PUBLICATION NOTICE: A Regional Population Viability Approach for Threatened and Endangered Species Management on Army Installations

The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center has published the report/note described and linked below. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Report/Note Number:

ERDC/CERL TR-19-11 

Title:

A Regional Population Viability Approach for Threatened and Endangered Species Management on Army Installations

Author(s):

William R. Fields, Wade A. Wall, Brett A. DeGregorio, and Matthew G. Hohmann

Purpose/Abstract:

Regional partnering for threatened and endangered species (TES) management can be an effective strategy, allowing the Department of Defense to achieve conservation goals while minimizing potential conflict with its training and testing missions. However, the potential benefits of regional partnering are determined by where TES habitat occurs within a landscape, how populations interact with one another demographically, and the proportion of TES habitat managed by various agencies and potential partners. To assess the opportunities for and potential value of regional TES conservation partnering, we evaluated the relative conservation values of habitat networks for 84 TES known to occur on or near 54 Army and Army National Guard installations. The highest relative network conservation values were estimated for mammals and birds at Fort Huachuca. High relative network conservation values are associated with large amounts of public land. On average, 52.3% of identified habitat networks occurred on public lands compared to 3.8% on private conservation lands. Assessment of habitat networks provides an efficient framework for guiding regional partnering efforts, and multispecies regional conservation partnerships will be critical in addressing the combined threats of encroachment and climate change. Prioritization of regional conservation partnerships will maximize the benefits of limited conservation funding.

56 pages / 1.9 Mb

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

ERDC is a diverse research organization with approximately 2,000 employees operating more than $1 billion in world class facilities at seven laboratories. Its annual program exceeds $1 billion as it supports the Department of Defense and other agencies in military and civilian projects. Principal research areas include Soldier support, Engineered Resilient Systems, Environmental Quality and Installations, Geospatial Research and Engineering, Military Engineering, and Water Resources. “Discover ▪ Develop ▪ Deliver”   ERDCinfo@usace.army.mil