Wildfire and the ecological niche: Diminishing habitat suitability for an indicator species within semi-arid ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Globally accelerating frequency and extent of wildfire threatens the persistence of specialist wildlife species through direct loss of habitat and indirect facilitation of exotic invasive species. Habitat specialists may be especially prone to rapidly changing environmental conditions because their ability to adapt lags behind the rate of habitat alteration. As a result, these populations may become increasingly susceptible to ecological traps by returning to suboptimal breeding habitats that were dramatically altered by disturbance. We demonstrate a multistage modeling approach that integrates habitat selection and survival during the key nesting life-stage of a bird species of high conservation concern, the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse). We appli

SUBMITTER: O'Neil ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7693117 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature