Conservation Science Global

MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRREL DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT QUALITY

AWARD PURPOSE THIS PROJECT WILL COLLECT AND SAVE NATIVE SEEDS USING A PROGRAM CALLED SEEDS OF SUCCESS SOS, AT THE COSUMNES RIVER PRESERVE CRP FOR GROWING SEASONS THE 2025, 2026 AND 2027. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO TRAIN TWO FIELD WORKERS HIRED THROUGH THE AMERICAN CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE ACE PROGRAM. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED THE PARTNER WILL COLLECT SEEDS AND COORDINATE WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT BLM TO CLEAN SEEDS AT A FACILITY. THIS PLACE WILL ALSO CHECK IF THE SEEDS ARE GOOD TO USE. SOME OF THE COLLECTED SEEDS WILL BE SAVED FOR FUTURE USE AND RESEARCH, WHILE THE REST WILL BE GROWN AT A NURSERY OR USED TO HELP RESTORE AREAS AT CRP. THE PARTNER WILL ALSO MAKE MAPS AND GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT PLANT POPULATIONS TO HELP WITH FUTURE SEED COLLECTIONS.EXPECTED DELIVERABLES THE GOAL IS TO COLLECT SEEDS FROM AT LEAST 20 DIFFERENT SPECIES, AIMING FOR A TOTAL OF 1.5 MILLION SEEDS. FOR EACH TYPE OF SEED WE COLLECT, WE WILL KEEP A FULL EXAMPLE OF THE PLANT TO STORE AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES THIS PROJECT WILL HELP THE PUBLIC AND THE BLM BY PROVIDING SEEDS FROM NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE COSUMNES RIVER PRESERVE CRP AND THE BEND SEED EXTRACTORY. THESE SEEDS CAN BE USED TO GROW PLANTS THAT WILL HELP RESTORE THE ENVIRONMENT AT CRP AND OTHER PLACES.

HQ CESU ESTABLISHING A BEE MONITORING PROTOCOL ON WESTERN BLM LANDS

CA MOVEMENT OF RAVENS ACROSS THE URBAN-WILDLANDS GRADIENT

NM POLLINATORS ASSOCIATED WITH RARE PLANTS ON BLM LANDS IN NM

F19AP00465

PENSTEMON ALBOMARGINATUS POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS WITH POLLINATION LIMITATION AND HERBIVORY ASSESSMENT

CA CESU TIEHM S MILKVETCH STATUS ASSESSMENT AND POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS

DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS TO ACCELERATE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN USA: GOLDEN EAGLES AND WIND ENERGY WE PROPOSE TO USE EXISTING AND NEW TELEMETRY DATA TO IDENTIFY DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, THEN DELIVER DECISION-SUPPORT TOOLS TO HELP ACCELERATE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE REGION. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN GOLDEN EAGLES AND WIND TURBINES SLOW RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF WIND ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE USA. POPULATIONS OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA ARE SMALL, POORLY KNOWN, AND A HIGH CONSERVATION PRIORITY. FURTHERMORE, ALTHOUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN USA CURRENTLY DOES NOT SUPPORT SUBSTANTIAL WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, RAPID GROWTH IS EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. MUCH OF THIS PLANNED GROWTH IS IN AREAS WHERE GOLDEN EAGLES ARE THOUGHT TO OCCUR. AS SUCH, THERE IS AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS THAT CAN GUIDE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS TO REDUCE THE THREAT OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN GOLDEN EAGLES AND WIND TURBINES THROUGHOUT THIS REGION. THIS PROJECT WILL RELY ON ANALYSIS OF TWO TYPES OF DATA. OUR TEAM HAS DEPLOYED GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM TRACKING (TELEMETRY) DEVICES ON MORE THAN 120 GOLDEN EAGLES AND DEPLOYED MORE THAN 250 CAMERA TRAPS THROUGHOUT EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. WE WILL USE BOTH THESE DATA TO IDENTIFY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS WITH KNOWN GOLDEN EAGLES BUT FOR WHICH WE HAVE NO GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM TELEMETRY DATA. WE WILL TARGET THOSE AREAS FOR TRAPPING, AIMING TO DEPLOY TRANSMITTERS ON AN ADDITIONAL 5-10 BIRDS IN THOSE AREAS. TO MAP GOLDEN EAGLES EMPIRICAL DISTRIBUTION, WE WILL USE A SUITE OF DATA SOURCES, INCLUDING TELEMETRY, EBIRD, CAMERA TRAP, AND OTHER OBSERVATION DATA. WE WILL THEN CREATE MODELS OF RELATIVE ABUNDANCE THAT INTEGRATE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM TELEMETRY DATA AND COUNTS OF EAGLES FROM CAMERA TRAPS. TO IDENTIFY REGION-SPECIFIC FLIGHT ALTITUDES, WE WILL USE ALTITUDE DATA OBTAINED FROM THE TELEMETRY DATA TO MODEL VARIATION IN FLIGHT ALTITUDE AS A RESPONSE TO REGION, WEATHER, TOPOGRAPHY, AND LAND COVER. WE WILL THEN IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE FLIGHT ALTITUDES OF EAGLES ARE EXPECTED TO INTERSECT WITH BLADES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF WIND TURBINES (ABOUT 50-250 METERS ABOVE SURFACE).THREE KEY PRODUCTS OF THIS WORK WILL BE MAPS OF (1) DISTRIBUTION (2) RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND (3) REGION-SPECIFIC FLIGHT ALTITUDES OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. WE WILL PROVIDE ELECTRONIC FILES OF THESE MAPS DIRECTLY TO THE U.S. FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON OUR WEBSITE. WE WILL ALSO INCORPORATE THEM INTO SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES STEMMING FROM THIS WORK AND THAT WE WILL PUBLISH IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. FINALLY, WE ALSO ANTICIPATE PRESENTING THE RESULTS OF THIS WORK TO U.S. FISH WILDLIFE AND REGIONAL BIOLOGISTS WITH ONE OR MORE WEB-BASED PRESENTATIONS.THIS WORK WILL (A) IDENTIFY STEPS TO ACCELERATE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY (A DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR PRIORITY), (B) PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE AND DECISION SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS AND PARTNERS BY PROVIDING PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE (A SCIENCE APPLICATIONS AND MIGRATORY BIRD PROGRAMS PRIORITY), AND (C) PROVIDE DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS AND FILL KNOWLEDGE GAPS RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY OF BIRDS (BOTH SOUTHEAST REGIONAL U.S. FISH WILDLIFE PRIORITIES).

ANIMAL MOVEMENT STUDIES FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

PROJECT TITLE DEMOGRAPHY AND GENETICS OF MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPROJECT PERIOD 1 5 23 1 4 27AWARD PURPOSEMOHAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE LISTED AS THREATENED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND NEAR THREATENED WITH A DECREASING POPULATION TREND BY THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL, INC., A CHESAPEAKE WATERSHED COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT PARTNER, WILL ASSIST THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WITH ORGANIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRREL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, INCLUDING ESTIMATING SURVIVAL RATES AND POPULATION SIZE AS WELL AS ASSIST IN WRITING A SPECIES GENETIC MANAGEMENT PLAN.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMEDUSING EXISTING MARK RECAPTURE DATA ON MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL, INC. WILL WORK WITH THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO DEVELOP STATISTICAL MULTI STATE MODELS TO UNDERSTAND SURVIVORSHIP, REPRODUCTIVE RATES, AND EVEN MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS WITHIN THIS POPULATION. WE WILL ALSO CREATE A GENETIC MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, CONTRACTING WITH AN EVOLUTIONARY GENETICIST TO DEVELOP A PLAN MODELED AFTER THAT PREPARED FOR THE PACIFIC POCKET MOUSE AND OTHER SPECIES. THIS PLAN WILL MAKE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIFFERENT CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS AND TO CONSERVE GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN EACH MANAGED POPULATION.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMESDELIVERABLES INCLUDE A PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATION WITH UPDATED MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRREL DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSES AND ESTIMATED SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION RATES, AS WELL AS A GENETIC MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SPECIES. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL FILL GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE PERTAINING TO THE MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRREL AND WILL ALLOW WILDLIFE MANAGERS TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE CONSERVATION PLANS FOR THE SPECIES.INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES)THIS PROJECT BENEFITS THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND STATE AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSERVATION OF MOJAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIESDEVELOPMENT OF GENETIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

TRACKING THE MOVEMENTS OF A GOLDEN EAGLE WINTERING IN ARKANSAS, A PILOT PROJECT

PROJECT PERIOD: 7 13 23-7 12 25PROJECT TITLE: RISK FROM TURBINES TO BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES CROSSING THE GREAT LAKESTHIS PROJECT WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EAGLE FLIGHT BEHAVIOR MAY EXPOSE THEM TO RISK FROM OFFSHORE AND NEAR-SHORE WIND TURBINES IN THE GREAT LAKES. ITS FINDINGS WILL AID THE UNITED STATES FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) IN PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO WIND ENERGY DEVELOPERS. DEVELOPMENT OF WIND ENERGY CAN HAVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY VIA FATALITIES CAUSED BY COLLISION WITH TURBINE BLADES. A HOTSPOT FOR WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IS THE OFFSHORE AND NEAR-SHORE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING THE GREAT LAKES. HOWEVER, MANY SPECIES OF MIGRATORY BIRDS, INCLUDING EAGLES PROTECTED UNDER THE BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLE PROTECTION ACT, CROSS THE GREAT LAKES. THE FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING POPULATIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AND THUS HAS A ROLE IN ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON MIGRATORY BIRDS AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO WIND ENERGY DEVELOPERS. AS SUCH, THE FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE HAS A STRONG INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF EAGLES MAY EXPOSE THEM TO RISK FROM COLLISION WITH WIND ENERGY FACILITIES BUILT IN THE GREAT LAKES. CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL WILL WORK WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO ANALYZE MILLIONS OF GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) DATA POINTS COLLECTED FROM TRACKING UNITS CARRIED BY AT LEAST 226 BALD AND 108 GOLDEN EAGLES AS THEY HAVE FLOWN, AND CONTINUE TO FLY, THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES REGION. WE WILL IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THESE BIRDS WATER CROSSINGS FOR EACH OF THE FIVE GREAT LAKES. ANALYSIS WILL FOCUS ON IDENTIFYING MOVEMENT PATHWAYS OVER AND ADJACENT TO THE GREAT LAKES AND FLIGHT BEHAVIOR ALONG THOSE MOVEMENT PATHWAYS. INFORMATION FROM THIS STUDY CAN THUS IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE PLACEMENT OF WIND TURBINES MAY REPRESENT ESPECIALLY LOW OR HIGH RISK TO EAGLES AND, ALSO, HOW FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF EAGLES OVER WATER COULD EXPOSE THEM TO RISK. THIS INFORMATION CAN HELP INFORM SITING OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY FACILITIES IN THE GREAT LAKES AND WILL HELP THE FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE EVALUATE RISK OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS.IN ADDITION TO INFORMAL REPORTING THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, WE WILL PROVIDE A FINAL FORMAL REPORT AND PUBLISH THE RESULTS IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL. FINALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE MAPPING PRODUCT THAT THE FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE AND OTHER ENTITIES CAN USE TO PLAN DEVELOPMENT.

PENSTEMON ALBOMARGINATUS STATUS ASSESSMENT

PROJECT TITLE:DATA ANALYSIS OF LEAD EXPOSURE OF PIUTE GROUND SQUIRRELS IN SOUTHWESTERN IDAHOPROJECT PERIOD: 5/1/2022 - 4/30/24LEAD IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL TOXIN WITH NO PHYSIOLOGICAL VALUE TO ANIMALS, YET IT IS WIDELY USED BY HUMANS IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS, THEREBY REGULARLY EXPOSING WILDLIFE TO LEAD, SOMETIMES WITH DEADLY RESULTS. THE MORLEY NELSON SNAKE RIVER BIRDS OF PREY NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA IN SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO INCLUDES A MILITARY TRAINING GROUND, THE ORCHARD COMBAT TRAINING AREA, AND SUBSTANTIAL RECREATIONAL SHOOTING. THESE ACTIVITIES RESULT IN DISTRIBUTION OF LEAD THROUGHOUT THESE AREAS, BUT THERE IS LITTLE INFORMATION ON HOW WILDLIFE WITHIN THEM IS EXPOSED TO LEAD.THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS DATA ON LEAD EXPOSURE OF PIUTE GROUND SQUIRRELS TRAPPED ACROSS THIS AREA AND NOW NEEDS STATISTICAL ANALYSES OF THESE DATA TO UNDERSTAND HOW WILDLIFE IN THE REGION MAYCOME INTO CONTACT WITH LEAD. FIELD WORK, SAMPLE COLLECTION, SAMPLE PREPARATION, AND TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSES HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONDUCTED. THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WILL PROVIDE TO CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL THESE DATA FOR ANALYSIS. CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL PROPOSES TO USE MODERN STATISTICAL APPROACHES TO ANALYZE DATA ON LEAD EXPOSURE OF THESE SQUIRRELS, INCLUDING SUMMARY STATISTICS AND A COMPARISON OF LEAD EXPOSURE OF SQUIRRELS IN AREAS WITH LOW LEVELS OF RECREATIONAL SHOOTING, HIGH LEVELS OF RECREATIONAL SHOOTING, AND MILITARY SHOOTING; AS WELL AS TESTING FOR STRENGTH OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COPPER AND LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SQUIRREL DATA. ALL MANAGEMENT OF THESE DATA WILL BE BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND IN CONFORMATION ITS EXISTING DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THESE DATA. CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL WILL WORK WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO PUBLISH THE RESULTS OF THESE ANALYSES IN A PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL. THE SUBMITTED DRAFT OF THAT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION WILL SERVE AS THE FINAL REPORT FOR THIS PROJECT. CONSERVATION SCIENCE GLOBAL AND THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, BY ADDRESSING THIS INFORMATION NEED, WILL HELP MEET THE AGENCY'S GOALS OF PROVIDING KEY SCIENCE TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PARTNERS SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THE ACTIVITIES OF MILITARY TRAINING AFFECT WILDLIFE.