Research Mentor(s)
Bunn, Andrew Godard
Description
The Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae) is listed as a near threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is under review to be listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Species listed as endangered or threatened sometimes have critical habitat designated for them, which are areas that contain features essential to the conservation of the species. Typically, critical habitats are not designated until a species is listed under the ESA. However, it would be beneficial to know possible critical habitats beforehand in order to expedite the process should the Cascades Frog be listed. Critical habitats were defined by performing a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) suitability analysis. I used a dataset containing observations of the Cascades Frog to identify the land cover, elevation, and climate variables that were ideal for the species. I combined the results with the distance from freshwater sources to create an index of suitability. The most suitable areas were isolated to identify the potential critical habitats for the Cascades Frog. Even though the identified critical habitats would be suitable for the Cascades Frog based on their biological requirements, a percentage of the identified areas are not ideal due to human modification of the landscape. If the Cascades Frog is listed as endangered or threatened, further research should be completed to identify if critical habitat should be designated for the species and if so, which of the identified areas should be designated.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
17-5-2017 9:00 AM
End Date
17-5-2017 12:00 PM
Department
Environmental Sciences
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Cascades frog--Habitat; Cascades frog--Dispersal
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
GIS Suitability Analysis to Identify Critical Habitat for the Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae)
The Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae) is listed as a near threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is under review to be listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Species listed as endangered or threatened sometimes have critical habitat designated for them, which are areas that contain features essential to the conservation of the species. Typically, critical habitats are not designated until a species is listed under the ESA. However, it would be beneficial to know possible critical habitats beforehand in order to expedite the process should the Cascades Frog be listed. Critical habitats were defined by performing a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) suitability analysis. I used a dataset containing observations of the Cascades Frog to identify the land cover, elevation, and climate variables that were ideal for the species. I combined the results with the distance from freshwater sources to create an index of suitability. The most suitable areas were isolated to identify the potential critical habitats for the Cascades Frog. Even though the identified critical habitats would be suitable for the Cascades Frog based on their biological requirements, a percentage of the identified areas are not ideal due to human modification of the landscape. If the Cascades Frog is listed as endangered or threatened, further research should be completed to identify if critical habitat should be designated for the species and if so, which of the identified areas should be designated.