Abstract

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Identifying Effective Lynx Habitat Connectivity in Northern Utah
Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management
Author(s): Wendy Bates

Large carnivores are increasingly impacted by human developments and activities, hampering both daily and seasonal movements to meet habitat, forage and reproductive needs. Responding in part to increasing habitat fragmentation and isolation, we utilized GIS weighted distance and least cost path methods to map regional landscape permeability and linkages for lynx moving between northern Utah, northwestern Colorado, southeastern Idaho, and western Wyoming. We modeled habitat effectiveness based on variables, such as vegetation types and road density, resulting in high-quality habitat "core" areas. Landscape permeability was then derived based on land cover, population density, road density and slope. Finally, we performed a least-cost path analysis to locate potential linkage zones connecting cores. The results of the analysis are being used to determine areas of focus for protection as important connectivity linkages for this forest carnivore.

Wendy Bates
Wild Utah Project
GIS
68 S. Main Street
Suite 400
Salt Lake City , UT 84101
US
Phone: 801-328-3550
E-mail: wup2@xmission.com