Analyse des potentialités d'accueil du lynx boréal (Lynx lynx) dans l'est de la province de Liège (Belgique)

The fist lynx were seen in eastern Belgium at the end of the 1990s. Since then, both sightings and tracks have been recorded there and in the Ardenne (south east Belgium). Whether this presence indicates a spontaneous return of individuals deriving from the population reintroduced in Germany or results from illicit releases, it raises the question of the suitability and the carrying capacity of habitats in an area of dense human occupation. Using two software programs, a mapping model to assess habitat characterization, drawn from relevant criteria for this species, was tested to estimate the potential host of the study area, via the determination of areas of suitable habitats, and the dispersion potential of the species, through the identification of the most viable dispersal corridors. The findings of the study (multi criteria analysis of potential host of habitats, identification of corridors of lowest cost, estimation of the potential population...), compiled on the basis mapping model and simulations, suggest that a return of the lynx in Wallonia may be sustainable if supported and managed wisly by the regional administrative services.