Pennsylvania Project
Bobcat population dynamics on Cumberland Island National Seashore
January 2011 - December 2020
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- PA Game Commission
- Pennsylvania State University
Bobcats were reintroduced to Cumberland Island National Seashore in 1988-1989 to restore a native predator. The reintroduction of bobcats has reduced the deer population and allowed natural regeneration of live oaks and other plant species. Although bobcats bobcat populations are secure throughout their range, most felid species are threatened or endangered. The population on Cumberland Island can be considered equivalent to an endangered population (<30 individuals) because natural immigration is extremely rare. We are studying the population dynamics and monitoring the genetic status of bobcats on the island to better understand when this population undergoes genetic bottlenecks and whether conservation actions are warranted to ensure the sustainability of the population on the island.
This research is supported by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the National Park Service.
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Diefenbach, D. R., L. A. Hansen, C. Miller-Butterworth, J. H. Bohling, R. J. Warren, and M. J. Conroy. 2013. Re-introduction of bobcats to Cumberland Island, Georgia, USA: status and lessons learned after 25 years. Pages 235-240 in P. S. Soorae, editor. Global re-introduction Perspectives: 2013. Further Case Studies from Around the Globe. IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland and Abu Dhabi Environment Agency, UAE. 282pp. | Download | October 2013 |
| Diefenbach, D. R., L. Hansen, J. Bohling, and C. Miller-Butterworth. 2015. Population and genetic outcomes 20 years after reintroducing bobcats (Lynx rufus) to Cumberland Island, Georgia USA. Ecology and Evolution 5:4885–4895. doi: 10.1002/ece3.1750. | Download | January 2015 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Miller-Butterworth, C., J. Bohling, L. Hansen, D. Hoffman, J. Jordan, D. R. Diefenbach. Population genetics of a reintroduced population of bobcats on Cumberland Island, Georgia: relevance for felid management in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, 1 April 2017, Raystown Lake, PA. | April 2017 |
| Miller-Butterworth, C., L. Hansen, D. Hoffman, A. Russell, J. Edson, and D. R. Diefenbach. Population genetics of two contrasting island populations of bobcats. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, 7-11 October 2018, Cleveland, OH, USA> | October 2018 |