IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Golla, J.M. | |
| Urban Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Ecology in the Dallas- Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex | |
| 2017 Full Book | |
Wildlife and people increasingly overlap in their use of space and resources as cities rapidly expand, often increasing rates of human-wildlife conflict. Urban carnivores are of special concern because of their potential effects on human health, well-being, and livelihoods. Bobcats (_Lynx rufus_) are a top predator in several urban areas across the United States and a potential contributor to human-carnivore conflicts. This study evaluated the movements and habitat utilization of bobcats in a highly urbanized area of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Texas metroplex. Spatial data were collected from 10 bobcats via Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) for approximately one year. Average home range size using kernel density estimators was 4.60 km2 (n=9, SE=0.99 km2) for all resident bobcats, 3.48 km2 (n=5, SE=1.13 km2) for resident females, and 6.00 km2 (n=4, SE=1.61 km2) for resident males. Resource selection function (RSF) models showed bobcats vary their selection of habitats such as creeks, grass, and low-medium development in a non-linear way. Bobcats avoided areas close to and far from grasslands and low-medium development but selected for these areas at intermediate distances. Bobcats also selected areas closer to developed open space, agricultural areas, and railroads. In addition, camera trap data analyzed with maximum likelihood spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models informed by the RSF results estimated a population density of 0.64 bobcats/km2 (SE = 0.22). Bobcats in DFW have significantly smaller home ranges and occur at higher densities compared to rural bobcat populations. Home ranges were also slightly smaller and densities higher than the most closely similar peri-urban bobcat studies. These differences likely arise due to the abundant urban prey species the DFW landscape provides despite limited space and habitat for bobcats. The dense urban development surrounding this population of bobcats may also discourage dispersing from the area, contributing to higher densities. These results provide information to facilitate management of urban bobcats by providing new insight into how bobcats live amidst people in an anthropogenic-driven ecosystem. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |