FY2016This project will evaluate the effects of vegetation treatments on population connectivity, genetic diversity and gene flow of wildlife species across the full extent of the Great Basin LCC. The recently approved BLM and Forest Service Land Use Plan Amendments will implement millions of acres of treatments in support of greater sage-grouse conservation. It is essential to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of these treatments on the connectivity and fragmentation of the landscape for multiple non-target species. We will use a dynamic landscape model to simulate fire and treatments, allowing each to vary by type (e.g., juniper removal, prescribed fire), extent, and influence on vegetation and fuels. We will develop scenarios reflecting current conditions and future scenarios based on proposed treatments and predicted future climate. We will model the effects of these scenarios on the extent and pattern of natural vegetation types and use existing information from the literature to parameterize landscape resistance models for each species under each scenario. We will use the UNICOR landscape connectivity model to predict core areas, corridors and fracture zones for each species across a range of realistic dispersal abilities.
