Habitat selection by juvenile Mojave Desert tortoises

Growing pressure to develop public lands for renewable energy production places several protected species at increased risk of habitat loss. One example is the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), a species often at the center of conflicts over public land development. For this species and o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of wildlife management 2016-05, Vol.80 (4), p.720-728
Main Authors: Todd, Brian D., Halstead, Brian J., Chiquoine, Lindsay P., Peaden, J. Mark, Buhlmann, Kurt A., Tuberville, Tracey D., Nafus, Melia G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambrosia dumosa
California
Desert animals
development
Environmental restoration
Gopherus agassizii
Habitat loss
Habitat Selection
Habitats
Land development
Larrea tridentata
Mammals
Mojave Desert
Protected species
Public lands
Renewable energy
Reptiles & amphibians
restoration
solar energy
Telemetry
Tortoises
Wildlife
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife management
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Growing pressure to develop public lands for renewable energy production places several protected species at increased risk of habitat loss. One example is the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), a species often at the center of conflicts over public land development. For this species and others on public lands, a better understanding of their habitat needs can help minimize negative impacts and facilitate protection or restoration of habitat. We used radio-telemetry to track 46 neonate and juvenile tortoises in the Eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA, to quantify habitat at tortoise locations and paired random points to assess habitat selection. Tortoise locations near burrows were more likely to be under canopy cover and had greater coverage of perennial plants (especially creosote [Larrea tridentata]), more coverage by washes, a greater number of small-mammal burrows, and fewer white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) than random points. Active tortoise locations away from burrows were closer to washes and perennial plants than were random points. Our results can help planners locate juvenile tortoises and avoid impacts to habitat critical for this life stage. Additionally, our results provide targets for habitat protection and restoration and suggest that diverse and abundant small-mammal populations and the availability of creosote bush are vital for juvenile desert tortoises in the Eastern Mojave Desert.
ISSN:0022-541X
1937-2817
DOI:10.1002/jwmg.1054