| Home
on this range? |
| |
 Background:
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed the Sonoran
pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) as endangered in 1967.
The U.S. population of Sonoran pronghorn has been affected by habitat
fragmentation, loss of perennial rivers, and extreme drought, among
other factors. After several years of drought, the hot, dry summer
of 2002 resulted in a drastic population decline leaving a U.S. population
of fewer than 30 animals. Several steps have been taken to prevent
the extinction of Sonoran pronghorn, including closure of areas to
traffic during fawning season and provision of summer forage. Another
strategy for population recovery is establishment of additional populations.
Multiple populations are more desirable than a single population because
they prevent a single regional catastrophic event (e.g., disease, weather
events, high predation rate) from causing the entire species to become
extinct - the same thought process that led to the saying "Don't put
your eggs all in one basket." Recovery criteria for the Sonoran pronghorn
state the need for a second population of Sonoran pronghorn to be established
in the U.S. and the current population to number at least 300 individuals,
or for the current population to reach a size that will promote a stable
population. Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
(KNWR), and adjacent lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) represent large land holdings within historical range of Sonoran
pronghorn. If future attempts are made to establish new populations
of Sonoran pronghorn within the U.S., these areas may be among potential
translocation sites. At the request of the YPG Conservation Program,
the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) has undertaken a study
to evaluate suitability of areas on and adjacent to YPG as potential
habitat for Sonoran pronghorn. This study is a cooperative effort with
the U.S. Army, USFWS, and the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Team
Location:
 The
current Sonoran pronghorn population in the
U. S. occupies an area in southwestern Arizona
bordered to the north by Interstate 8, to the
east by the Ajo Range, to the west by Copper
and Cabeza Mountains, and to the south by Mexico.
Included within that area are portions of the
Barry M. Goldwater Gunnery Range, Cabeza Prieta
National Wildlife Refuge, and Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument. The area being evaluated
as potential habitat is located to the north
and west on YPG, KNWR, and adjacent BLM lands
between Interstate 8 and Interstate 10.
Approach:
AGFD has a large database of locations derived from intensive research
efforts conducted on Sonoran pronghorn over the last 10 years. First, we
will examine areas used by radio-collared pronghorn to determine which
landscape, terrain, and vegetation features best explain pronghorn patterns
of habitat use. These factors will be included in a Geographic Information
System (GIS) model that will be used to rank potential habitat suitability
within the evaluation area.
Benefits:
Results from our study will guide future translocations
of Sonoran pronghorn in the U.S. and will hopefully
increase the probability of successful translocation.
Our model may also be useful in evaluating
other areas as potential habitat.
For more information
contact:
Chasa O'Brien, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000
.
Phone: (623) 236-7244 E-mail: cobrien@gf.state.az.us |
| |
| back
to top |
|
|
|
| Related
AZGFD Info |
 |
|
|
|
