EFFECTS OF DESERT WILDFIRES ON DESERT TORTOISE (GOPHERUS AGASSIZII) AND OTHER SMALL VERTEBRATES

We report the results of standardized surveys to determine the effects of wildfires on desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and their habitats in the northeastern Mojave Desert and northeastern Sonoran Desert. Portions of 6 burned areas (118 to 1,750 ha) were examined for signs of mortality of vert...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Southwestern naturalist 2003-03, Vol.48 (1), p.103-111
Main Authors: Esque, Todd C, Schwalbe, Cecil R, Defalco, Lesley A, Duncan, Russell B, Hughes, Timothy J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Deserts
Fire ecology
Forest fires
Grassland fires
Mortality
Plants
Tortoises
Wildfires
Wildlife habitats
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Summary:We report the results of standardized surveys to determine the effects of wildfires on desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and their habitats in the northeastern Mojave Desert and northeastern Sonoran Desert. Portions of 6 burned areas (118 to 1,750 ha) were examined for signs of mortality of vertebrates. Direct effects of fire in desert habitats included animal mortality and loss of vegetation cover. A range of 0 to 7 tortoises was encountered during surveys, and live tortoises were found on all transects. In addition to desert tortoises, only small (
ISSN:0038-4909
1943-6262
DOI:10.1894/0038-4909(2003)048<0103:EODWOD>2.0.CO;2