130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

% change
750
600
450
300
150
0
Figure 2.
Change in Eurasian
lynx population
abundance by
decade and overall
change between
1963 and 2005. Please
note that due to the
way change was
calculated, decadal
change does not sum
to overall change.
Table 3.
Major reasons for
positive change in the
status of the Eurasian
lynx in Europe.
Abundance and distribution: changes
In line with the significant decline reported
towards the end of the 19 th century [4] , the lynx’s
range decreased by 48% between 1800 and 1960,
and the species retracted to its distribution limits
(e.g. Russia, Scandinavia and the Balkans) and
a number of refugia throughout the continent
(southern and northern Spain, the Carpathians and
the Alps) (Figures 1a and b). This was followed by a
37% increase in occupied area in the second half of
the 20 th century. Despite a complete loss from the
Iberian peninsula and severe range contraction in
the Balkans during this period, there has also been
an expansion from the limits in Russia and Scandinavia
(with the exception of southern Russia), and
a spread into new areas in France, Germany, the
Czech Republic and Poland, many or all of which
can be attributed to reintroductions [10] . The lynx
currently occupies 71% of its historical range in
Europe (Figures 1a and b).
The more recent range expansion is also
reflected in the population trend for European
Rank Reason for change Description
1 Legislation The Eurasian lynx is listed on CITES (Appendix
II), and protected under the Bern Convention
(Appendix III) and EU Habitats & Species Directive
(Annexes II and IV) [5] , and therefore strictly
protected in all EU member states except Estonia [6] .
2 Species management
– translocations,
reintroductions and
captive breeding
3 Other – Natural
recolonisation
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000–05 1963–2005
Half of the current 10 Eurasian lynx populations
are the result of reintroductions in the 1970s and
1980s; these are Dinaric, Alpine, Jura, Vosges-
Palatinian and Bohemian-Bavarian populations [6] .
Occurrences in the Harz mountains are also
attributable to reintroductions [6] .
Translocation of three individuals from Estonia to
Poland in 2012 [6] .
The Finnish lynx population was re-established
in the 1950s by recolonisation from Russia and
Sweden [17] . Bulgaria is currently being recolonized
by individuals from the Carpathian or Balkan
population [17]
populations of Eurasian lynx (Figure 2). The analysis
which starts in 1963 due to non-availability of data
before this period, shows an increase of nearly
500% by 2005 (Figure 2), with consistently positive
population change in all decades except between
2000 and 2005 (Figure 2). This recent decrease is
attributable to populations from Norway, Poland
and Russia. The abundance trend for Eurasian lynx
is based on 25 populations from across its current
range, representing 4,350 individuals or 44% of the
total European population of 2010. The country
coverage is good at around 66%. Data were missing
from only a few locations within the species’
current range, namely southern Russia and the
critically endangered Balkan population.
Drivers of recovery
The most severe persecution of the lynx in
Europe ceased in the middle of the 20 th century,
which halted the shrinking of its range and fixed
its westernmost range limits in eastern Europe
and in some parts of Scandinavia [4] . In our data
set, increases in abundance in the Eurasian lynx
appear to be associated with specific countries and
regions. The countries with the most pronounced
recoveries were Austria, Germany, France and
Italy (not shown), all in the Western European
region with the exception of Italy, and covering
the Alpine, Bohemian, Jura and Vosges populations
(Table 2). None are from protected locations, and all
are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, so
the increase is likely the result of reintroductions
or recolonisations in areas from which the lynx
had previously been extirpated.
Countries in southern Europe were associated
with relatively stable trends, especially those
within the range of the Balkan subpopulation, such
as Albania and Serbia. However, it is populations in
eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland
and Russia) and therefore the Carpathian and
Baltic populations, which are faring the worst. Both
of these populations were reported to have stable
to decreasing, and decreasing trends between
1996 and 2001 [10] . The last comprehensive report [6]
lists persecution and low acceptance, as well as
infrastructure development as major threats
throughout Europe.
Overall, the recovery of the Eurasian lynx is
attributable to active conservation action such as
the legal protection of the species and its habitat,
and continued reintroduction and translocation
efforts, but also to natural recolonisation (Table 3).
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