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Science 13 August 1999:
Vol. 285. no. 5430, pp. 1071 - 1073
DOI: 10.1126/science.285.5430.1071
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Reports

Common Dynamic Structure of Canada Lynx Populations Within Three Climatic Regions

Nils Chr. Stenseth, 12* Kung-Sik Chan, 3 Howell Tong, 45 Rudy Boonstra, 16 Stan Boutin, 7 Charles J. Krebs, 18 Eric Post, 2 Mark O'Donoghue, 89 Nigel G. Yoccoz, 110 Mads C. Forchhammer, 1112 James W. Hurrell 13

Across the boreal forest of Canada, lynx populations undergo regular density cycles. Analysis of 21 time series from 1821 onward demonstrated structural similarity in these cycles within large regions of Canada. The observed population dynamics are consistent with a regional structure caused by climatic features, resulting in a grouping of lynx population dynamics into three types (corresponding to three climatic-based geographic regions): Pacific-maritime, Continental, and Atlantic-maritime. A possible link with the North Atlantic Oscillation is suggested.

1 Center for Advanced Study, The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Drammensveien 78, N-0271 Oslo, Norway.
2 Division of Zoology, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1050 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
3 Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
4 Department of Statistics, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, UK.
5 Department of Statistics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
6 Division of Life Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
7 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
8 Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
9 Department of Renewable Resources, Fish and Wildlife Branch, P.O. Box 310, Mayo, Yukon Y0B 1M0, Canada.
10 Department of Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
11 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
12 Department of Landscape Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute, Kalø, Grenåvej 12, DK-8410 Rønde, Denmark.
13 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Climate Analysis Section, P. O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: n.c.stenseth{at}bio.uio.no

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