Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wyoming
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Amidst the ongoing loss and fragmentation of native habitats worldwide, determining the extent to which fine-scale, keystone habitat elements can disproportionately influence patterns of species richness and abundance is essential to developing effective habitat prioritization strategies within threatened systems. The ever-expanding footprint of human-induced habitat alteration has precipitated a rapid decline in biodiversity throughout the world (Cardinale et al. 2012). Given limited resources, maintaining resilient and functional ecosystems that support robust wildlife populations amidst ongoing and widespread habitat loss, fragmentation, and alteration necessitates identifying how to most efficiently and effectively conserve local species of concern. This study is conducted by the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This work will address many knowledge gaps needs articulated in the 2017 Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan by informing the prioritization of habitats and determining how energy development influences multiple SGCNs, including the Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella brewerii), Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis), Sage Thrashers (Oreoscoptes montanus), Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), and pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis).