ERC-Lynx
- Avoid, reduce and compensate mortality risks of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) by collision with transport vehicles
Avoid, reduce and compensate mortality risks of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) by collision with transport vehicles
Our project « Avoid, reduce and compensate mortality risks of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) by collision with transport vehicles » aims to put in common, complement and make use of the results from previous works in relation to lynx population viability, collision risks while crossing terrestrial transport infrastructures (ITT) and mitigation strategies. Our team will develop an operational tool upon which the technical operators will be able to rely on in the decision-making process for land-use planning.
This applied research project gathers a group of various actors (public and private; researchers, wildlife managers and carnivore experts; infrastructure managers and road/transport planning experts) with the following objectives:
(1) Maintaining functional connectivity between favorable lynx habitats and elaborating strategies
for avoiding, reducing and compensating collision risks.
(2) Building a tool to reinforce and facilitation the implementation of land-use planning public policies.
To achieve these objectives, we will rely on:
• Data on collisions (roads, railways) and external structural factors (ITT presence and their
characteristics);
• A predictive statistical model to identify the zones with high probability of collision risks;
• A spatially-explicit individual-based population viability model (SEPVA) to predict extinction risks;
• A user-friendly computer program implemented in R. We will follow a companion modeling approach to ensure the smooth adoption and use of this program by the actors.
This project will fill a gap between the academic research, the stakes of land planning, the lynx conservation and the needs of ITT managers/operators. We will contribute to the implementation of national public policies (TVB, SRCE/SRADDET, « Avoid, Reduce, Compensate » doctrine) by testing our approach on pilot sites in the Vosges and Jura areas. This project will benefit from the sharing of experiences and skills from our colleagues in Switzerland and Germany.
List of productions
Working groups / Workshops (with PPT)
Bauduin S., Blanc L., Bernard C., Charbonnel A., Chrétien L., Duchamp C., Germain E., Hemery A., Kramer-Schadt S., Marboutin E., Morand A., Zimmermann F. & Gimenez O. 2018. Avoid, reduce and compensate for lynx mortality risk by collision with transport vehicles. Lynx workshop, October 15 th , Hans Eisenmann Haus, Neuschönau, Bavarian Forest national park, Germany. Oral communication
Olivier C.-A., Coulon A., Charbonnel A., Gimenez O. and Germain E. 2018. Comparative study of different ecological corridor modeling methods for the Boreal Lynx in France. Master 2 internship carried out at CROC in collaboration with CNRS CEFE in the framework of the ERC-Lynx project "Avoid, reduce and compensate the risk of mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". Annual meeting of the correspondents of the Loup Lynx Network for the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle, 10 December 2018, Mairie de Bitche, Bitche (57). Oral communication
Olivier C.-A., Coulon A., Charbonnel A., Gimenez O. and Germain E. 2018. Comparative study of different ecological corridor modeling methods for the Boreal Lynx in France. Master 2 internship carried out at CROC in collaboration with CNRS CEFE in the framework of the ERC-Lynx project "Avoid, reduce and compensate the risk of mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". Annual meeting of the correspondents of the Loup Lynx Network for the Vosges and Haut-Rhin departments, December 19, 2018, Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs des Vosges, Épinal (88). Oral communication
Bauduin S., Charbonnel A., Chrétien L., Coulon A., Drouet-Hoguet N., Duchamp C., Germain E., Olivier C.-A., Morand A., Souillot D. & Gimenez O. 2019. ERC-Lynx: Avoiding, reducing and compensating for the risk of Lynx mortality by collision with transport vehicles. Working groups "Lynx monitoring" and "Coexistence with human activities" of the PNA for the Lynx in France. April 11 and 12, 2020, Besançon (25), France. Oral communication
Bauduin S., Charbonnel A., Chrétien L., Coulon A., Drouet-Hoguet N., Duchamp C., Germain E., Olivier C.-A., Morand A., Souillot D. & Gimenez O. 2019. ERC-Lynx: Avoiding, reducing and compensating for the risk of Lynx mortality by collision with transport vehicles. Journée d'échanges " Continuités écologiques et collisions avec la faune : des données aux solutions ". Green and blue fabric resource center in partnership with the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Solidarity, July 2, 2019, Grande Arche de la Défense, Paris (75). Oral communication
Bauduin S., Charbonnel A., Chrétien L., Coulon A., Drouet-Hoguet N., Duchamp C., Germain E., Olivier C.-A., Morand A., Souillot D. & Gimenez O. 2019. Co-construction of a decision support tool in the management of lynx-vehicle collisions. Restitution meeting of the PRA in favor of the Lynx in the Massif des Vosges. Thursday, November 21, 2019, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (88). Oral communication
Bauduin S., Charbonnel A., Chrétien L., Coulon A., Drouet-Hoguet N., Duchamp C., Germain E., Olivier C.-A., Morand A., Souillot D. & Gimenez O. 2019. Co-construction of a decision support tool in the management of lynx-vehicle collisions. SNCF Réseau/Sustainable Development meeting. November 28, 2019, Seine-Saint-Denis (93).
