1 Sensitive to human impact and Sensitive to human impact and - - PDF document

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Badger ecology in coastal California: Badger ecology in coastal California: implications for corridor design implications for corridor design

Jessie Quinn Jessie Quinn Ph.D. Candidate Ph.D. Candidate UC Davis Ecology Graduate Group UC Davis Ecology Graduate Group CDFG/UCD WHC Resource CDFG/UCD WHC Resource Assessment Program Competitive Assessment Program Competitive Grant Project, 2004 Grant Project, 2004-

• 2007

2007

• Why do badgers

Why do badgers matter? matter?

• Badger ecology

Badger ecology – – Movement Movement – – Habitat Habitat preferences preferences

• What makes a

What makes a good badger good badger corridor? corridor?

• Listed as a Species of Special Concern

Listed as a Species of Special Concern

• Not often considered in environmental

Not often considered in environmental review process review process

• How should they be considered??

How should they be considered??

• Sensitive to human impact and

Sensitive to human impact and development development

*Crooks 2002 *Crooks 2002

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• Sensitive to human impact and

Sensitive to human impact and development development

• Representative of the grassland

Representative of the grassland community community

• Sensitive to human impact and

Sensitive to human impact and development development

• Representative of the grassland

Representative of the grassland community community

• Wide

Wide-

• ranging carnivore: spatial factors

ranging carnivore: spatial factors important important

Research in California Research in California

• California Department of Fish and Game

California Department of Fish and Game UC Davis Wildlife Health Center Resource UC Davis Wildlife Health Center Resource Assessment Program 2003 Assessment Program 2003-

• 2007

2007

• GOAL: Determine conservation status of badgers in

GOAL: Determine conservation status of badgers in California California

• Population distribution

Population distribution

• Behavioral ecology

Behavioral ecology

• PRODUCTS:

PRODUCTS:

• Species status report

Species status report

• Reassessment of CWHR model for badgers

Reassessment of CWHR model for badgers

3 About About badgers badgers… …

• Mustelids

Mustelids

• 6 species worldwide

6 species worldwide

• Carnivorous

Carnivorous-

• omnivourous
• mnivourous
• Semi

Semi-

• fossorial

fossorial

About American badgers About American badgers

• Taxidea taxus

Taxidea taxus (4 (4 subspecies) subspecies)

• Range across the

Range across the western U.S., western U.S., southern Canada, southern Canada, and northern and northern Mexico Mexico

• Associated with

Associated with grasslands, open grasslands, open habitats habitats

• Semi

Semi-

• fossorial

fossorial

About American badgers About American badgers

• Females ~ 7 kg,

Females ~ 7 kg, males ~ 15 kg. males ~ 15 kg.

• 1

1-

• 4 kits per year (avg.

4 kits per year (avg. 2). 2).

• Polygamous

Polygamous

• Delayed implanters

Delayed implanters

• Solitary

Solitary

• Mainly carnivorous

Mainly carnivorous

• Eat burrowing

Eat burrowing rodents, lizards, rodents, lizards, birds and bird eggs birds and bird eggs

• Movements vary

Movements vary… … 2 km 2 km2

2

>200 km >200 km2

2

100 km dispersal 100 km dispersal

• In California, home

In California, home ranges between 1 ranges between 1 and 24 km and 24 km2

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Movements Movements

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• Home ranges larger

Home ranges larger where prey is where prey is patchier patchier

• Home ranges larger

Home ranges larger where population where population density is lower density is lower

Movements Movements

• Badgers known to be present
• Diverse habitats
• Roads
• Irrigated agriculture
• Residential development

15 km 5 km

Home range size Home range size

5 10 15 20 150 400 440 880 170 310 340 370 730 780

Animal ID Kilometers^2

Kernel MCP

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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Habitat preference Habitat preference

• Habitat preference

Habitat preference

– – Locations within Locations within home range home range compared to home compared to home range composition range composition (3 (3rd

rd order)

• rder)

– – Composition of home Composition of home range compared to range compared to composition of study composition of study site (2 site (2nd

nd order)

• rder)

– – Dens, active, and Dens, active, and pooled locations pooled locations

12 km 12 km 2 km

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Habitat preference Habitat preference

• Vegetation type

Vegetation type

• Distance from

Distance from roads roads

• Distance from

Distance from trails trails

12 km 12 km 2 km

Habitat selection Habitat selection

• Active locations

Active locations

– – Preferred to be Preferred to be distant from distant from roads roads – – No preference No preference for other for other factors factors

2 km

Habitat selection Habitat selection

• Den locations

Den locations

– – Preferred to be Preferred to be distant from distant from roads, trails roads, trails – – Preferred Preferred scrub, scrub, grassland, grassland, riparian/ marsh riparian/ marsh – – Least preferred Least preferred urban and oak urban and oak woodland woodland

2 km

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Habitat selection Habitat selection

• All locations

All locations

– – Preferred to be Preferred to be distant from distant from roads, close to roads, close to trails trails – – Preferred annual Preferred annual grassland, native grassland, native grassland, scrub grassland, scrub – – Least preferred Least preferred urban and urban and maritime chaparral maritime chaparral

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

12 km 12 km 2 km

Movement

paths

• Up to 2 km/night
• Will cross busy road
• Perhaps follow linear

landscape features?

