Extinction vortex dynamics of top predators isolated by urbanization
Benson, J.F., Mahoney, P.J., Vickers, T.W., Sikich, J.A., Beier, P., Riley, S.P.D., Ernest, H.B., Boyce, W.M. · Ecological Applications · 2019
Building on earlier work, this study examined how urbanization-driven isolation can drive small puma populations in the Santa Monica and Santa Ana Mountains into an extinction vortex, where inbreeding and demographic decline reinforce one another. By projecting genetic and population dynamics under continued isolation, the authors showed that without restored connectivity these populations face rising extinction risk and erosion of genetic diversity over several generations. The work is influential for formalizing the extinction-vortex concept in a real, intensively studied carnivore system and for quantifying how much connectivity would be needed to avert collapse. It strengthened the scientific basis for landmark wildlife-crossing projects designed to reconnect fragmented puma populations.
Species
Category:climate-habitat-change
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