Action Plan for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx Pardinus) in Europe. Delibes, M., Rodriguez, A., & Ferreras, P. Volume 111 of Nature and Environment, Council of Europe Publishing.
Action Plan for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx Pardinus) in Europe [link]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
[Excerpt: Executive summary] Amongst the European large carnivores, the Iberian lynx is the only endemic species. Hence, Europe must ensure the preservation of the lynx to keep coherence when claiming similar efforts in other parts of the world. Another remarkable feature of the Iberian lynx is its qualification as the most endangered felid species in the world, given its low total population size, its highly fragmented distribution, and its declining population trend and strong range contraction during the last century. These characteristics make the conservation strategy for the Iberian lynx diametrically opposed to that of other large carnivores, such as the Eurasian lynx or the wolf, that tend to expand their distribution limits in many European countries. Therefore, the main goal of the present Action Plan is achieving long-term viability for the few existing populations of the Iberian lynx. The Plan offers a discussion of conservation problems and contains guidelines to solve them, but it is not a management plan itself. [\n] The speed at which the Iberian lynx heads for extinction is so fast that a drastic intervention of the competent Environmental Administrations is needed in many fields to fulfill the mandate of conservation laws. Measures have to be taken to preserve and recover a landscape that mimics the Mediterranean ecosystem resulting from millennia of man-forest interaction, which presumably has benefited rabbits, a crucial resource for lynx survival. When extensive habitat recovery is difficult or impossible between populations, linear corridors are needed to favour interpopulation dispersal. The destructive ability of modern human activities and developments on the sensitive natural areas of southern Iberia must be limited. Economic support should be provided to land uses favouring the recovery of rabbit populations. Lynx deaths due to direct or indirect human actions must stop immediately, and levels of natural mortality should be reduced by improving habitat quality (i.e. survival) in lynx areas. Although it is believed that in situ measures should prevail among conservation efforts, some knowledge is needed about ex situ initiatives, including an experimental captive breeding program, and other techniques aimed at lynx reintroduction or restocking which could be needed in the next future. Many practical questions remain unanswered because of incomplete information on ecological and behavioural aspects of the lynx biology. Therefore, research programs should cover current gaps in our knowledge. Special attention must be paid to improving methods for monitoring lynx presence and abundance, which allow assessment of the efficiency of conservation measures. In practice, most of the actions listed above generate some conflicts with ongoing activities and, therefore, need a strong political and legal support. In particular, many areas require some kind of legal protection. [\n] The conservation of the Iberian lynx requires the participation of a number of collectives, and putting the measures proposed in this Plan into practice depends, in the end, on individual decisions and on the personal commitment of many people with the philosophy of this document. In this regard, some work can be done through economic incentives, but the stress should be on clear information and education. The Iberian lynx only lives in two countries, and co-operation between them is clearly required to preserve international populations, justifying and giving meaning to the Pan-European framework of the Large Carnivore Initiative. A similar co-ordination is needed between regions in Spain, that hold the responsibility of lynx conservation, and between branches of the same administration.
@book{delibesActionPlanConservation2000,
  title = {Action Plan for the Conservation of the {{Iberian}} Lynx ({{Lynx}} Pardinus) in {{Europe}}},
  author = {Delibes, Miguel and Rodriguez, Alejandro and Ferreras, Pablo},
  date = {2000},
  volume = {111},
  publisher = {{Council of Europe Publishing}},
  url = {http://mfkp.org/INRMM/article/14037480},
  abstract = {[Excerpt: Executive summary]

Amongst the European large carnivores, the Iberian lynx is the only endemic species. Hence, Europe must ensure the preservation of the lynx to keep coherence when claiming similar efforts in other parts of the world. Another remarkable feature of the Iberian lynx is its qualification as the most endangered felid species in the world, given its low total population size, its highly fragmented distribution, and its declining population trend and strong range contraction during the last century. These characteristics make the conservation strategy for the Iberian lynx diametrically opposed to that of other large carnivores, such as the Eurasian lynx or the wolf, that tend to expand their distribution limits in many European countries. Therefore, the main goal of the present Action Plan is achieving long-term viability for the few existing populations of the Iberian lynx. The Plan offers a discussion of conservation problems and contains guidelines to solve them, but it is not a management plan itself.

[\textbackslash n] The speed at which the Iberian lynx heads for extinction is so fast that a drastic intervention of the competent Environmental Administrations is needed in many fields to fulfill the mandate of conservation laws. Measures have to be taken to preserve and recover a landscape that mimics the Mediterranean ecosystem resulting from millennia of man-forest interaction, which presumably has benefited rabbits, a crucial resource for lynx survival. When extensive habitat recovery is difficult or impossible between populations, linear corridors are needed to favour interpopulation dispersal. The destructive ability of modern human activities and developments on the sensitive natural areas of southern Iberia must be limited. Economic support should be provided to land uses favouring the recovery of rabbit populations. Lynx deaths due to direct or indirect human actions must stop immediately, and levels of natural mortality should be reduced by improving habitat quality (i.e. survival) in lynx areas. Although it is believed that in situ measures should prevail among conservation efforts, some knowledge is needed about ex situ initiatives, including an experimental captive breeding program, and other techniques aimed at lynx reintroduction or restocking which could be needed in the next future. Many practical questions remain unanswered because of incomplete information on ecological and behavioural aspects of the lynx biology. Therefore, research programs should cover current gaps in our knowledge. Special attention must be paid to improving methods for monitoring lynx presence and abundance, which allow assessment of the efficiency of conservation measures. In practice, most of the actions listed above generate some conflicts with ongoing activities and, therefore, need a strong political and legal support. In particular, many areas require some kind of legal protection.

[\textbackslash n] The conservation of the Iberian lynx requires the participation of a number of collectives, and putting the measures proposed in this Plan into practice depends, in the end, on individual decisions and on the personal commitment of many people with the philosophy of this document. In this regard, some work can be done through economic incentives, but the stress should be on clear information and education. The Iberian lynx only lives in two countries, and co-operation between them is clearly required to preserve international populations, justifying and giving meaning to the Pan-European framework of the Large Carnivore Initiative. A similar co-ordination is needed between regions in Spain, that hold the responsibility of lynx conservation, and between branches of the same administration.},
  keywords = {*imported-from-citeulike-INRMM,~INRMM-MiD:c-14037480,~to-add-stable-URL,biodiversity,carnivores,conservation,europe,featured-publication,lynx-pardinus,species-distribution},
  series = {Nature and Environment}
}

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