FORAGING BY LYNX AND ITS ROLE IN UNGULATE MORTALITY - THE LOCAL (BIALOWIEZA FOREST) AND THE PALEARCTIC VIEWPOINTS

Lynx Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) - ungulate relationships were studied in the exploited (530 km(2)) and pristine (47.5 km(2)) parts of Bialow ieza Primeval Forest during 1985 through 1992. In pristine forest, Sus scrofa (54%) and Cervus elaphus (35%) predominated in the ungulate co mmunity. In exploited forest, C. elaphus (36%) and Capreolus capreolus (33%) were most abundant. Seat analysis indicated that cervids compri sed 87% of biomass consumed by lynxes in the cold season; Lepus europa eus were 11%, and S. scrofa 2%. Hare was 2.5 times higher in the lynx diet in the exploited forest than in the pristine forest. Among 138 ca rcasses of ungulates killed by lynx in exploited forests in cold seaso ns, 76% were roe deer. In the pristine forests, red deer (61%) and roe deer (28%) were equally positively selected. Lynx did not select roe deer for any sex/age class but did select red deer fawns. Snowtracking showed that lynx attempted 1 attack on deer, 2 on medium-sized prey, and 6 on rodents in their daily route. Lynx fed an average of 3 - 4 da ys on a killed deer. Eight species of scavengers (mainly wild boar and red fox) fed on lynx's kills. Analysis of 1090 ungulate carcasses fou nd in Bialowieza Forest showed that predation was responsible for 75% of known natural mortality in red deer (66% by wolf Canis lupus Linnae us, 1758; 9% by lynx), 62% in roe deer (37% by lynx, 25% by wolf), 27% in moose (all by wolf), and 12% in wild boar (11% by wolf, 1% by lynx ). Review of studies from the Palaearctic region revealed that the sha re of hare in lynx diet positively correlated with latitude, whereas t he share of ungulates was inversely related to latitude. From Palaearc tic ungulates that ranged from 15 kg body mass (Moschus moschiferus) t o 920 bg (male Bison bonasus), the lynx selected the smallest species available. Mean electivity index (D) for 9 ungulate species was negati vely correlated with their log body mass. In the Palaearctic region, p redation contributed, on average, 1% to the natural mortality of Europ ean bison, 25% to that of wild boar, 59% of moose, 80% of red deer, an d 85% of roe deer. Of total predation-caused mortality, the average sh are caused by lynx was 46% in roe deer, 14% in red deer and little or none in wild boar, moose, and bison.