Scientific articles in progress related to ERC-Lynx
A publication on the spatially explicit individual-centered model is almost ready to be submitted to the journal Biological Conservation (see ANNEX 2). This work highlights the ability of the model to quantify the viability of Lynx populations at the European scale. The writing of this paper took time because we wanted to make it an international collaboration with our German (Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Marco Heurich, Sylvia Idelberger, Micha Herdtfelder) and Swiss (Fridolin Zimmermann) colleagues. Other publications will be written on the collision model, the habitat model, the interface and the co-construction approach with stakeholders.
Information meetings / Training / Debriefings (with PPT)
Germain E. & Charbonnel A. 2017. The CROC within the 2015-2018 ERC-Lynx program "Avoid, reduce and compensate the risk of Lynx mortality by collision with transport vehicles". Project team working meeting, 24 November 2017, Cerema, Direction technique territoire et ville, Lyon (69). Oral communication
Olivier C.-A., Coulon A., Charbonnel A., Gimenez O. and Germain E. 2018. Comparative study of different ecological corridor modeling methods for the Boreal Lynx in France. Master 2 internship carried out at CROC in collaboration with CNRS CEFE in the framework of the ERC-Lynx project "Avoid, reduce and compensate the risk of mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". Annual meeting of the correspondents of the Loup Lynx Network for the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle, 10 December 2018, Mairie de Bitche, Bitche (57). Oral communication
Olivier C.-A., Coulon A., Charbonnel A., Gimenez O. and Germain E. 2018. Comparative study of different ecological corridor modeling methods for the Boreal Lynx in France. Master 2 internship carried out at CROC in collaboration with CNRS CEFE in the framework of the ERC-Lynx project "Avoid, reduce and compensate the risk of mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". Annual meeting of the correspondents of the Loup Lynx Network for the Vosges and Haut-Rhin departments, December 19, 2018, Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs des Vosges, Épinal (88). Oral communication
Popularization
Websites :
http://www.ittecop.fr/recherches-2017/projets-de-recherche/erc-lynx.html
https://sites.google.com/view/erclynx/
Communication leaflet on the project and the ERC-Lynx tool (See Annex 5)
Webdocumentary in progress with ITTECOP.
Publication in 2018 of an article on the ERC-Lynx project in Qu'est ce qui se trame? # 38, April 2018. National newsletter on the green and blue framework. Focus on... "A research project to reduce lynx collision mortality." (http://www.trameverteetbleue.fr/vie-tvb/lettre-information/38#zoom)
Publication in 2019 of an article on the ERC-Lynx project "A tool for territories to reduce Lynx accidentology" on the Cerema website https://www.cerema.fr/fr/actualites/outil-destine-aux-territoires-reduire-accidentologie-du-lynx.
