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The proof is in the poop: First density estimates for a recovering bobcat population in southeast Ohio using DNA from scat
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  • Marissa Dyck,
  • Genelle Uhrig,
  • Stephen Spear,
  • Ruben Iosif,
  • Viorel Popescu
Marissa Dyck
Ohio University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Genelle Uhrig
The Wilds
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Stephen Spear
The Wilds
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Ruben Iosif
Foundation Conservation Carpathia
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Viorel Popescu
Ohio University
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Abstract

The recovery of mammalian species in the US Midwest through natural recolonization constitutes a conservation success story, yet management remains challenging due to many unknowns related to population dynamics and abundance. Abundance is a critical parameter for management decisions, and estimating the density and abundance of elusive species, such as terrestrial carnivores, remains challenging despite recent technological advances. In this study, we evaluated density and abundance of a recovering carnivore species, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) in two areas of Ohio using non-invasive DNA from scat. The target areas in eastern and southern Ohio have been shown to have uneven dynamics and recolonization success and we expected that this would be reflected in differences in density and abundance. We collected 298 bobcat scats between July 2018 and April 2019 on 150 km of repeated transects. Of these, 102 scats were successfully genotyped, and 55 individuals were identified (33 in eastern Ohio and 22 in southern Ohio). Using Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture models, we estimated 17.9 ± 4.3 and 11.3 ± 2.9 bobcats/100 km2 in eastern and southern Ohio study areas, respectively. Our results support prior telemetry data which indicated that bobcats in eastern Ohio had smaller home-ranges than bobcats in southern Ohio, and thus could support a higher density of individuals. The higher densities were similar to other eastern US populations and are much higher than other Midwestern recovering populations. Our results provide a snapshot of the population status and can be used to determine sustainable management strategies for Ohio’s bobcat population
18 Apr 2023Submitted to Population Ecology
22 Apr 2023Submission Checks Completed
22 Apr 2023Assigned to Editor
22 Apr 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 May 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
07 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
12 Sep 20231st Revision Received
20 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
20 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
20 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
23 Jan 20244th Revision Received
24 Jan 2024Assigned to Editor
24 Jan 2024Submission Checks Completed
24 Jan 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Jan 2024Editorial Decision: Accept