Data

This sampling frame is a set of grid-based, finite-area frames spanning the offshore areas surrounding Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and is intended for use with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat). A Generalized Random-Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) Survey Design draw was added to the sample units from the raw sampling grids (https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XBOCVV). The...

Animals move to locate important resources such as food, water, and mates. Therefore, movement patterns can reflect temporal and spatial availability of resources as well as when, where, and how individuals access such resources. To test these relationships for a predatory reptile, we quantified the effects of prey abundance on the spatial ecology of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga...

Monitoring change in genetic diversity in wildlife populations across multiple scales could facilitate prioritization of conservation efforts. We used microsatellite genotypes from 7,080 previously collected genetic samples from across the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) range to develop a modelling framework for estimating genetic diversity within a recently developed

Genetic variation is a well-known indicator of population fitness yet is not typically included in monitoring programs for sensitive species. Additionally, most programs monitor populations at one scale, which can lead to potential mismatches with ecological processes critical to species’ conservation. Recently developed methods generating hierarchically nested population units (i.e...

Management intended to benefit a target species may also affect non-target species that co-occur over space and time. Pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) populations experienced long-term declines and rely on habitat that could be lost to conifer removal programs for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Using 13 years of point count data (2008-2020) collected across the...

Conserving genetic connectivity is fundamental to species persistence, yet rarely is made actionable into spatial planning for imperiled species. Climate change and habitat degradation have added urgency to embrace connectivity into networks of protected areas. Our two-step process integrates a network model with a functional connectivity model, to identify population centers important...

PopEquus is a website application that can be used to understand trade-offs and inform decisions in free-roaming horse (Equus caballus) population management. The application (https://rconnect.usgs.gov/popequus/) contains a predictive population modeling tool that can be used to simulate how different management actions drive changes in horse population size, while measuring management...

The spatial context of invasions is increasingly recognized as important for the success and efficiency of management actions. This information can be key for managing invasive grasses that threaten native ecosystems. We calculated landscape metrics and circuit-based centrality for invasive grasses using a source input raster of weighted-average annual herbaceous cover from 2016-2018...

Biological indicator taxa have long been used for integrative assessments of water quality, particularly benthic invertebrate groups such as arthropods. While standardized protocols have been developed to calculate 'biological index' scores based on the abundances of these taxa, such systems are challenging to implement at large scales due to the sampling effort required, taxonomic...

The distance within which populations respond to features in a landscape (scale of effect) can indicate how disturbance and management may affect wildlife. Using annual counts of male Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) attending 584 leks in southwest Wyoming (2003-2019) and estimates of sagebrush cover from the Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP)...

This dataset contains two predictive lek (breeding site) persistence raster layers covering the U.S. greater sage-grouse distribution. In the United States, locations where males display and breed with females (i.e., leks) are often monitored annually by state wildlife agencies, providing valuable information on the persistence of birds in the surrounding areas. A U.S. range-wide lek...

Bats play crucial ecological roles and provide valuable ecosystem services, yet many populations face serious threats from various ecological disturbances. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) aims to assess status and trends of bat populations while developing innovative and community-driven conservation solutions using its unique data and technology infrastructure. To...