Integrating spatially explicit indices of abundance and habitat quality: an applied example for greater sage-grouse management.

ABSTRACT: Predictive species distributional models are a cornerstone of wildlife conservation planning. Constructing such models requires robust underpinning science that integrates formerly disparate data types to achieve effective species management.Greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter 'sage-grouse' populations are declining throughout sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in North America, particularly within the Great Basin, which heightens the need for novel management tools that maximize the use of available information.Herein, we improve upon existing species distribution models by combining information about sage-grouse habitat quality, distribution and abundance from multiple data sources. To measure habitat, we created spatially explicit maps depicting habitat selection in

SUBMITTER: Coates PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4737303 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature