Terrestrial transport infrastructures, Lynx population viability and mitigation strategies
This applied research project gathers a group of various actors (public and private; researchers, wildlife managers and carnivore experts; infrastructure managers and road/transport planning experts) with the following objectives:
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Maintaining functional connectivity between favorable lynx habitats and elaborating strategies for avoiding, reducing and compensating collision risks.
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Building a tool to reinforce and facilitation the implementation of land-use planning public policies.
To achieve these objectives, we will rely on:
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Data on collisions (roads, railways) and external structural factors (ITT presence and their characteristics);
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A predictive statistical model to identify the zones with high probability of collision risks;
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A spatially-explicit individual-based population viability model (SEPVA) to predict extinction risks;
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A user-friendly computer program implemented in R. We will follow a companion modeling approach to ensure the smooth adoption and use of this program by the actors.
This project will fill a gap between the academic research, the stakes of land planning, the lynx conservation and the needs of ITT managers/operators. We will contribute to the implementation of national public policies (TVB, SRCE/SRADDET, “Avoid, Reduce, Compensate” doctrine) by testing our approach on pilot sites in the Vosges and Jura areas. This project will benefit from the sharing of experiences and skills from our colleagues in Switzerland and Germany.