[at-l] mesocarnivores in the northeast

["David F. Addleton" <dfaddleton@mindspring.com>]

Comeback kids: Mesocarnivores rebound in Northeastern U.S.
 
The red fox is part of a community of medium-size carnivores that staged a remarkable recovery in the Northeast  






August 9, 2000
Web posted at: 12:36 p.m. EDT (1636 GMT)
By Environmental News Network staff
The Northeast may offer better recovery grounds for medium-size carnivores than the West, according to a new study. 
Following centuries of trapping and habitat loss, most mesocarnivores are on the rebound in the Northeast, according to a report released by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
"The time to consider the opportunities for mesocarnivore conservation in northeastern North America is long overdue," wrote lead author of the report Justina Ray. "It's tempting to dismiss the Northeast as a focal point for conservation of carnivores -- animals that traditionally evoke images of large expanses of wilderness found in the West. As it turns out, several mesocarnivore species, including marten, fisher and red fox, have staged remarkable recoveries right here."
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Most carnivore research has been conducted in natural or undisturbed habitat. Few studies have examined carnivores in areas populated by humans.
The report measured the conservation status of 14 mesocarnivores, from coyotes to river otters. 
Species reintroduction, which began in the 1940s, and reforestation have led to the re-establishment of viable populations throughout most of their original northeastern range, Ray said. "(Many) forests in New England are in better shape than they were 100 years ago," she said. 
"Generalist" mesocarnivores, which include coyotes, foxes, raccoons and striped skunks that easily adapt to human-induced changes in habitat, now boast strong populations in much of their northeastern range, the report notes. "They can effectively live in people's backyards," Ray said.
Raccoon populations, for example, are 15 to 20 times greater than they were in the 1930s, the report notes. 
 
Competition from other mesocarnivores has limited the recovery of the lynx  

Fishers are another remarkable success story in the Northeast. 
Beginning in the 1800s, the species disapppeared from most of its northeastern range. By the 1930s, only isolated populations remained in Maine and in the White and Adirondack mountains. According to the report, protective legislation against trapping, habitat improvement through reforestation of agricultural land, and reintroductions have returned the fisher to most of its former range. 
Not all mesocarnivore populations are flourishing, Ray allowed. Some mesocarnivores, including lynx and bobcats, face increasing threats due to the success of competitors such as coyotes.
Ray hopes her work will contribute to better wildlife management in the region. 
In September, the Wildlife Conservation Society will co-sponsor with the Northeast Furbearer Regional Technical Committee a regional carnivore workshop, uniting experts in the field for the first time. 
"It is clear that conservation of some mesocarnivore species in this ever-changing landscape will be a challenge," said Ray. "But the fact that several species have demonstrated unexpected resilience in the face of this change over the past century should be seen as encouraging." 
Copyright 2000, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved


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