CAREER:Population Biology of Snowshoe Hares and Lynx in a Fragmented Landscape.

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Many predator-prey populations follow predictable cycles, with the 10-yearcycles of snowshoe hares and lynx among the most remarkable. However, inthe southern part of their range (including Montana), the hare/lynx cycle isapparently dampened, perhaps due to forest fragmentation causing hares todie in open-canopy areas before numbers can increase. As a specializedpredator, lynx in turn are thought to be noncyclic at low-densities in theseareas. I will use mark-recapture sampling and telemetry to test thispossible consequence of fragmentation, and will estimate, for the firsttime, population densities using DNA profiles of lynx hairs. Although effects of forest fragmentation have been investigated for anumber of species, this will be the first major effort to look atconsequences on both prey (hare) and predator (lynx). In this 4-year studyI will seek basic principles driving population biology of cyclic,interdependent species in a human-modified landscape. Benefits of suchknowledge are amplified by the fact that U.S. lynx are considered to bedeclining and possibly endangered. A key part of this proposal includesdeveloping a long-term and self-sustaining intern program, wherebyundergraduates (particularly Native Americans) gain field experience andformal educational training allowing them to translate scientific researchinto educational outreach.