Models to Support Conservation and Management of Rare Carnivores in the Sierra Nevada

Dr. Wayne Spencer, Director of Conservation Assessment and Planning at Conservation Biology Institute (CBI), presents results of recent analyses concerning the distribution, quality, connectivity, and resiliency of habitats and populations of four imperiled  carnivores in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades:  marten (Martes caurina), fisher (Martes pennanti), wolverine (Gulo gulo), and Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator).  The results include models and maps illustrating habitat value, distribution, and connectivity for each species, and computer simulations demonstrating how fires, vegetation management, and climate change may affect their populations in the future.   These results and decision-support models can be used as tools to help guide conservation and management actions to maintain or increase population size and resiliency of these rare carnivores.  Dr. Spencer also demonstrates how to access and utilize the maps, datasets, and other products of this work in Data Basin, CBI’s conservation collaboration platform.