Idaho Department of Fish and Game

About: Idaho Department of Fish and Game is a government organization based out in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Trout. The organization has 299 authors who have published 579 publications receiving 13031 citations.

Distribution of sage-grouse in north america

Abstract: We revised distribution maps of potential presettlement habitat and current populations for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison Sage- Grouse (C. minimus) in North America. The revised map of potential presettlement habitat included some areas omitted from previously published maps such as the San Luis Valley of Colorado and Jackson area of Wyoming. Areas excluded from the revised maps were those dominated by barren, alpine, and forest habitats. The resulting presettlement distribution of potential habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse encompassed 1 200 483 km2, with the species' current range 668 412 km2. The distribution of potential Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat encompassed 46 521 km2, with the current range 4787 km2. The dramatic differences between the potential presettlement and current distributions appear related to habitat alteration and degradation, including the adverse effects of cultivation, fragmentation, reduction of sagebrush and native herbaceous cover, developme...

Long-term changes in sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus populations in western North America

Abstract: Available data indicate that sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have declined throughout their home range. This species presently occurs in 11 U.S. States and in two Canadian provinces. In nine states having long-term data, breeding populations have declined by 17-47% (0=33%) from the long-term average. Six states have long-term information on sage grouse production. In five of these states, production has declined by 10-51% (0=25%) from the long-term average. Habitat deterioration, loss, and fragmentation have reduced the quantity and quality of nesting and early brood-rearing habitat causing population declines. Factors appearing to be largely responsible for the changes in habitats and, ultimately, sage grouse populations over wide areas of western North America are discussed, and hypotheses that could be tested to provide better insight into sage grouse population declines are suggested. Once these changes are better understood, conservation strategies that address protection and rehabilitation of sagebrush Artemisia spp. rangelands should be developed and implemented in each state and province to halt the decline of sage grouse and initiate recovery.

Is ungulate migration culturally transmitted? Evidence of social learning from translocated animals

Abstract: Ungulate migrations are assumed to stem from learning and cultural transmission of information regarding seasonal distribution of forage, but this hypothesis has not been tested empirically. We compared the migratory propensities of bighorn sheep and moose translocated into novel habitats with those of historical populations that had persisted for hundreds of years. Whereas individuals from historical populations were largely migratory, translocated individuals initially were not. After multiple decades, however, translocated populations gained knowledge about surfing green waves of forage (tracking plant phenology) and increased their propensity to migrate. Our findings indicate that learning and cultural transmission are the primary mechanisms by which ungulate migrations evolve. Loss of migration will therefore expunge generations of knowledge about the locations of high-quality forage and likely suppress population abundance.

Evidence Linking Delayed Mortality of Snake River Salmon to Their Earlier Hydrosystem Experience

Abstract: The numbers of Snake River salmon and steelhead Oncorhynchus spp. have substantially declined since the completion of the Columbia River hydrosystem. We used analytical approaches to identify management options for halting the decline of these stocks, such as removal of Snake River dams and improvements to the existing hydrosystem. The benefits these actions are predicted to have in terms of salmon recovery hinge on whether the mortality that takes place in the estuary and early in their ocean residence is related to earlier hydrosystem experience during downstream migration. Evidence from the literature demonstrates numerous mechanisms that would explain this delayed mortality in relation to a fish's experience passing through the hydrosystem. Spatial and temporal comparisons of stock performance provide indirect evidence of delayed mortality and evidence that delayed mortality is linked to hydrosystem experience. Recent mark–recapture data also provide evidence of differences in delayed mortali...

Conservation Prioritization Using GAP Data

Abstract: Data collected by the Gap Analysis Program in the state of Idaho (U.S.A.) are used to prioritize the selection of locations for conservation action and research. Set coverage and integer programming algorithms provide a sequence of localities that maximize the number of species or vegetation classes represented at each step. Richness maps of vegetation cover class diversity, terrestrial vertebrate species diversity (“hot spot analysis”), endangered, threatened, and candidate species diversity, and unprotected vertebrate species diversity (“gap analysis”), when prioritized, show a rapid accumulation of species as more localities are chosen for terrestrial vertebrates and unprotected vertebrates. Gap analysis identifies four target areas (“gaps”) that include 79 of the 83 vertebrate species not currently protected. Accumulation of vegetation cover classes and endangered, threatened, and candidate species is much slower. Sweep analysis is used to determine how well prioritizing on one component of diversity accumulates other components. Endangered, threatened, and candidate species do not sweep total vertebrates as well as unprotected vertebrates do, but are better than vegetation classes. Total vertebrates sweep endangered, threatened, and candidate species better than unprotected vertebrates do, which in turn are better than vegetation classes. We emphasize that prioritization must be part of conservation efforts at multiple scales and that prioritization points out important localities where more detailed work mast be undertaken. Se utilizan datos obtenidos en el estado de Idaho (EUA) con el Gap Analysis Program (GAP) para priorizar la seleccion de localidades para acciones e investigacion de conservacion. La cobertura del conjunto y algoritmos de programacion integral proporcionan una secuencia de localidades que maximizan el numero de especies o tipos de vegetacion representados en cada etapa. Los mapas de riqueza vegetal comprenden diversidad de tipos; diversidad de especies de vertebrados especies (“analisis de sitios algidos”); diversidad de especies en peligro, amenazadas y candidatas, asi como diversidad de especies no protegidas de vertebrados (“analisis de intervalos”). Al priorizarlos se muestra una rapida acumulacion de especies a medida que seleccionan mas localidades para vertebrados terrestres y vertebrados no protegidos. El analisis de intervalos identifica cuatro areas (“intervalos”) que incluyen 79 de las 83 especies de vertebrados sin proteccion actualmente. La acumulacion de tipos de vegetacion, asi como de especies en peligro, amenazadas y candidatas, es mucho mas lenta. Se utiliza analisis de barrido para determinar la eficiencia de la acumulacion de otros componentes al priorizar con uno de los componentes de la diversidad. Las especies en peligro, amenazadas y candidatas no barren al total de vertebrados con la eficiencia de las especies no protegidas, pero son mayores que los tipos de vegetacion. El total de vertebrados barre mejor alas especies en peligro, amenazadas y candidatas que a los vertebrados no protegidos, los cuales a su vez son mejores que los tipos de vegetacion. Enfatizamos que la priorizacion debe formar parte de los esfuerzos a escala multiple y que la priorizacion identifica localidades importantes en las que se debe realizar trabajo mas detallado.