Causes for Endangerment
A man enjoying his victory, another lynx dead
The Canada Lynx gradual disappearance is a result of human activities (compromising the lynx and environment). In the 19th century, hunters trapped lynx for their fur (used to make fur pelts, a form of currency at the time). The Hudson Bay Company (HBC) and the Canadian government have records of fur catching from 1730. In the 1970s - 1980s, the largest threat to the lynx was trapping since the price of their hide was around $600 each. The Yukon First Nations also used the lynx coat for fashioning religious robes. Yukon had a large trapping industry and the lynx was one of the valuable furbearers. If too many lynxes are trapped during a low point in the population cycle, the lynx could be wiped out in certain areas. By the early 1990s, the Canada Lynx was a canidate of the ESA (endangered species act).
In present day, the lynx are threatened because of habitat destruction and fragmention (breaking down). Lumber industries remove the forestry the lynx needs for denning and breeding. With the habitat destroyed, the birth rate will go down and the lynx would have to move someplace else (which isn't always possible). The lack of trees can also be caused by deforestation. This disrupts the lynx travel patterns because the animals prefer the tree cover. Roads threaten the lynx by dividing its habitat and therby isolating the lynx. This can also expose them to predators. Animals such as the cougar can also inhabit the lynx previous settlement if the new species sees the empty space. Competition can come between lynx as they fight for shelter and space. Logging has also been an Motor vehicles (cars) has also caused lots of death.
Climate change also has a negative effect on the Canada Lynx. They are dependant on areas with lots of snowshoe hare populations, which live in cold, snowy areas. They are accustomed to colder climates. The lynx also need deep snow for hunting purposes where its paws give it an advantage over other hunters (cougars). The rising temperature, caused by factors such as global warming, will decrease snowfall and cause the existing snow to melt and than possibly re-feeeze. This creates a hard, icy surface with the lynx do not walk well on, unlike it's competition: the coyote. Climate change also alters forests because the heat could cause forest fires which ruin the habitat and also, the animals in it (including the lynx and snowshoe hare).
In present day, the lynx are threatened because of habitat destruction and fragmention (breaking down). Lumber industries remove the forestry the lynx needs for denning and breeding. With the habitat destroyed, the birth rate will go down and the lynx would have to move someplace else (which isn't always possible). The lack of trees can also be caused by deforestation. This disrupts the lynx travel patterns because the animals prefer the tree cover. Roads threaten the lynx by dividing its habitat and therby isolating the lynx. This can also expose them to predators. Animals such as the cougar can also inhabit the lynx previous settlement if the new species sees the empty space. Competition can come between lynx as they fight for shelter and space. Logging has also been an Motor vehicles (cars) has also caused lots of death.
Climate change also has a negative effect on the Canada Lynx. They are dependant on areas with lots of snowshoe hare populations, which live in cold, snowy areas. They are accustomed to colder climates. The lynx also need deep snow for hunting purposes where its paws give it an advantage over other hunters (cougars). The rising temperature, caused by factors such as global warming, will decrease snowfall and cause the existing snow to melt and than possibly re-feeeze. This creates a hard, icy surface with the lynx do not walk well on, unlike it's competition: the coyote. Climate change also alters forests because the heat could cause forest fires which ruin the habitat and also, the animals in it (including the lynx and snowshoe hare).
The Canadian Lynx © / Site Author: Sabrina.M (The Professer) ® / Meadowvale Secondary School / Published December 13 2011 / Last updated December 19 2011