Research Wildlife Biologist Dr. John Squires presents the next Draper Natural History Museum Lunchtime Expedition lecture at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. His presentation, A Specialist Carnivore at its Southern Range Periphery: Canada Lynx in Disturbed Landscapes, takes place Thursday, Sept. 5 at noon in the Center’s Coe Auditorium. The talk is free.

Those who prefer to attend virtually via Zoom may do so by registering at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3UViCAd6TcC5m3gEmPNusg.

High-elevation, subalpine forests — which the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) occupies — have long been impacted by natural disturbance, but the pace and extent of disturbance is increasing in the Northern and Southern Rocky Mountains. These include natural disturbances such as forest insect outbreaks and fire, as well as human-caused disturbances like recreation, forest fragmentation, and energy development.

For many years, Squires, a research wildlife biologist at the USDA, Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana, has tracked lynx movement with GPS collars to find the patterns in how they use disturbed landscapes. His studies seek to understand how disturbance factors influence the ecology and conservation of not only the lynx but also wolverines in the Northern and Southern Rocky Mountains, and prairie-nesting raptors in Wyoming.

Squires observed that these disturbances “result in changes to forest age, type, and arrangement that affect lynx as well as other species, even human recreationists.” By combining lynx locations, satellite images, and field measurements of vegetation and recreation, his research provides answers and guidance to land managers about how to conserve this species in a changing world.

Squires also noted, “Land management agencies struggle to balance the need for species conservation with the desire for forest products, increased fire resilience, and outdoor recreation in this era of new disturbance.”

“An overarching goal of my research is to develop new understandings of wildlife ecology through on-the-ground field research that can be applied to the practical challenges of science-based land management and conservation,” said Squires. “This talk will share insights into how this elusive cat responds to natural and human-caused disturbance within the context of lynx conservation and forest management.”

The Draper Museum’s Lunchtime Expedition lecture series is made possible through support from Sage Creek Ranch and the Nancy-Carroll Draper Charitable Foundation. Most talks in the series take place the first Thursday of the month.