Publication in 2020 of an article on the ERC-Lynx project in the first SFEPM newsletter on the boreal lynx, published in February 2020. Research: To come: day of restitution of the project "Avoid, Reduce and Compensate (ERC) the mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". (https://www.sfepm.org/les-actualites-de-la-sfepm/lynx-boreal-nouvelles-dici-et-dailleurs.html)
Publication in 2020 of an article showing the interest of statistical ecology for Lynx conservation in The Conversation: "Better understanding the Boreal Lynx through statistical ecology" (https://theconversation.com/mieux-connaitre-le-lynx-boreal-grace-a-lecologie-statistique-147241)
Publication in 2021 of an article on the OFB webpage summarizing the ERC-Lynx project (https://professionnels.ofb.fr/index.php/fr/node/1162)
Publication in 2021 of an article on the ERC-Lynx project in the 5th SFEPM news letter on the boreal lynx published in February 2020. Research: Upcoming: webinar on the project "Avoid, Reduce and Compensate (ERC) the mortality of Lynx by collision with transport vehicles". (https://www.sfepm.org/les-actualites-de-la-sfepm/lynx-boreal-nouvelles-dici-et-dailleurs.html)
Publication in 2021 of an article on the ERC-Lynx project in Le Courrier de la Nature, Special Issue 2021 p68), "Infrastructures et collisions / Éviter, réduire et compenser le risque de mortalité" by Alain Morand (https://www.snpn.com/produit/le-courrier-de-la-nature-n-special-2021-le-lynx/).
Training courses
Olivier C.-A. 2018 / Master 2 internship / École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) of Paris, Master Biodiversity and Environmental Management - Continental Ecology research axis. Subject: Comparative study of different methods of modeling ecological corridors for the Boreal Lynx in France. Co-supervised by A. Charbonnel (CROC), E. Germain (CROC), O. Gimenez (CEFE) and Aurélie Coulon (CEFE). See ANNEX 3
Olivier C.-A. 2018. Comparative study of different ecological corridor modeling methods for the Boreal Lynx in France. Master 2 thesis conducted at CROC in collaboration with CNRS CEFE, September 6, 2018, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris (75), France. Oral communication
Souillot D. 2019 / Master 2 internship / University of Perpignan Via Domitia / Master Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution / "Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" course. Subject : Reducing and avoiding the risk of mortality of the boreal lynx (Lynx lynx) by collision with land transport vehicles in the Massif du Jura ~ Typology of accident-prone sections and biological profiles of dead lynx ". Supervised by Alain Morand (Cerema DTer Est). See ANNEX 4
Souillot D. 2019. Reducing and avoiding the risk of mortality of the Northern Lynx (Lynx lynx) by collision with land transport vehicles in the Massif du Jura. Typology of accident-prone sections and biological profiles of dead lynx. Master 2 internship report. University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Master Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution "Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" course. June 20, 2019, Perpignan (66). Oral communication
Transversal links of the ERC-Lynx project with other projects on the Lynx in France
During the period of the ERC-Lynx project, the CROC partner was the coordinator of the Programme Lynx Massif des Vosges (PLMV) which became the Plan Régional d'Actions en faveur du Lynx boréal dans le Massif des Vosges at the end of 2019. The ERC-Lynx tool and its desired future evolution are included in the implementation of the actions of the PRA concerning the "Habitat and ecological connectivity" issue. In addition, the OFB (ex-ONCFS) and Cerema partners are involved in the "Habitat and ecological connectivity" working group of the PRA. As such, Cerema participated in all the meetings of the groups aimed at building the actions of the plan (June 21, 2018 on a half-day, January 24, 2019 on a day, May 27, 2019 on a half-day, November 21, 2019 on a day/see Expected 8).
CEFE, Cerema, OFB and CROC partners are co-pilots of "Habitat and ecological connectivity" actions. The CROC and Cerema partners participated on October 10, 2018 in Besançon in the first steering committee of the National Plan for the Conservation of the Lynx in France coordinated by the SFEPM (mandated by the WWF). On this occasion, the DGITM "Cerema" study, the ITTECOP ERC-Lynx project were cited as well as the PLMV/PRA Lynx Massif des Vosges.
The CEFE partner is part of the scientific council of the National Action Plan for the Lynx in France launched in early 2019. The OFB partner (ex-ONCFS) is in charge of the drafting of the NAP, which is managed by the DREAL Bourgogne Franche-Comté. The CROC and Cerema partners are involved in the working groups "Lynx monitoring" and "Coexistence with human activities" of the NPA (see Expectation 8). The Cerema partner, as pilot, will carry out the actions related to the risks of collision and the corrective measures associated with it within the framework of the NPA. The continuation and improvement of the ERC-Lynx tool is part of this theme as a priority action for research and concrete implementation on the territory to be pursued.