Space use by Eurasian lynxes Lynx lynx in central Norway

Habitat and spatial organisation of 11 radio tagged Eurasian lynxes Lynn ly nx Linnaeus, 1758 were studied in a low-density (ca 0.3 ind/100 km(2)) popu lation in a boreal-alpine environment with low and temporally varying densi ties (less than or equal to 180 ind/100 km(2) in winter) of ungulate prey, primarily roe deer and semi-domestic reindeer. The use of habitat measured as 4 biome categories ranked from south boreal to alpine influenced mountai n vegetation did not vary seasonally, but lowlands were much preferred to a lpine habitats. Adult males moved almost 3 times farther per day in linear distance ((x) over bar = 5.9 km, n = 3) than did females with kittens ((x) over bar = 2.0 km, n = 4) or subadult females ((x) over bar = 2.5 km, n = 6 ; p = 0.002). Subadults (n = 5) dispersed 42 +/- 13 ((x) over bar +/- SE) k m during the first 9 months of independence, but often visited their natal range during the first year on their own. Adult lynxes roamed over very lar ge annual ranges [males: 1906 +/- 387 km(2) (n = 4), females: 561 +/- 102 k m(2) (n = 6)] that took greater than or equal to 5 days to pass through, in dependently of sex. The only male monitored over more than 1 year maintaine d 2 separate home ranges each year. The larger home ranges and the possible tendency towards less defined territory boundaries than previously reporte d for the species, may be caused by the lower prey and population densities , though culling of adult individuals may also have played a role by contin uously. creating empty gaps in the territorial mosaic.