We are EUROLYNX, an open, collaborative project based on a spatial database that stores shared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) data to investigate its ecology across environmental gradients in order to understand population responses to specific conditions, such as habitat changes, impact of human activities, prey densities, or livestock husbandry methods. We aim to promote comparative theoretical and applied research into Eurasian lynx behaviour and ecology at the European scale. Our open, bottom-up and cooperative structure helps spur proactive engagement of our members and assures that they are involved throughout all stages of research. Since our start in 2018, dozens of groups have joined the network, and an increasing number of research questions are being addressed to bring Eurasian lynx and methodological advances forward.
The Eurasian Lynx is a large carnivore belonging to the Felidae family and the largest of six species in the Lynx genus. Eurasian lynx are a solitary cat species who spend most of their time alone after being reared, apart from mating or for females when rearing their own offspring. Eurasian lynx are also territorial, which means they tend not to share the same areas as members of the same sex. As a species, Eurasian lynx are very adaptable and occur in diverse habitats and can subsist on many prey animals, the European roe deer being a preferred one. In some regions, Eurasian lynx is associated with forested areas and deer prey, while in others, it occurs in more open, thinly wooded areas and steppe habitats where their prey is mostly hares.
Although Eurasian lynx is listed as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN red list, given its wide range and stable populations across Eurasia, some isolated subpopulations in central Europe are individually considered endangered. Lynx was extirpated from most of Western and Central Europe by the 20th century, with the exception of the Carpathian Mountains. Further, in a small area of the Balkan Peninsula the critically endangered subspecies (Lynx lynx b.) survived. Larger populations persisted in Fennoscandia, the Baltic States, and large tracts of eastern Eurasia. While Eurasian lynx has returned to some of their historic ranges, they are under pressure from human influences across their distribution. The major threats to Eurasian lynx are poaching, habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. There is also evidence of inbreeding in many small populations in Central Europe. There is little information on the status of Eurasian lynx populations across large parts of Asia.
Events
All events related to EUROLYNX
VII EUROLYNX, Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park, Neuwiller-lès-Saverne, France, 2024-10-07 / 2024-10-09
VI EUROLYNX meeting, Life Lynx project, Zadar, Croatia, 2023-09-27 / 2023-09-29
V EUROLYNX meeting, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND e.V.), the WWF Germany and the Wildtierland Hainich, Eisenach, Germany, 2022-10-10 / 2022-10-13
IV EUROLYNX meeting, Online, 2021-10-12 / 2021-10-14
III EUROLYNX meeting, Online, 2020-10-07 / 2020-10-08
II EUROLYNX meeting, Mammal Research Institute, Białowieża Forest, Poland, 2019-10-28 / 2019-10-30
I EUROLYNX meeting, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, 2018-10-15 / 2018-10-17
Publications
All published articles related to EUROLYNX
EUROLYNX_5: Integrating animal tracking datasets at a continental scale for mapping Eurasian lynx habitat Oeser, J., Heurich, M., Kramer-Schadt, S., Mattisson, J., Krofel, M., Krojerová-Prokešová, J., Zimmermann, F., Anders, O., Andrén, H., Bagrade, G., Belotti, E., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C., Bufka, L., Černe, R., Drouet-Hoguet, N., Duľa, M., Fuxjäger, C., Gomerčić, T., Jędrzejewski, W., Kont, R., Koubek, P., Kowalczyk, R., Kusak, J., Kubala, J., Kutal, M., Linnell, J. D. C., Molinari-Jobin, A., Männil, P., Middelhoff, T. L., Odden, J., Okarma, H., Oliveira, T., Pagon, N., Persson, J., Remm, J., Schmidt, K., Signer, S., Tám, B., Vogt, K., Kuemmerle, T., Diversity and distributions, None
https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13784
EUROLYNX_4: Prerequisites for coexistence: human pressure and refuge habitat availability shape continental-scale habitat use patterns of a large carnivore Oeser, J., Heurich, M., Kramer-Schadt, S., Andrén, H., Bagrade, G., Belotti, E., Bufka, L., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C., Černe, R., Duľa, M., Fuxjäger, C., Gomerčić, T., Jędrzejewski, W., Kont, R., Koubek, P., Kowalczyk, R., Krofel, M., Krojerová-Prokešová, J., Kubala, J., Kusak, J., Kutal, M., Linnell, J. D. C., Mattisson, J., Molinari-Jobin, A., Männil, P., Odden, J., Okarma, H., Oliveira, T., Pagon, N., Persson, J., Remm, J., Schmidt, K., Signer, S., Tám, B., Vogt, K., Zimmermann, F., Kuemmerle, T., Landscape Ecology, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01645-7
EUROLYNX_1: Human disturbance is the most limiting factor driving habitat selection of a large carnivore throughout Continental Europe. Ripari, L., Premier, J., Belotti, E., Bluhm, H., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C., Bufka, L., Červený, J., Drouet-Hoguet, N., Fuxjäger, C., Jędrzejewski, W., Kont, R., Koubek, P., Kowalczyk, R., Krofel, M., Krojerová-Prokešová, J., Molinari-Jobin, A., Okarma, H., Oliveira, T., Remm, J., Schmidt, K., Zimmermann, F., Kramer-Schadt, S., Heurich, M,, Biological conservation, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109446
EUROLYNX_2: Timing and synchrony of birth in Eurasian lynx across Europe Mattisson, J., J. D. C. Linnell, O. Anders, E. Belotti, C. Breitenmoser-Würsten, L. Bufka, C. Fuxjäger, M. Heurich, G. Ivanov, W. Jędrzejewski, R. Kont, R. Kowalczyk, M. Krofel, D. Melovski, D. Mengüllüoğlu, T. L. Middelhoff, A. Molinari-Jobin, J. Odden, J. Ozoliņš, H. Okarma, J. Persson, K. Schmidt, K. Vogt, F. Zimmermann, Andrén H., Ecology and Evolution, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9147
EUROLYNX_3: Predicting kill sites of an apex predator from GPS data in different multi-prey systems. Oliveira, T., Carricondo-Sanchez, D., Mattisson, J., Vogt, K., Corradini, A., Linnell, J., Odden, J., Heurich, M., Rodríguez-Recio, M. and Krofel, M., Ecological Applications, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2778
Related PhD theses
The following PhD Thesis relied in part on the EUROLYNX dataset and collaborative team but, mostly, contributed excellent science out of it! Congrats for achieving such an important result!
- Joe Premier, University of Freiburg, Germany, 2021
- Julian Oeser, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, 2021
Since 2012, Vectronic Aerospace GmbH is the official sponsor of EURODEER project. In 2018, it has started to support the entire EUROMAMMALS initiative, showing to strongly believe in collaborative science and in the scientific potentiality of animal-borne information, such that provided by their products.
