In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil right... more In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
Al Winward, "Identification of the principal sagebrush taxa within the Great Basin" She... more Al Winward, "Identification of the principal sagebrush taxa within the Great Basin" Sherel Goodrich, "Major sagebrush communities- distribution, areas of occurrence, and species composition"
Wildlife habitat–relationships models were first developed in the mid-1970s to provide practition... more Wildlife habitat–relationships models were first developed in the mid-1970s to provide practitioners with tools to evaluate habitat quality. The purpose of our review was to identify and describe the structure, uses, output, and operation of major habitat–relationships modeling frameworks. We defined frameworks as conceptual modeling structures such as modeling shells and general modeling approaches within which models are constructed that are similar in purpose and function. These frameworks provide the foundation for building models for a wide array of animals in almost any environmental setting. We also provide a descriptive analysis of frameworks to assist practitioners in selecting approaches that fit specific operational objectives. We identified 40 frameworks (13 through the 1980s, 12 in the 1990s, and, 15 since 2000) and grouped them according to 10 nominaland 5 ordinal-scale criteria. The proportion of frameworks that are not components of larger landscape modeling systems ...
The success of habitat monitoring programs depends, to a large extent, on carefully selecting key... more The success of habitat monitoring programs depends, to a large extent, on carefully selecting key habitat attributes to monitor. The challenge of choosing a limited but sufficient set of attributes will differ depending on the objectives of the monitoring program. In some circumstances, such as managing National Forest System lands for threatened and endangered species, habitat monitoring may focus on tracking habitat for one or a few emphasis species. In other settings, such as monitoring the effects of broad-scale land management plans, habitat monitoring may need to address many species. Regardless of scope, similar processes are used to identify attributes for monitoring. The complexity of the organizational and analytical task, however, will differ significantly with scope. In this chapter, we describe steps for choosing habitat attributes for monitoring and for reducing the list of key habitat attributes to those that are affected by management and can be feasibly measured. In...
For agencies and organizations to effectively manage wildlife, knowledge about the status and tre... more For agencies and organizations to effectively manage wildlife, knowledge about the status and trend of wildlife habitat is critical. Traditional wildlife monitoring, however, has focused on populations rather than habitat, because ultimately population status drives long-term species viability. Still, habitat loss has contributed to the decline of nearly all at-risk species (Swift and Hannon 2010) and, as a result, monitoring the amount and quality of habitat can guide recovery efforts for wildlife species with declining trends such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) or the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis).
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilo- capridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Lep... more Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilo- capridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charis- matic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other. Un- derstanding the relative influence of land cover, habitat fragmentation, and human land use on their distribution during the breeding season is imperative to inform management decisions on land use and conservation planning for these species. We surveyed medium to large-sized sage- brush (Artemisia spp.)-associated mammal species in 2005 and 2006 on 141 random transects (mean length = 1.1 km) in the Wyoming Basins, an area undergoing rap- id land cover transformation due to human actions including energy development. Overall, we observed 10 species but only obtained enough observations of pro...
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological ass... more Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step-wise process to select vascular plant and vertebrate species of concern. Based on our selection process, we identified 65 taxa of sagebrush-associated (Artemisia spp.) vascular plants of conservation concern. The vast majority were forbs, and nearly all are found in Wyoming (n = 59; 91%), reflecting its central location and spatial dominance (51%) of the study area. Forty-eight plants (74%) were ranked either S1 or S2 (state-level ranks indicating imperilment due to rarity, threats, or other factors) in at least one state within the assessment area. Forty vertebrates of concern were selected for our as...
