Lynx cycles and barriers: Evaluating dispersal versus climate change in flatlining populations

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Persistent and regular population cycles produced by specialist predators and their prey are a rarity in nature, but appear to be a major force creating a periodic rhythm in boreal ecosystems. Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) display such a pervasive 10-year cycle. The health of these dynamic systems are at risk as evidenced by the threatened status of the lynx in the US and low numbers in what remains of its southern range in Canada. For instance, lynx numbers in the Cascades Mountain Range of southern Canada and northern Washington have approximately halved in recent years. The persistence of lynx near the Canada-US border may depend on either quality of dispersal connections with the core Canadian population or stemming the progression of climate change before it permanently alters the species' dynamics.