shortly afterward, it decided to focus on just one of those animals at a time. It chose the lynx project over the wolverine reintroduction proposal, which has recently been renewed.
Through the project, 218 lynx from Alaska and Canadian provinces were released in Colorado.
By 2003, those lynx had birthed 16 kittens.
In 2010, CPW declared the project a success.
"All lynx currently present in the Southern Rockies are the result of this reintroduction," the new study reads.
Today, Canada lynx are primarily found in the San Juan Mountains and Sawatch Range range of Colorado, CPW said. On the other hand, their close relative, the bobcat, is found across much of the state, and the two are often confused as the same species.
According to current monitoring efforts, CPW said it believes that between 75 and 100 lynx live in Colorado. If you see one, CPW invites you to report it on its lynx sighting page.
Findings from recently published study
The new study, titled "Anthropogenically protected but naturally disturbed: a specialist carnivore at its southern range periphery" was published in mid-December 2024.
Canada lynx primarily live in dense, snowy subalpine forests, where they can seek shelter and prey on snowshoe hares, which make up 90% of their winter diet, according to the USFS. But those habitats are small and disjointed, so the lynx are vulnerable to wildfires, developments and climate change, the study found.
About 62% of the elusive animals' habitat overlaps with protected lands, which does offer vital refuges away from human development, CPW said. Those protected lands include national parks and wilderness zones. Trees within and outside of those areas are susceptible to insect outbreaks, but those typically exclude young trees that support lynx prey, so this also doesn't impact the predators as much as other factors.
It's a different story for wildfires and human development.
The study found that fires are the greatest threat to lynx habitat, as the flames destroy the understory — the bottom layer of trees and shrubs in a forest — which is where lynx take shelter and find their prey.
Luckily, only about 5% of their habitat has been impacted by fires, but the risk of wildfires is ever-present outside of the snowy months and is increasing with climate change, the study found.
Environment
Canada lynx proposed for new habitat protections in US southern Rockies
“Although fire disturbance from 1990-2022 overlapped only 5% of likely lynx habitat in this area, we believe that frequent, high-severity fire is the main risk to lynx in high-elevation forests moving forward,” said John Squires, the study's principal investigator and a Rocky Mountain Research Station research wildlife biologist.
Recovery from destructive wildfires can take decades in the subalpine, and the study found that lynx tend to avoid fire-impacted areas until the understory has regrown, which can take upwards of 50 years, the USFS said.
The research cites a few prior studies that found "persistent warming and drying trends from climate change contributed to a doubling of area burned in the western continental United States from 1984 to 2015," as well as an "eight-fold increase in areas burned at high severity" in that same timeframe.
Development — including ski area expansions, which lynx almost always avoid — overlap with about 4% of possible lynx habitat. The study found that while this is also a relatively low percentage, infrastructure is permanent and has long-term impacts. The human footprint includes land transformation, such as agriculture, transportation systems and hydrologic modifications, as well as power infrastructure.
“We were surprised at how little lynx habitat overlapped areas of managed forest and human development,” said Lucretia Olson, researcher and Rocky Mountain Research Station ecologist. "While forest management mainly causes temporary habitat changes, activities like urbanization and developing or expanding ski areas often lead to permanent losses. We hope our work will reach managers who make complex decisions about land uses."
In total, natural and human-caused disturbances impact about 37% of "likely habitat" for Canada lynx, the study found.
“These findings refine our understanding of lynx habitat and help us focus conservation efforts where they are needed most,” CPW Research Scientist Jake Ivan said. “Collaboration with experts from other organizations like the USFS, the University of Wyoming and many others has been and will continue to be invaluable in advancing our work.”
These animals provide a "valuable case study" of how authorities can manage a sensitive species in ecosystems that are undergoing disturbances accelerated by climate change, the study reads.
Lynx, which were released south of Interstate 70, have traveled north of the interstate, but have not established a breeding population on that side of the road, Stefan Ekernas, director of Colorado Field Conservation for the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, told Denver7 last year. In the past 20 years, four Canada lynx were killed on I-70, and authorities hope wildlife crossings can help keep the animals safe from drivers.
"CPW remains committed to protecting the Canada lynx and its habitat through science-based management, proactive wildfire mitigation, and sustainable land-use planning," the agency said in a press release. "By working together with partners and local communities, CPW is building a future where lynx can continue to thrive in Colorado’s iconic landscapes."
You can read the full study, titled, "Anthropogenically protected but naturally disturbed: a specialist carnivore at its southern range periphery," below or here.
The authors included John Squires and Lucretia Olson with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, CPW Research Scientist Jake Ivan, Peter McDonald with the USFS Rocky Mountain Region, and Joe Holbrook of the University of Wyoming.
A few years ago, CPW's mammals research section published a 15-minute video about the state's lynx and conservation efforts, which you can watch here.
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