In the Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro Natural Park in Spain, conservationists monitor the highly endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), an extremely elusive, nocturnal predator that has a wide home range and relies heavily on wild rabbit populations.
In a recent ecological survey, biologists used automated camera traps to estimate the local lynx population.
Suggest why it would not be appropriate or ethical to capture, physically tag, and release Iberian lynx to estimate their population size using the standard capture-recapture technique.
Most regional studies estimate the population density of the Iberian lynx in these Mediterranean scrubland habitats to be 3.2 individuals per 100 km2.
In this specific study:
Evaluate how well these study results support the regional estimated population density of 3.2 individuals per 100 km2. Show your calculations.
Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro Natural Park is not a restricted reserve; it contains private estates where traditional cork harvesting, sustainable olive farming, and regulated hunting occur. Conservationists work with these private landowners to plant native scrub cover to boost rabbit populations and run managed eco-tourism programs.
Explain why this management of the Natural Park is an example of conservation rather than preservation.
