scholarly journals Conservation of Kit Foxes in the Great Basin Desert: Review and Recommendations

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 679-698
Author(s):  
Robert C. Lonsinger ◽  
Bryan M. Kluever ◽  
Lucas K. Hall ◽  
Randy T. Larsen ◽  
Eric M. Gese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Basin And Range ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Central Basin ◽  
Great Basin Desert ◽  
Kit Fox ◽  
Resource Managers

Abstract The kit fox Vulpes macrotis is a species of concern to land managers in the Great Basin Desert of North America. Once common, kit foxes have declined from historical levels. Research on kit foxes in western Utah has spanned nearly 70 y and has potential to inform management and conservation within the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion of the Great Basin Desert. We conducted a systematic literature review on the northern kit fox subspecies V. m. nevadensis. We focused on studies conducted in the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion, which represents the majority of the Great Basin Desert, and provided a comprehensive summary of their ecology and demographics for resource managers. To guide future monitoring, we also reviewed techniques used for kit fox monitoring and research, and evaluated the strengths, limitations, and advances of these techniques. We identified four key factors that deserve consideration when selecting monitoring techniques for kit foxes: estimable parameters, reliability, cost, and rate of data return. Finally, we identify four primary management recommendations. We recommend that managers (1) expand kit fox monitoring and population assessments more broadly across the Great Basin Desert. To ensure future monitoring meets the needs of resource managers, we recommend (2) the application of a structured decision-making process to identify key parameters and approaches. To better understand the factors limiting kit fox populations we recommend (3) population viability and parameter sensitivity analyses to identify drivers of population change. Finally, based on evidence that genetic diversity of kit fox populations has been maintained by undescribed patterns of gene flow, we recommend (4) a broad-scale assessment of population connectivity to identify corridors supporting metapopulation dynamics. These recommendations will facilitate proactive conservation of kit foxes and management practices to reduce future population declines.

scholarly journals CHANGES IN KIT FOX–COYOTE–PREY RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GREAT BASIN DESERT, UTAH

2007 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy M. Arjo ◽  
Eric M. Gese ◽  
Tim J. Bennett ◽  
Adam J. Kozlowski
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Great Basin Desert ◽  
Kit Fox

scholarly journals Resource partitioning between kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) and coyotes (Canis latrans): a comparison of historical and contemporary dietary overlap

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 497-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. Byerly ◽  
R.C. Lonsinger ◽  
E.M. Gese ◽  
A.J. Kozlowski ◽  
L.P. Waits
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
Kit Fox ◽  
Prey Diversity ◽  
Vulpes Macrotis

Range expansions by generalists can alter communities and introduce competitive pressures on native species. In the Great Basin Desert, USA, coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) have colonized and are now sympatric with native kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888). Since both species have similar diets, dietary partitioning may facilitate coexistence. We analyzed coyote and kit fox diets, then compared our results to an earlier study. Because populations are dynamic, we expected that decreases in prey or increases in predator abundance could alter dietary patterns. We found no significant changes in population-level prey diversity for kit foxes or coyotes, but found high levels of dietary overlap between species. We did detect a significant decrease in the relative importance of leporids (family Leporidae) in the diets of both canids, but they remained important for coyotes. The relative importance of small mammals was greater for kit foxes than coyotes, but their importance had not changed significantly over time. We detected significant declines in prey diversity per sample (scat-level dietary diversity) for both canids, suggesting that during a foraging event, individuals may encounter less diverse prey now than historically. These findings suggested that kit foxes and coyotes were not limited by prey, despite high dietary overlap.

scholarly journals Subterranean Caching of Domestic Cow (Bos taurus) Carcasses by American Badgers (Taxidea taxus) in the Great Basin Desert, Utah

2017 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan H. Frehner ◽  
Evan R. Buechley ◽  
Tara Christensen ◽  
Çağan H. Şekercioğlu
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Great Basin Desert ◽  
Taxidea Taxus

scholarly journals Summer Watering Patterns of Mule Deer in the Great Basin Desert, USA: Implications of Differential Use by Individuals and the Sexes for Management of Water Resources

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew V. Shields ◽  
Randy T. Larsen ◽  
Jericho C. Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Great Basin Desert ◽  
Water Developments ◽  
Conservation And Management

Changes in the abundance and distribution of free water can negatively influence wildlife in arid regions. Free water is considered a limiting factor for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Great Basin Desert. Consequently, a better understanding of differential use of water by individuals and the sexes could influence the conservation and management of mule deer and water resources in their habitats. We deployed remote cameras at all known water sources (13 wildlife water developments and 4 springs) on one mountain range in western Utah, USA, during summer from 2007 to 2011 to document frequency and timing of water use, number of water sources used by males and females, and to estimate population size from individually identified mule deer. Male and female mule deer used different water sources but visited that resource at similar frequencies. Individual mule deer used few water sources and exhibited high fidelity to that resource. Wildlife water developments were frequently used by both sexes. Our results highlight the differing use of water sources by sexes and individual mule deer. This information will help guide managers when siting and reprovisioning wildlife water developments meant to benefit mule deer and will contribute to the conservation and management of this species.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Curtailment: Evaluating Water Management Practices in the Context of Changing Runoff Regimes in a Snowmelt-Dominated Basin

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Steimke ◽  
Bangshuai Han ◽  
Jodi Brandt ◽  
Alejandro Flores
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Hydrological Response ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Alternative Future ◽  
Annual Discharge ◽  
Semi Arid

Hydrologic scientists and water resource managers often focus on different facets of flow regimes in changing climates. The objective of this work is to examine potential hydrological changes in the Upper Boise River Basin, Idaho, USA in the context of biophysical variables and their impacts a key variable governing administration of water resources in the region in an integrated way. This snowmelt-dominated, mountainous watershed supplies water to a semi-arid, agriculturally intensive, but rapidly urbanizing, region. Using the Envision integrated modeling framework, we created a hydrological model to simulate hydrological response to the year 2100 using six alternative future climate trajectories. Annual discharge increased from historical values by 6–24% across all simulations (with an average 13% increase), reflecting an increase in precipitation in the climate projections. Discharge peaked 4–33 days earlier and streamflow center of timing occurred 4–17 days earlier by midcentury. Examining changes in the date junior water rights holders begin to be curtailed regionally (the Day of Allocation), we found that the it occurs at least 14 days earlier by 2100 across all simulations, with one suggesting it could occur over a month earlier. These results suggest that current methods and policies of water rights accounting and management may need to be revised moving into the future.

scholarly journals Financial Analysis of Water Management Practices in Cranberry Production in Quebec, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Bogdan ◽  
Suren Kulshreshtha ◽  
Jean Caron
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Financial Analysis ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Climate Change Effects

At a global scale, Canada is the second largest cranberry producer, with Quebec being the largest producing region within Canada. Efficient water use in agricultural production has long been a topic of outmost importance to agricultural producers, and governing bodies. The immediacy of climate change effects sped up the need to find solutions that conserve water. One such promising technology is irrigation using real-time tensiometers, which provides rapidly critical irrigation needs information to producers. Adoption of improved technologies by farmers is dependent on the effect it has on the farms’ bottom line. In this study, we examine the financial performance of real-time tensiometer based irrigation, and compare it to evaporation needs based irrigation (baseline), in the context of a Quebec-based cranberry farm. Our findings show that irrigating using real-time tensiometers technology generated higher economic returns. With a net present value of $96,847, this technology increased returns by nearly 53% compared to the baseline technology. Subsequent sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, even when changing important farming parameters.

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