Many predator-prey populations follow predictable cycles, with the 10-year cycles of snowshoe hares and lynx among the most remarkable. However, in the southern part of their range (including Montana), the hare/lynx cycle is apparently dampened, perhaps due to forest fragmentation causing hares to die in open-canopy areas before numbers can increase. As a specialized predator, lynx in turn are thought to be noncyclic at low-densities in these areas. I will use mark-recapture sampling and telemetry to test this possible consequence of fragmentation, and will estimate, for the first time, population densities using DNA profiles of lynx hairs. Although effects of forest fragmentation have been investigated for a number of species, this will be the first major effort to look at consequences on both prey (hare) and predator (lynx). In this 4-year study I will seek basic principles driving population biology of cyclic, interdependent species in a human-modified landscape. Benefits of such knowledge are amplified by the fact that U.S. lynx are considered to be declining and possibly endangered. A key part of this proposal includes developing a long-term and self-sustaining intern program, whereby undergraduates (particularly Native Americans) gain field experience and formal educational training allowing them to translate scientific research into educational outreach.
