Habitat issues
Mapping Occupied Habitat for Forest Carnivores in the
American West and Estimating their Conservation Status

David L. Gaillard
Predator Conservation Alliance, P.O. Box 6733, Bozeman, MT 59771; (406) 587-3389;
gaillard@predatorconservation.org; www.predatorconservation.org

Abstract
Conservation concerns are escalating due to the small numbers, reduced range, and increasingly
fragmented distribution of wide-ranging forest carnivores in the American West—specifically the
lynx (Lynx canadensis), wolverine (Gulo gulo), and fisher (Martes pennanti). Observation data
from the U.S. Forest Service and state natural heritage programs were compiled and mapped.
Occupied habitats and population centers for the three species were identified and population
sizes estimated based upon recorded densities and distribution. The results indicate small,
isolated populations well below what may be necessary for long-term viability.