This chapter reviews the process steps of wildlife habitat monitoring described in chapters 2 thr... more This chapter reviews the process steps of wildlife habitat monitoring described in chapters 2 through 9 and provides three case examples that illustrate how the process steps apply to specific situations. It provides the reader an opportunity to synthesize the material while also revealing the potential knowledge gaps and pitfalls that may complicate completion of a comprehensive habitat monitoring program. The chapter strives to clarify questions the reader may have by demonstrating the process of developing a habitat monitoring plan.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil right... more In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
Al Winward, "Identification of the principal sagebrush taxa within the Great Basin" She... more Al Winward, "Identification of the principal sagebrush taxa within the Great Basin" Sherel Goodrich, "Major sagebrush communities- distribution, areas of occurrence, and species composition"
Wildlife habitat–relationships models were first developed in the mid-1970s to provide practition... more Wildlife habitat–relationships models were first developed in the mid-1970s to provide practitioners with tools to evaluate habitat quality. The purpose of our review was to identify and describe the structure, uses, output, and operation of major habitat–relationships modeling frameworks. We defined frameworks as conceptual modeling structures such as modeling shells and general modeling approaches within which models are constructed that are similar in purpose and function. These frameworks provide the foundation for building models for a wide array of animals in almost any environmental setting. We also provide a descriptive analysis of frameworks to assist practitioners in selecting approaches that fit specific operational objectives. We identified 40 frameworks (13 through the 1980s, 12 in the 1990s, and, 15 since 2000) and grouped them according to 10 nominaland 5 ordinal-scale criteria. The proportion of frameworks that are not components of larger landscape modeling systems ...
The success of habitat monitoring programs depends, to a large extent, on carefully selecting key... more The success of habitat monitoring programs depends, to a large extent, on carefully selecting key habitat attributes to monitor. The challenge of choosing a limited but sufficient set of attributes will differ depending on the objectives of the monitoring program. In some circumstances, such as managing National Forest System lands for threatened and endangered species, habitat monitoring may focus on tracking habitat for one or a few emphasis species. In other settings, such as monitoring the effects of broad-scale land management plans, habitat monitoring may need to address many species. Regardless of scope, similar processes are used to identify attributes for monitoring. The complexity of the organizational and analytical task, however, will differ significantly with scope. In this chapter, we describe steps for choosing habitat attributes for monitoring and for reducing the list of key habitat attributes to those that are affected by management and can be feasibly measured. In...
For agencies and organizations to effectively manage wildlife, knowledge about the status and tre... more For agencies and organizations to effectively manage wildlife, knowledge about the status and trend of wildlife habitat is critical. Traditional wildlife monitoring, however, has focused on populations rather than habitat, because ultimately population status drives long-term species viability. Still, habitat loss has contributed to the decline of nearly all at-risk species (Swift and Hannon 2010) and, as a result, monitoring the amount and quality of habitat can guide recovery efforts for wildlife species with declining trends such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) or the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis).
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilo- capridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Lep... more Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilo- capridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charis- matic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other. Un- derstanding the relative influence of land cover, habitat fragmentation, and human land use on their distribution during the breeding season is imperative to inform management decisions on land use and conservation planning for these species. We surveyed medium to large-sized sage- brush (Artemisia spp.)-associated mammal species in 2005 and 2006 on 141 random transects (mean length = 1.1 km) in the Wyoming Basins, an area undergoing rap- id land cover transformation due to human actions including energy development. Overall, we observed 10 species but only obtained enough observations of pro...
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological ass... more Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step-wise process to select vascular plant and vertebrate species of concern. Based on our selection process, we identified 65 taxa of sagebrush-associated (Artemisia spp.) vascular plants of conservation concern. The vast majority were forbs, and nearly all are found in Wyoming (n = 59; 91%), reflecting its central location and spatial dominance (51%) of the study area. Forty-eight plants (74%) were ranked either S1 or S2 (state-level ranks indicating imperilment due to rarity, threats, or other factors) in at least one state within the assessment area. Forty vertebrates of concern were selected for our as...
This chapter reviews the process steps of wildlife habitat monitoring described in chapters 2 thr... more This chapter reviews the process steps of wildlife habitat monitoring described in chapters 2 through 9 and provides three case examples that illustrate how the process steps apply to specific situations. It provides the reader an opportunity to synthesize the material while also revealing the potential knowledge gaps and pitfalls that may complicate completion of a comprehensive habitat monitoring program. The chapter strives to clarify questions the reader may have by demonstrating the process of developing a habitat monitoring plan.
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