About OpenKnowledge@NAU | For NAU Authors

Models of regional habitat quality and connectivity for pumas (Puma concolor) in the southwestern United States

Dickson, Brett G. and Roemer, Gary W. and McRae, Brad H. and Rundall, Jill M. (2013) Models of regional habitat quality and connectivity for pumas (Puma concolor) in the southwestern United States. PLoS ONE, 8 (12). e81898. ISSN 1932-6203

[img]
Preview
Text
Dickinson_B_etal_2013_models_regional_habitiat_quality.pdf
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (19MB) | Preview
[img]
Preview
Image
Dickinson_B_etal_2013_models_regional_CORRECTED_Table2.TIF
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (369kB) | Preview
Publisher’s or external URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081898

Abstract

The impact of landscape changes on the quality and connectivity of habitats for multiple wildlife species is of global conservation concern. In the southwestern United States, pumas (Puma concolor) are a well distributed and wide-ranging large carnivore that are sensitive to loss of habitat and to the disruption of pathways that connect their populations. We used an expert-based approach to define and derive variables hypothesized to influence the quality, location, and permeability of habitat for pumas within an area encompassing the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico. Survey results indicated that the presence of woodland and forest cover types, rugged terrain, and canyon bottom and ridgeline topography were expected to be important predictors of both high quality habitat and heightened permeability. As road density, distance to water, or human population density increased, the quality and permeability of habitats were predicted to decline. Using these results, we identified 67 high quality patches across the study area, and applied concepts from electronic circuit theory to estimate regional patterns of connectivity among these patches. Maps of current flow among individual pairs of patches highlighted possible pinch points along two major interstate highways. Current flow summed across all pairs of patches highlighted areas important for keeping the entire network connected, regardless of patch size. Cumulative current flow was highest in Arizona north of the Colorado River and around Grand Canyon National Park, and in the Sky Islands region owing to the many small habitat patches present. Our outputs present a first approximation of habitat quality and connectivity for dispersing pumas in the southwestern United States. Map results can be used to help target finer-scaled analyses in support of planning efforts concerned with the maintenance of puma metapopulation structure, as well as the protection of landscape features that facilitate the dispersal process.

Item Type: Article
ID number or DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081898
Related URLs:
Subjects: Q Science > QL Zoology
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit: College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Science > School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
Date Deposited: 30 Mar 2016 16:47
URI: http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1731

Actions (login required)

IR Staff Record View IR Staff Record View

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year