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Median Estimates of Impact Potential from Geothermal Energy Production Activities on Greater Sage-Grouse Populations in Nevada and California (2022)

November 10, 2022

These data are the result of an intersection between a surface representing the delta-finite rate of population change and another surface representing Greater Sage-grouse abundance and space-use. It was used to rank candidate sites according to greatest potential impact to Greater Sage-grouse populations resulting from the presence of geothermal energy activity. In 2022, candidate geothermal sites were identified in Nevada and eastern California, then buffered by 10 kilometers. While the extent of the overall raster layer encompasses a very large swath of the western US, data values are limited to fall within these 10 kilometer buffers.

These data support the following publications:
Coates, P.S., Prochazka, B.G., O'Neil, S.T., Webster, S.C., Espinosa, S., Ricca, M.A., Mathews, S.R., Casazza, M., and Delehanty, D.J., 2023. Geothermal energy production adversely affects a sensitive indicator species within sagebrush ecosystems in western North America. Biological Conservation, 280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109889.

Prochazka, B.G., O'Neil, S.T. and Coates, P.S., 2023. A Bayesian multi-stage modelling framework to evaluate impacts of energy development on wildlife populations: an application to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). MethodsX, p.102023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2023.102023.

Publication Year 2022
Title Median Estimates of Impact Potential from Geothermal Energy Production Activities on Greater Sage-Grouse Populations in Nevada and California (2022)
DOI 10.5066/P9OLC725
Authors Brian G Prochazka, Shawn T O'Neil, Peter S Coates, Michael P Chenaille
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog
USGS Organization Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters