Photo: Ivan Parr
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: All terrestrial regions
RCIS Natural Communities: All terrestrial communities (CDFW 1988a; Yap and Rose 2019)
Large, nocturnal carnivore that requires extensive areas of riparian vegetation and brushy stages of various habitats, with interspersions of irregular terrain, rocky outcrops, and tree/brush edges (CDFW 1988a; Yap and Rose 2019)
Territorial and solitary, requires large areas of relatively undisturbed habitats with adequate connectivity (Yap and Rose 2019)
Large ungulates make up approximately 70 percent of the mountain lion’s diet; however, as opportunistic predators, they will eat a variety of other larger and smaller prey (Yap and Rose 2019).
Threats include vehicle-impact mortality, decreased habitat connectivity, secondary poisoning, inbreeding depression, disease, and conflicts with livestock ranchers (Dellinger et al. 2020; Gustavson et al. 2018; Yap and Rose 2019)
Full species account available: CDFW Mountain Lion Life History Account (CDFW 1988a)
RCIS Conservation Target: Moderate (widely distributed habitat, representative of terrestrial habitat connectivity, required large contiguous undisturbed habitats)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Mountain lion southern California/central coast ESU (ML) occurs in all habitat types and all regions in the RCIS area and thus are less susceptible to changes in any one habitat type. Mountain lion has a high dispersal range (48.92 kilometers per year) and are likely able to keep pace with large-scale climate changes (Schloss et al. 2012). Despite being highly mobile, mountain lion is still likely susceptible to stochastic, catastrophic weather events such as severe, wind-driven fires (Yap and Rose 2019).
Conservation Strategies
Mountain Lion Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 30 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal ML 1
Promote persistence of mountain lion populations in the RCIS area by improving habitat connectivity, prey habitats, and public awareness.Objective ML 1.2
Improve habitat connectivity for mountain lion. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in acres of corridor habitat protected and the number of barriers to movement modified, removed, or otherwise upgraded, and used by mountain lion.Action ML 1.2.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mountain lion mortality and areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings.
Action ML 1.2.2
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mountain lions are killed to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).
Action ML 1.2.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including but not limited to exclusion fencing repairs, solar panels for roadside detectors, weed abatement, culvert clean out, etc.
Objective ML 1.3
Support sustainable natural prey populations and habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by increases in prey populations and health of prey habitats compared to present day.Action ML 1.3.1
Manage bait stations to prevent ingestion by mountain lions of poisoned prey species.
Action ML 1.3.2
Introduce native ungulates into historical ranges.
Action ML 1.3.3
Manage utility transmission corridors to be compatible to mountain lions and their prey base.
Objective ML 1.4
Reduce human-mountain lion conflicts that negatively impact mountain lions and landowners. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of outreach actions or a decrease in livestock depredation compared to present day.Action ML 1.4.1
Support outreach programs educating landowners about non-lethal methods to decrease livestock depredation, such as predator-proof enclosures (Yap and Rose 2019).
Objective ML 1.5
Increase the mountain lion population size above the minimum effective population size (100) to prevent inbreeding depression (Yap and Rose 2019). Measure progress towards achieving this objective by numbers of individuals and increases in genetic diversity.Action ML 1.5.1
Increase connectivity to other population segments outside the RCIS area to increase gene flow (Yap and Rose 2019).
Goal ML 2
Support stability and recovery of mountain lion populations in the RCIS area by reducing direct mortality factors.Objective ML 2.1
Reduce toxin-related mortality factors. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the reduction of toxin-related mountain lion deaths detected compared to present day.Action ML 2.1.1
Reduce/eliminate the use of second-generation anticoagulants, rodenticides, and other environmental toxicants (Yap and Rose 2019).
Objective ML 2.2
Reduce pathogen-related mortality factors. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the reduction of pathogen-related mountain lion deaths detected compare to present day.Action ML 2.2.1
Monitor for diseases that impact mountain lion populations and implement management actions to reduce their transmission and impacts on the species.
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Goal RC 2
Promote persistence of species and important natural communities through the establishment and improvement of habitat connectivity in the RCIS area.Objective RC 2.1
Establish and improve habitat connectivity between large blocks of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of improved connectivity corridors used by sensitive species.Action RC 2.1.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, sound barriers, limiting lighting at constructed or natural linkages and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mortality, areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings and include areas to create corridor redundancy.
Action RC 2.1.2
Enhance habitat on either side of crossing structures, including protecting adjacent areas, restricting human activity nearby, etc.
Action RC 2.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including acquisition and maintenance of adjacent habitat where suitable.
Action RC 2.1.4
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mortality occurs to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).