Leveraging local habitat suitability models to enhance restoration benefits for species of conservation concern
Efforts to restore habitats and conserve wildlife species face many challenges that are exacerbated by limited funding and resources. Using Gunnison sage-grouse as a case study, researchers leveraged existing seasonal habitat models to identify areas of high restoration potential across landscapes with variable habitat conditions and habitat-use responses.
Researchers then simulated changes in habitat conditions to explore the potential for management action at varying spatial scales affecting habitat suitability. Examples of potential management actions include removing encroaching conifers or increasing mesic habitats (habitats with moderate moisture content).
They found that applying specific restoration treatments in seemingly similar sites could yield vastly different consequences in terms of change in habitat suitability. This indicates that the multi-variable conditions that comprise and improve habitats can be difficult to identify without the use of habitat analyses. This manuscript and accompanying data provide an example of how to improve conservation decisions that can lead to the greatest returns on investment.
Full Citation: Shyvers, J. E., N. D. Van Schmidt, J. Saher, J. A. Heinrichs, M. S. O’Donnell, and C. L. Aldridge. 2024. Leveraging local habitat suitability models to enhance restoration benefits for species of conservation concern. Biodiversity and Conservation, doi: 10.1007/s10531-024-02886-x.
Associated Data Release: Shyvers, J. E., N. D. Van Schmidt, J. Saher, J. A. Heinrichs, M. S. O’Donnell, and C. L. Aldridge. 2024. Maps of habitat suitability improvement potential for the Gunnison Sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) satellite populations in Southwestern Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VBT1ER.
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