Humans threaten the lynx population directly by shooting them or trapping them for their fur. Humans can also kill the lynx accidentally by hitting them with vehicles when they cross the road. Loggers and farmers can destroy the habitat of the lynx which can cause them to move out of the area or ruin their hunting ground.
The human population is on a dramatic incline which is now over 7 billion people. The increase in the human population requires more dependency on resources such as lumber which we use for building houses to support families and there is also an increase in energy consumption. The burning of coal and fossil fuels results in an increase in greenhouse gases such as CO2 which is ultimately leading to a global warming of the surface of the planet.
The Canada Lynx hunting success is related directly to deep snow and if the snow goes away then the lynx population will be affected. Global Warming can affect the snow cover as well as the depth of the snow which is vital in the lynx habitat because it is so well adapted to deep snow cover. Less snow can result in more competition from its predators. The lynx are not a very fast mammal so it relies on stealth to kill its prey. The lynx have massive feet that act as snowshoes and spread out the weight of the animal over a bigger surface area so they can walk and run over snow easily. The bobcat is actually a better predator than the lynx in almost every way. The advantage that the lynx has over the bobcat is the large paws that allow it to stay on top of the snow. The bobcat will sink into the snow because of the small paws. As long as deep snow is present, the lynx will always have an advantage over the bobcat. If the snow cover fades away then the bobcat population will out compete the lynx population for food. Decreased snowfall can also cause a decrease in the amount of prey such as the Snowshoe Hate which the lynx relies so heavily on.
The lynx is a spectacular animal and certain things need to be done to ensure its survival. Along with many other people, I believe that the lynx should be protected as best as it can. I also believe that we need to think about what we do as humans that affects the lynx’s natural habitat such as logging, habitat fragmentation and everything we do that contributes to climate change. We need to go out of our way to save the lynx from becoming extirpated and extinct and we should also try more conservation efforts and try to reintroduce them to areas that they previously lived in. There are approximately only 700 to 1,200 lynx remaining in the lower 48 states and keeping their population from dropping would be a great conservation effort.