• Or don’t follow them

at all.

1 km

! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! ( ! (

100 m

Implications for corridor design Implications for corridor design

• Badgers will site their home ranges in

Badgers will site their home ranges in grasslands, but can use a mosaic of grasslands, but can use a mosaic of habitats within it habitats within it

– – More selective for den locations More selective for den locations

• Habitat itself won

Habitat itself won’ ’t serve as a t serve as a “ “funnel funnel” ”

• More important to have

More important to have

– – A very wide corridor A very wide corridor – – And/or many crossings with physical And/or many crossings with physical funnels funnels

7 Implications for corridor design Implications for corridor design

• Fortunately

Fortunately… …

– – Badger activity is easy to locate and Badger activity is easy to locate and identify identify

• You put a corridor

You put a corridor near where they are near where they are

– – Male badgers may track each other Male badgers may track each other’ ’s s movements movements

• Once one animal uses the corridor, others

Once one animal uses the corridor, others may follow may follow

Implications for corridor design Implications for corridor design

• Highest amounts of badger movement

Highest amounts of badger movement are likely to be in the late summer and are likely to be in the late summer and early fall early fall

• Very little movement in the winter

Very little movement in the winter

• Female badgers will be denning or with

Female badgers will be denning or with kits February kits February – – July July

– – Disturbance in core area and corridor Disturbance in core area and corridor should be minimized during this time should be minimized during this time

What does a badger What does a badger burrow look like? burrow look like?

10 10-

• 12 inches

12 inches ~3 feet ~3 feet coyote coyote Badger: Badger: hunting hunting holes holes Badger: Badger: possible possible sleeping sleeping den den

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Project support Project support

• CDFG/UC Davis Wildlife

CDFG/UC Davis Wildlife Health Center Resource Health Center Resource Assessment Program Assessment Program

• American Museum of Natural

American Museum of Natural History History

• American Wildlife Research

American Wildlife Research Foundation Foundation

• The Western Section of the

The Western Section of the Wildlife Society Wildlife Society

• American Society of

American Society of Mammalogists Mammalogists

• The Chuck Haugen

The Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund Conservation Fund

• UC Davis

UC Davis Jastro Jastro-

• Shields

Shields Research Grant Research Grant

• UC Davis Ecology Graduate

UC Davis Ecology Graduate Group Group

Cooperators Cooperators

• Sierra Foothills Conservancy

Sierra Foothills Conservancy

• Sequoia

Sequoia Riverlands Riverlands Trust Trust

• Sacramento Valley Conservancy

Sacramento Valley Conservancy

• Pacheco State Park

Pacheco State Park

• BLM Carrizo Plain Natl.

BLM Carrizo Plain Natl. Monument Monument

• US Army National Guard Camp

US Army National Guard Camp Roberts Roberts

• City of San Luis Obispo

City of San Luis Obispo

• NPS Point Reyes National

NPS Point Reyes National Seashore Seashore

• Big

Big Sur Sur Land Trust Land Trust

• Las Palmas Development

Las Palmas Development

• UCNRS

UCNRS

• BLM Fort

BLM Fort Ord Ord Project Office Project Office

• Avian & Exotics Veterinary Clinic

Avian & Exotics Veterinary Clinic

Thank you! Thank you!

Field assistants Field assistants

Geriann Geriann Albers, John Clare, Albers, John Clare, Johanna Davis, Bruce Delgado, Johanna Davis, Bruce Delgado, Tanya Diamond, Jessica Dunlap, Tanya Diamond, Jessica Dunlap, Mark Mark Elbroch Elbroch, , Janel Janel Fishpaw Fishpaw, , Jessica Gist, Kimberley Jessica Gist, Kimberley Greeson Greeson, , Andrew Andrew Hida Hida, Daniel Jackson, , Daniel Jackson, Tammy Tammy Jakl Jakl, Marina , Marina Kasa Kasa, , Courtney Courtney McSherry McSherry, Mary Paul, , Mary Paul, Patt Patt Quinn Quinn-

• Davis,

Davis, Dairen Dairen Simpson, Alyssa Stark, Nicole Simpson, Alyssa Stark, Nicole Tautfest Tautfest, Brett Williams, , Brett Williams, Topo Topo

Collaborators Collaborators

Sue Campbell Sue Campbell Bruce Delgado Bruce Delgado Tanya Diamond Tanya Diamond Dave Jessup Dave Jessup Christine Christine Kreuder Kreuder Eric Loft Eric Loft Mike Murray Mike Murray Steve Torres Steve Torres Amy Wells Amy Wells