Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are currently tracking Canada lynx near the Dalton Highway to determine how industrial traffic affects the species’ survival. By using GPS-collared subjects like the lynx known as “Lucy,” scientists aim to understand how these wild cats navigate human-disturbed landscapes as Alaska’s energy and mining sectors expand.
Tracking Lynx in the Brooks Range
Knut Kielland, a professor at the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology, leads the effort to monitor lynx resiliency along the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk and Dietrich rivers. Since 2017, Kielland and his team, including graduate student Emily Wieser and wildlife biologist Ophelie Couriot, have fitted lynx with GPS collars that record location data six times daily. This project provides a precise look at how the cats move through the boreal forest and mountain tundra near the Dalton Highway, a major artery for freight and fuel transport.
Did you know?
The Canada lynx is Alaska’s only native wild cat. Researchers identify individual animals by GPS-enabled collars, such as the one worn by “Lucy,” officially cataloged as F700529.
Industrial Traffic and Potential Habitat Impacts
The Dalton Highway has served as a primary industrial corridor since the trans-Alaska pipeline construction began in 1974. At its peak in 1977, the Coldfoot-Wiseman stretch saw over 450 large trucks daily. While traffic volume dipped in the 1980s, it has remained steady for decades, with a notable rise in passenger vehicles since the road opened to the public in 1994.
Future development projects may further influence these traffic patterns. Trucks servicing ConocoPhillips’ Nuna and Willow oil projects rely on the highway year-round. Additionally, if the proposed Ambler Mining Project gains approval, mining-related vehicles would add to the current volume. Because historical environmental impact statements for the pipeline focused primarily on large mammals like caribou and moose, there is little baseline data on how lynx responded to the original construction of the road.
Preliminary Findings on Lynx Behavior
Though the resiliency project is in its early stages, recent research led by former UAF graduate students Akashia Martinez-Dragomir and Matt Kynoch offers initial insights into lynx behavior. Findings suggest that a lynx’s response to traffic is highly individualistic. According to Martinez-Dragomir, a female lynx’s movement is largely dictated by her maternal status; mothers with kittens stay closer to their dens, while those without kittens roam more widely.
Kynoch’s research indicates that lynx are most active during twilight hours. This activity window coincides with periods of quieter traffic on the Dalton Highway, though researchers have not yet determined if the traffic volume directly influences this timing. Because of these distinct behavioral differences, Kielland emphasizes that more comprehensive GPS data is required to identify broader trends in how the population adapts to human activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are researchers studying lynx near the Dalton Highway?
Scientists want to understand how increasing industrial traffic from oil and mining projects impacts the movement and survival of lynx in the region. - How do researchers track the lynx?
Wildlife biologists from UAF use GPS-collared subjects to record precise location data several times a day. - Do lynx avoid the highway?
Research is ongoing, but early data suggests individual personality and maternal status play a larger role in movement than road proximity alone.
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