Development of an Adaptive Management Framework for the Conservation of the New England Cottontail

The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is the only native rabbit species in New England.  Over the past 50 years, the cottontail’s range has been reduced by more than 80% as a result of habitat loss from maturing forests and land-use change, resulting in major population declines and concerns for the long-term prospects of this iconic species and other wildlife dependent on young forests. Another threat facing the New England cottontail is resource competition from eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus), introduced into the northeastern US in the early1900s. In response, the New England cottontail is considered a species of special concern by six northeastern states and was a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. A desire by resource managers and the public to recover populations of the cottontail has led state and federal biologists, private landowners, tribes, foresters, hunters, and conservation organizations to partner together to implement the New England Cottontail Conservation Strategy, focused on using adaptive management practices to create and maintain appropriate habitat, promote captive breeding, reduce competition with the non-native rabbit, and monitor the distribution and abundance of both cottontail species. From these efforts, more than 18,000 acres of young forest now exist or will soon be created, with a goal of reaching 27,000 acres by 2030.

 The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with this consortium of federal and state resource management agencies to provide guidance in the development of a regional adaptive management program and research protocol to more accurately monitor and assess the distributions of the two cottontail species, which are nearly impossible to differentiate without genetic identification. The four goals of the study were to develop a modeling approach to evaluate:

1. Potential negative interactions between native New England cottontails and non-native eastern cottontails,
2. The relationship between habitat characteristics and demographic performance of both species,
3. Interactive effects of habitat and inter-species dynamics, and
4. The relative effectiveness of manipulating habitat versus reducing competition for recovery efforts.

Monitoring and managing a rare and shy species over a 7-state region present enormous challenges for resource managers.  Our modeling framing provides these managers with a tool that can be used for understanding the response of New England cottontails to changing habitat conditions, assess the species recovery status and make more informed decisions about management treatments over time.