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Kirol CP, Smith KT, Graf NE, Dinkins JB, Lebeau CW, Maechtle TL, Sutphin AL, Beck JL. Greater Sage‐Grouse Response to the Physical Footprint of Energy Development. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P. Kirol
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Kurt T. Smith
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Nicholas E. Graf
- Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Jonathan B. Dinkins
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Chad W. Lebeau
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. 200 South 2nd St., Suite B Laramie WY 82070 USA
| | | | - Andrew L. Sutphin
- Big Horn Environmental Consultants 730 E. Burkitt Sheridan WY 82801 USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
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3
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Walker BL, Neubaum MA, Goforth SR, Flenner MM. Quantifying habitat loss and modification from recent expansion of energy infrastructure in an isolated, peripheral greater sage-grouse population. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 255:109819. [PMID: 31756579 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
New technologies and increasing energy demand have contributed to rapid expansion of unconventional oil and gas development in the U.S. in the past two decades. Quantifying the effects of energy infrastructure on land cover and wildlife habitat is essential for informing land-use policy, developing wildlife conservation strategies, and projecting impacts of future development. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; GrSG) is a species of concern in sagebrush ecosystems of the western U.S. and Canada and the focus of widespread conservation and management efforts. Increasing energy development within GrSG range has prompted the need to quantify and predict impacts of energy infrastructure on their habitat and populations. We mapped the annual distribution, surface type, and activity level of energy and non-energy infrastructure in the Parachute-Piceance-Roan (PPR), a small, peripheral greater sage-grouse population in Colorado with expanding oil and gas development, from 2005 to 2015. During that time, the footprint of energy infrastructure more than doubled to 3,275 ha (+108.6%), including 195 new well pads, 930 ha of new pipelines, and 230 km of new roads. In contrast, non-energy infrastructure decreased to 532 ha (-8.3%). The majority of energy infrastructure present each year (77-84%) was supporting infrastructure (i.e. facilities, roads, pipelines) rather than well pads, with an average of 2.24 ± 0.52 SE ha of supporting infrastructure per ha of well pad. Pipelines comprised 74-80% of reclaimed surface and roads comprised 54-69% of disturbed surface across years. By 2015, anthropogenic infrastructure covered 2.70% of occupied range and 2.93% of GrSG habitat, and energy infrastructure covered 2.50% and 10.79% of two priority habitat management area zones in the PPR. Three land cover classes most affected by energy infrastructure were also those strongly selected by GrSG. Topographic constraints appear to concentrate energy infrastructure in areas with gentler topography that also have the highest GrSG use. Together, these patterns suggest that future energy development will cause substantial additional loss and modification of GrSG habitat in the PPR. Our findings are valuable for assessing surface disturbance caps for land-use management and projections of energy infrastructure effects on wildlife habitat in this and other expanding oil and gas fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett L Walker
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, CO, 81505, United States.
| | - Melissa A Neubaum
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, CO, 81505, United States
| | - Suzanne R Goforth
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, CO, 81505, United States
| | - Michelle M Flenner
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 West Prospect Ave., Fort Collins, CO, 80526, United States
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4
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Carter SK, Fleishman E, Leinwand IIF, Flather CH, Carr NB, Fogarty FA, Leu M, Noon BR, Wohlfeil ME, Wood DJA. Quantifying Ecological Integrity of Terrestrial Systems to Inform Management of Multiple-Use Public Lands in the United States. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 64:1-19. [PMID: 30982122 PMCID: PMC6598959 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01163-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The concept of ecological integrity has been applied widely to management of aquatic systems, but still is considered by many to be too vague and difficult to quantify to be useful for managing terrestrial systems, particularly across broad areas. Extensive public lands in the western United States are managed for diverse uses such as timber harvest, livestock grazing, energy development, and wildlife conservation, some of which may degrade ecological integrity. We propose a method for assessing ecological integrity on multiple-use lands that identifies the components of integrity and levels in the ecological hierarchy where the assessment will focus, and considers existing policies and management objectives. Both natural reference and societally desired environmental conditions are relevant comparison points. We applied the method to evaluate the ecological integrity of shrublands in Nevada, yielding an assessment based on six indicators of ecosystem structure, function, and composition, including resource- and stressor-based indicators measured at multiple scales. Results varied spatially and among indicators. Invasive plant cover and surface development were highest in shrublands in northwest and southeast Nevada. Departure from reference conditions of shrubland area, composition, patch size, and connectivity was highest in central and northern Nevada. Results may inform efforts to control invasive species and restore shrublands on federal lands in Nevada. We suggest that ecological integrity assessments for multiple-use lands be grounded in existing policies and monitoring programs, incorporate resource- and stressor-based metrics, rely on publicly available data collected at multiple spatial scales, and quantify both natural reference and societally desired resource conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Carter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave. Building C, Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8118, USA.
| | - Erica Fleishman
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Ian I F Leinwand
- Cherokee Nation Technologies, on contract to U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, 5 Old Town Square, Suite 205, Fort Collins, CO, 80524, USA
| | - Curtis H Flather
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Natasha B Carr
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave. Building C, Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8118, USA
| | - Frank A Fogarty
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Matthias Leu
- Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Barry R Noon
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Martha E Wohlfeil
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - David J A Wood
- Bureau of Land Management, National Operations Center, Denver, CO, 80255, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Avenue, Suite 2, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
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Edgel RJ, Larsen RT, Whiting JC, Mcmillan BR. Space use, movements, and survival of pygmy rabbits in response to construction of a large pipeline. WILDLIFE SOC B 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Edgel
- Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department; Brigham Young University; 4105 LSB Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Randy T. Larsen
- Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department and the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum; Brigham Young University; 4105 LSB Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Jericho C. Whiting
- Department of Biology; Brigham Young University-Idaho; 116 Benson Rexburg ID 83460 USA
| | - Brock R. Mcmillan
- Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department; Brigham Young University; 4105 LSB Provo UT 84602 USA
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