Analysis of the lynx 10-year cycle

Abstract

Nothing has so intrigued and fascinated many naturalists and ecologists as the persistent 10-year cycle of Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis. The well-known archives of the fur trade between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Canadian trappers in the past two centuries have been a rich source of speculation about the cause of the cycle. As a result, diverse theories exist in the literature. However, many of these ideas were not substantiated by observations, and some statistical analyses ignored ecological mechanisms.