PhD The sustainability of a Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx reintroduction in Scotland

由于大量的猎物密度和控制这些种群的高经济成本，将大型食肉动物重新引入英国可能是有益的（Hetherington等人，2007年）。一个成功的欧亚猞猁猞猁重新引入可以控制鹿的数量，鼓励天然森林再生，增加旅游活动和游客数量（赫瑟林顿2006年）。联合王国根据国际条约保护和重新引入以前灭绝的物种（Genovesi等人，2004年）。先前在瑞士、法国和德国重新引入的猞猁已经导致了猎人和牲畜饲养者偷猎造成的人类死亡;这是英国重新引入猞猁的一个潜在问题。从德国普法尔茨国家森林的猞猁重新引入中吸取的一个重要教训是，建立当地对重新引入项目的支持和参与是成功实施的关键（Wilson 2018）。在英国重新引入大型捕食者带来了很大的争议，因为英国公众并没有在一个有大量食肉动物存在的环境中长大（Consorte-McCrea等人2017）。之前在Kielder森林中试验猞猁重新引入的申请被拒绝（约翰逊等人，2019），原因是缺乏与当地社区的接触，以及缺乏完成成本效益分析和生态影响评估。虽然研究报告称，猞猁的重新引入将有利于公众（Smith等人，2016），但可以理解的是，农民，牲畜饲养者，猎人及其协会对此表示担忧（Wilson 2004）。对于英国各地的环保主义者来说，重新引入捕食者将平衡生态系统（Hetherington 2006）。然而，那些将直接受到影响的人需要有机会参与这一进程，并使他们的关切得到承认。这是非常重要的参与这些政党，因为他们是一个成功的重新引入的关键因素（Hetherington 2006）。最近的研究（Ovenden et al. 2019）已经确定了苏格兰（阿伯丁郡和金泰尔半岛）的潜在地点，用于猞猁重新引入项目;然而，该研究倡导在潜在冲突地区开展社会经济工作。这一点至关重要的是使用或有估值方法（Macmillan et al. 2001）和成本效益分析（白色et al. 2015）对项目的经济成本和效益进行全面解释。因此，进一步的研究是至关重要的，以提供一个综合的可持续性评估的社会，经济和生物多样性的性能的欧亚猞猁放归项目，并调查其潜在的挑战和机遇，当地社区在阿伯丁郡和Kintyre半岛，苏格兰。

With an abundance of prey densities and a high economic cost to control these populations, a large carnivore reintroduction into the UK may be beneficial (Hetherington et al. 2007). A successful Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx reintroduction could control deer populations, encourage natural forest regeneration, increase tourist activity and visitor numbers (Hetherington 2006). The UK is under International treaties to conserve and reintroduce previously extinct species (Genovesi et al. 2004). Previous lynx reintroductions in Switzerland, France and Germany have resulted in human caused mortalities from poaching, by hunters and livestock breeders; a potential issue for a lynx reintroduction in the UK. An important lesson learnt from a lynx reintroduction in the Palatinate National forest, Germany, is that building local support for and engagement in the reintroduction project is key for successful implementation (Wilson 2018). A large predator reintroduction in the UK brings much controversy as the UK public have not grown up in an environment with a large carnivore presence (Consorte-McCrea et al. 2017). A previous application for a trial lynx reintroduction in Kielder forest was rejected (Johnson et al. 2019) due to a lack of engagement with the local community and lack of completion of a cost benefit analysis and ecological impact assessment. Although, research has reported a lynx reintroduction would be favourable among the public (Smith et al. 2016), there are understandably concerns from farmers, livestock breeders, hunters and their associations (Wilson 2004). For conservationists across the UK, a reintroduction of a predator would balance the ecosystem (Hetherington 2006). However, those that would be directly affected need to have the opportunities to be involved with the process, and have their concerns acknowledged. It is extremely important to involve these parties as they are a key factor to a successful reintroduction (Hetherington 2006). Recent research (Ovenden et al. 2019) has identified potential sites in Scotland (Aberdeenshire and Kintyre Peninsula) for lynx reintroduction projects; however the research advocates socio-economic work in areas of potential conflict. Essential to this is the full explanation of economic costs and benefits of the project, using contingent valuation methods (Macmillan et al. 2001) and cost benefit analysis (White et al. 2015). Thus further research is vital in order to provide an integrated sustainability assessment of the social, economic and biodiversity performance of the Eurasian lynx reintroduction project and investigate its potential challenges and opportunities for local communities in Aberdeenshire and the Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland.