The selection of breeding dens by the endangered Tberian lynx (Lynx pardinus): implications for its conservation

We investigated the preferences shown by Tberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) for structures and sites for denning in Donana National Park. Lynx proved to be highly selective regarding the features of the natural structures selected, but their preferences concerning the characteristics of the habitat for th...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández, Néstor, Palomares, Francisco
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2000
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/51558
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/51558
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Lynx pardinus
felids
Breeding
Den characteristics
Descripción
Sumario:We investigated the preferences shown by Tberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) for structures and sites for denning in Donana National Park. Lynx proved to be highly selective regarding the features of the natural structures selected, but their preferences concerning the characteristics of the habitat for the denning sites were not so evident. All located litters were born inside hollow trunks with very large cavities (mean area=0.40 m2). Later, they were moved into bushes characterised by their large size (mean area=201.7 m2) and protective capabilities. We used logistic regressions to explore the relative strength of association between the selection of dens, the characteristics of their structure and those of the habitat around dens. The regressions indicated that the physical nature of dens was more important for breeding lynxes than habitat features (like prey densities or structure of vegetation). Preserving old growth habitats is important for the conservation of the endangered Tberian lynx because they provide suitable breeding structures.