Idaho Project
Effectiveness of Forest Restoration Treatments on Demography of a Federally Listed Ground Squirrel
July 2012 - April 2028
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- US Geological Survey
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- USDA Forest Service
- US Forest Service
- USDA Forest Service/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- US Geological Survey
- Idaho Department of Fish & Game
Fire suppression over the past century has caused widespread changes to the structure and function of coniferous forests in the western U.S. Forest restoration efforts to reverse these changes must ensure that restoration prescriptions will not adversely impact federally listed species. Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels are federally threatened and have a very small range in central Idaho. We are comparing the effects of 2 forest treatments on Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels : 1) mechanical thinning followed by a fall-season burn (past prescription used by USFS); and 2) no treatment (control). We are using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design with field sampling >5 years prior to treatment and for >4 years post-treatment. The project is a collaboration between USGS Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The results will help determine whether thinning and fire treatments can be used to improve habitat suitability for Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels.
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Goldberg, A.R., C. J. Conway, D. E. Biggins, G. Burak, and D. Evans Mack. 2018. Yersinia pestis, fleas, sylvatic plague, and persistence of a federally threatened ground squirrel. The Vector 12(1): 2-7 | March 2018 |
| Goldberg, A. R., C. J. Conway, and D. E. Biggins. 2020. Flea sharing among sympatric rodent hosts: implications for potential plague effects on a threatened sciurid. Ecosphere 11(2):e03033. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.3033 | February 2020 |
| Goldberg, A. R., C. J. Conway, D. Tank, K. Andrews, D. S. Gour, and L. Waits. 2020. Diet of a rare herbivore based on DNA metabarcoding of feces: selection, seasonality, and survival. Ecology and Evolution 10:7627-7643. doi: 10.1002/ece3.6488 | June 2020 |
| Goldberg, A. R., C. J. Conway, D. Evans Mack, and G. Burak. 2020. Winter versus summer habitat selection in a threatened ground squirrel. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:1548–1559. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.21936 | August 2020 |
| Garrett, M., S. Nerkowski, S. Blair, N. Campbell, S. Barbosa, C. J. Conway, P. Hohenlohe, and L. P. Waits. 2024. Development and validation of a GT-seq panel for genetic monitoring in a threatened species using minimally invasive sampling. Ecology & Evolution 14:e11321. | May 2024 |
| Allison, A. Z. T., C. J. Conway, and A. R. Goldberg. 2024. Weather influences survival probability in two coexisting mammals directly and indirectly via competitive asymmetry. Ecology 104:e4229. | December 2023 |
| Allison, A. Z. T., C. J. Conway, A. Morris, A. R. Goldberg, K. N. Lohr, R. Richards, and J. A. Almack. 2024. Hit snooze: an imperiled hibernator assesses spring snow conditions to decide whether to terminate hibernation or re-enter torpor. Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology 97:53-63. doi: 10.1086/729775 | April 2024 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Waits, L., M. Garrett, S. Barbosa, P. Hohenlohe, and C. Conway. 2025. Conservation genomics of the endangered northern Idaho ground squirrel. International Congress for Conservation Biology. Brisbane, Australia. 18 Jun 2025. | June 2025 |
| Vaage, A., K. Townsend, D. Oleyar, C.J. Conway, and K.T. Vierling. 2023. Is cavity presence influenced by certain habitat variables? The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Louisville, KY. 7 Nov 2023. | November 2023 |
| Pimienta Tovar, E.J., C.J. Conway, A.E. Morris, and K.T. Vierling. 2024. Forest restoration actions to benefit the northern Idaho ground squirrel: effects on invasive plant encroachment. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD. 23 Oct 2024. | October 2024 |
| Livingston, A., E. Strand, and C.J. Conway. 2023. No Fire on the Mountain: Has fire suppression caused population declines of an imperiled ground squirrel? Sigma Xi International Forum on Research Excellence. Long Beach, CA. 11 Nov 2023. | November 2023 |
| Livingston, A., C.J. Conway, and E. Strand. 2024. No Fire on the Mountain: Has fire suppression caused population declines of an imperiled ground squirrel? Undergraduate Research Symposium, Office of Undergraduate Research, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. 22 Apr 2024. | April 2024 |
| Livingston, A., C.J. Conway, and E. Strand. 2024. No Fire on the Mountain: Has fire suppression caused population declines of an imperiled ground squirrel? Ecology and Conservation Biology Senior Thesis Defense. University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. 2 May 2024. | May 2024 |
| Livingston, A., C.J. Conway, and E. Strand. 2023. No Fire on the Mountain: Has fire suppression caused population declines of an imperiled ground squirrel? Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research. Virtual. 19 Jul 2023. | July 2023 |
| Jackson, C., A. Morris, K.T. Vierling, and C. J. Conway. 2023. What bait do Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels prefer? The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Louisville, KY. 7 Nov 2023. | November 2023 |
| Garrett, M., S. Barbosa, K. R. Andrews, A. Goldberg, P. A. Hohenlohe, C. J. Conway, and L. Waits. 2020. Evaluating genetic diversity and distinctiveness of Northern and Southern Idaho ground squirrel populations using adaptive and neutral loci. Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Moscow, ID. 11 March 2020. | March 2020 |
| Garcia, H., K. Townsend, D. Oleyar, K. Vierling, and C.J. Conway. 2024. Forest restoration actions to benefit the northern Idaho ground squirrel: effects on invasive plant encroachment. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD. 23 Oct 2024. | October 2024 |
| Cardenas-Ritzert, E., A. Morris, K.T. Vierling, and C. J. Conway. 2023. Raptor presence at Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel colonies. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Louisville, KY. 7 Nov 2023. | November 2023 |
| Brock, M., A. E. Morris, C. J. Conway, and K. T. Vierling. 2024. Spatial and temporal overlap in foraging activity of Northern Idaho Ground Squirrels and Columbian Ground Squirrels. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD. 23 Oct 2024. | October 2024 |
| Theses and Dissertations | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Goldberg, Amanda R. Apparent survival, dispersal, and abundance of black-tailed prairie dogs. M.S. thesis, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2012. | February 2012 |
| Goldberg, A.R. 2018. Diet, disease, and hibernation behavior of northern Idaho ground squirrels. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. Dec 2018. | December 2018 |