Idaho Project
Estimating the spatial and temporal extent of snowpack properties in complex terrain: Leveraging novel data to adapt wildlife and habitat management practices to climate change
September 2019 - December 2023
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- USGS
- USGS National Grants Branch
Snow refugia and winter severity can have strong influences on species abundance and distribution. Currently, our ability to accurately measure the locations of snow refugia and relative severity of winter are limited. Developing cost effective indices using remote cameras to measure can aid managers in surveying for species that rely on snow refugia and predicting species responses to severe winter weather (e.g. ungulates). This project is a collaborative effort between the USGS Northwest Science Climate Adaptation Center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and The University of Idaho. Results will provide managers with potential locations of snow refugia important for species of conservation concern and an index of winter severity that can be used to improve population predictions and subsequent management.