Optimization of Management Actions for Restoration Success and Wildlife Populations
USGS researchers, in collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative and other partners, are developing a statistically based prioritization tool that will aid agencies in their management decisions.
Sagebrush ecosystems continue to undergo degradation in response to multiple factors. Adaptive management decision making for these ecosystems often involves considering how best to restore sagebrush systems to support the differing needs of declining species, such as sage-grouse, Brewer’s sparrow, and mule deer. These decisions can be aided by information about which management practices can be implemented for multiple species and the costs of different restoration efforts.
USGS researchers, in collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative and other partners, are developing a statistically based prioritization tool that could help agencies (1) identify where and what type of restoration efforts are most likely to be successful in achieving vegetation recovery to predisturbance conditions (within economic constraints), (2) assess which of those restoration treatments provide the greatest benefits to wildlife populations, and (3) optimize the choice of regional restoration strategies to meet multispecies management objectives using an ecological optimization framework. Initial models indicate that focusing efforts in habitats most likely to recover are more likely to be successful and could be applied to benefit a diverse suite of species of conservation concern.
USGS researchers, in collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative and other partners, are developing a statistically based prioritization tool that will aid agencies in their management decisions.
Sagebrush ecosystems continue to undergo degradation in response to multiple factors. Adaptive management decision making for these ecosystems often involves considering how best to restore sagebrush systems to support the differing needs of declining species, such as sage-grouse, Brewer’s sparrow, and mule deer. These decisions can be aided by information about which management practices can be implemented for multiple species and the costs of different restoration efforts.
USGS researchers, in collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative and other partners, are developing a statistically based prioritization tool that could help agencies (1) identify where and what type of restoration efforts are most likely to be successful in achieving vegetation recovery to predisturbance conditions (within economic constraints), (2) assess which of those restoration treatments provide the greatest benefits to wildlife populations, and (3) optimize the choice of regional restoration strategies to meet multispecies management objectives using an ecological optimization framework. Initial models indicate that focusing efforts in habitats most likely to recover are more likely to be successful and could be applied to benefit a diverse suite of species of conservation concern.