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Vegetation Surveys for Pilot Study for Mohave Ground Squirrel. RFP MGSWCB 24-2
Introduction
The Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council (MGSCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in January 2023 with a mission to assure the perpetual survival of viable populations of Mohave Ground Squirrels throughout their historical range and any future expansion areas. More information can be found for the MGSCC at our website at mgsconservation.org.
The MGSCC has been awarded several grants related to establishing a long-term monitoring program for the Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis), a California threatened species endemic to the western Mojave Desert of California. 2025 will be the second year of a pilot program designed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assist in determining methods for expanding this effort throughout the species’ range. As part of this effort, vegetation surveys will be conducted for the purposes of informing remote sensing for vegetation.
Proposal Schedule
- November 15, 2024, 5pm - PST Questions sent to contacts above.
- November 21, 2024, 5pm - PST All questions and answers to be posted on MGSCC website.
- December 10, 2024, 5pm - PST All final proposals due to contact listed above via email.
Please see the RFP page to download a copy of the RFP and responses to questions.
What's New
New Paper: Unprecedented distribution data for Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) rev
December 14, 2023
Todd C. Esque, Daniel F. Shryock, Gabrielle A. Berry, Felicia C. Chen, Lesley A. DeFalco, Sabrina M. Lewicki, Brent L. Cunningham, Eddie J. Gaylord, Caitlin S. Poage, Gretchen E. Gantz, Ross A. Van Gaalan, Ben O. Gottsacker, Amanda M. McDonald, Jeremy B. Yoder, Christopher I. Smith, Kenneth E. Nussear.
U.S. Geological Survey
Forecasting range shifts in response to climate change requires accurate species distribution models (SDMs), particularly at the margins of species' ranges. However, most studies producing SDMs rely on sparse species occurrence datasets from herbarium records and public databases, along with random pseudoabsences. While environmental covariates used to fit SDMS are increasingly precise due to satellite data, the availability of species occurrence records is still a large source of bias in model predictions...
The complete paper is located below.
Petition submitted to list the Mohave Ground Squirrel on the Endangered Species List
December 13, 2023
Endangered Species List
On December 13, 2023, the Defenders of Wildlife, the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee and the Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council filed a petition with the Department of the Interior to list the Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) as a threatened species and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing.
“Recent presence/absence trapping summaries by Dr. Phil Leitner have shown that the Mohave ground squirrel’s range is shrinking in all directions except from the northwest, and that hybridization with the common round-tailed ground squirrel is threatening the species from the east as far west as Harper Lake Road. This new information since the previous two petitions provides evidence that federal listing is warranted,” said Ed LaRue, board member of the Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council. “With federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, proactive conservation of the species on our large military bases within the range – particularly Edwards Air Force Base, Fort Irwin and China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station – is necessary to avoid extinction.”
Copies of the petition documents can be downloaded using the links below . . .
Proposed pipeline poses a threat to the Mohave Ground Squirrel habitat
November 9, 2023
Ridgecrest, CA
On October 14, 2023, MGSCC board member and senior biologist, Ed LaRue, accompanied Los Angeles Times reporter, Louis Sahagun, on a field visit to view the proposed route of the proposed 50-mile pipeline to transport water from the California Aqueduct in California City to a storage tank in Ridgecrest.
Los Angeles Times Article by Louis Sahagun:\
Desperate for water, a desert city hopes to build a pipeline to the California Aqueduct.
After decades of unrestricted pumping in the rain-starved northwestern corner of the Mojave Desert, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Basin Authority has the distinction of managing one of the most critically overdrawn aquifers in California.
Now, the region is in uproar over a proposal that the authority sees as a way out of its groundwater crisis, one that critics say would give priority to urban consumers in the city of Ridgecrest and the adjacent Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake over farmers and mining operations.
Mohave Ground Squirrel 5-Year Species Review - How You Can Help
August 23, 2023
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has initiated a five-year species review for the state threatened Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) to inform the California Fish and Game Commission's decision on whether to retain or change the status of the species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). As part of this process, we are seeking information or data on Mohave ground squirrel. To submit information or data, or to provide questions or comments about the review process, please email the Wildlife Diversity Program and include “Mohave ground squirrel” in the subject line. The deadline to submit data and comments is October 28, 2023, to allow sufficient time for evaluation.
Read the entire bulletin . . .
New Research Paper: Captive Breeding, Husbandry, Release, and Translocation of Sciurids
June 2023
By Sharon Poessel, Ph.D.
Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Captive breeding and release programs have been instrumental in preventing the extinction of some wildlife species, but these programs have been less successful for other species. Evaluating initial guidelines for procedures to start a captive breeding and release program for a particular species is an important first step in the process of initiating such a program.
Read and Download the paper . . .
New Research Paper: Wagering with an incomplete deck—refining conservation plans for the New Mexico
June 2023
By Jason L. Malaney et al.
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Museum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
Limited sampling for imperiled taxa inhibits effective management by obscuring windows into ecological and evolutionary processes and ultimately thwarting thoughtful conservation efforts. We report eight new locations for the endangered New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus luteus luteus) detected across three states that expand their known distribution.
Read and Download the paper . . .
State of California's Wildlife Conservation Board grants funds for Mohave Ground Squirrel Monitoring
August 24, 2023
MGSCC
The Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council is happy to announce that the group and its partners (USFWS, BLM, USGS, CDFW, Phil and Barbara Leitner, University of Nevada-Reno, Sacramento State) has been awarded grant funding for a 5 year, long-term Mohave ground squirrel monitoring project. This project will provide baseline population data for scientific studies, to support the ongoing survival of the MGS population.
Read the announcement from MGSCC President, Kathy Simon . . .
MGS Species Distribution
Distribution
The Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) is a species of ground squirrel found only in the Mojave Desert in California. This squirrel inhabits the western Mojave Desert in portions of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. It can occupy Joshua tree woodlands, creosote scrub, saltbush scrub and mojave mixed woody scrub. Typical forage plants are those that meet nutritional and water content requirements. These can include shrubs such as winterfat, spiny hopsage, and boxthorn (Lycium spp.).
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