A linkage network for the California deserts

2012·23.8 MB·English

by  Penrod, Kristeen, editor

A Linkage Network for the California Deserts
© 2007 John White
February 2012
A Linkage Network for the California Deserts

February 2012

Prepared by:
Kristeen Penrod
Paul Beier
Emily Garding
Clint Cabanero

This report was made possible with financial support from the The Wildlands Conservancy and the
Bureau of Land Management.
Results and information in this report are advisory and intended to assist local jurisdictions,
agencies, organizations, and property owners in making decisions regarding protection of
ecological resources and habitat connectivity in the area.

Preferred Citation: Penrod, K., P. Beier, E. Garding, and C. Cabañero. 2012. A Linkage
Network for the California Deserts. Produced for the Bureau of Land Management and The
Wildlands Conservancy. Produced by Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair
Oaks, CA www.scwildlands.org and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction…………………………….………………………………………………….1
Nature Needs Room to Roam……………………..……………………………………………………1
Patterns of Habitat Conversion………………………………………………………………………….1
California Desert Connectivity Project: A Vision for the Mojave and Sonoran Ecoregions……….2
Previous Connectivity Planning Efforts…………………………………………………………………3
Existing Conservation Investments in the California Deserts………………………………………..4
Ecological Significance of the California Deserts…………………………………………………..…4
Chapter 2. Conservation Planning Approach………..…………………………………………….8
Stakeholder Engagement………………………………………………………………………………..9
Focal Species Selection………………………………………………………………………………….9
Compilation of Digital Data Layers…………………………………………………………………….10
Define the Analysis Area……………………………………………………………………………….11
Delineate Corridors for Focal Species………………………………………………………………..12
Delineate Land Facet Corridors to Provide Connectivity in a Changing Climate……………..…14
Evaluate and Refine the Preliminary Linkage Designs…………………………………………..…18
Field Investigations……………………………………………………………………………………..20
Chapter 3. Linkages for Species: Landscape Permeability Analyses…...………………….22
American badger (Taxidea taxus)…………………………………………………………………….24
Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)………………………………………………………………………………28
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)……………………………………………………………………..31
Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)………………………………………………………………….34
Chapter 4. Linkages for Climate Change: Land Facet Analyses……….…………………….37
Sierra Nevada-China Lake North Range Land Facets……………………………………………...41
Sierra Nevada-China Lake South Range Land Facets………………………………………….….42
China Lake North Range-China Lake South Range Land Facets…………………………………43
China Lake South Range-Edwards Air Force Base Land Facets…………………………………44
China Lake South Range-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman Land Facets…………….45
Edwards Air Force Base-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman Land Facets…………..…46
Edwards Air Force Base-San Gabriel Mountains Land Facets……………………………………47
Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman-San Gabriel Mountains Land Facets….……………48
Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman-San Bernardino Mountains Land Facets…………..49
China Lake South Range-Kingston Mesquite Mountains Land Facets…………………………...50
Kingston Mesquite Mountains-Mojave National Preserve Land Facets…………………………..51
Mojave National Preserve-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman Land Facets……………52
Mojave National Preserve-Stepladder Turtle Mountains Land Facets…………………………….53
Stepladder Turtle Mountains-Palen McCoy Mountains Land Facets……………………………...54
Palen McCoy Mountains-Whipple Mountains Land Facets………………………………………...55
Joshua Tree National Park-Palen McCoy Mountains Land Facets……………………………..…56
Joshua Tree National Park-Chocolate Mountains Land Facets…………………………………...57
Palen McCoy Mountains-Chocolate Mountains Land Facets…………………………………..….58
Palen McCoy Mountains-Little Picacho Land Facets……………………………………………….59
Chocolate Mountains-Little Picacho Land Facets…………………………………………………...60
Chocolate Mountains-East Mesa Land Facets………………………………………………………61
Chapter 5. A Linkage Network for the California Deserts……………….…………………….62
Mountain lion (Puma concolor)………………………………………………………………………...68
American badger (Taxidea taxus)……………………………………………………………………..71
Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis)………………………………………………………………………………..75
Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)…………………………………………………………………………79
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)……………………………………………………………………..82
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)…………………………………………………………………….86
Mohave ground squirrel (Spermophilus mohavensis)………………………………………………88
Round-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus)………………………………………...91
Little Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris)…………………………………………………..94
Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)…………………………………………………...98
Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus)…………………………………………….100
Pallid Bat (Antrozus pallidus)………………………………………………………………………...104
Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)………………………………………………………………….108
Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)…………………………………………………………...112
LeConte’s thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei)…………………………………………………………..116
Bendire’s thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)……………………………………………………………119
Crissal thrasher (Toxostoma crissale)……………………………………………………………….122
Cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)………………………………………………….124
Black-tailed gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura)……………………………………………………..127
Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)…………………………………………………….130
Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)………………………………………………………………...133
Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus obesus)………………………………………………………….137
Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma scoparia)…………………………………………………………..140
Desert night lizard (Xantusia vigilis)…………………………………………………………………144
Desert spiny lizard (Sceloperus magister)………………………………………………………….147
Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)……………………………………………..150
Rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata)………………………………………………………………………153
Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii)…………………………………………………………..156
Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)……………………………………………………………160
Red spotted toad (Anaxyrus punctatus)…………………………………………………………….163
Ford’s swallowtail (Papilo indra fordi)………………………………………………………………..167
Bernardino dotted blue (Euphilotes bernardino)……………………………………………………170
Desert green hairstreak (Callophrys comstocki)……………………………………………………174
Desert metalmark (Apodemia mejicanus)…………………………………………………………..177
Yucca moth (Tegeticula synthetica)…………………………………………………………………180
Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia)………………………………………………………………………..183
Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera)……………………………………………………………………186
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)…………………………………………………………………….188
Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima)……………………………………………………………….190
Arrowweed (Pluchea sericea)………………………………………………………………………..193
Western honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)…………………………………………………...196
Big galleta grass (Pleuraphis rigida)…………………………………………………………………199
Catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii)……………………………………………………………………...202
Paper bag bush (Salazaria mexicana)………………………………………………………………205
Chapter 6. Removing and Mitigating Barriers to Movement…………………………………208
Industrial and Urban Development as Barriers to Movement…………………………………….208
Mitigating the Impacts of Industrial & Urban Barriers on Wildlife Linkages……………………..210
Impacts of Roads on Wildlife…………………………………………………………………………212
Impacts of Canals on Wildlife………………………………………………………………………...212
Mitigating the impacts of Roads and Canals on the Linkage Areas……………………………...213
Standards and Guidelines for Wildlife Crossing Structures……………………………………….216
Impediments to Riparian Connectivity……………………………………………………………….218
Mitigating Impediments to Riparian Connectivity…………………………………………………..218
Field Investigations and Recommendations………………………………………………………..220
Sierra Nevada-China Lake North Range……………………………………………………………220
Sierra Nevada-China Lake South Range…………………………………………………………...222
Edwards Air Force Base-Sierra Nevada…………………………………………………………….223
China Lake North Range-China Lake South Range….. ………………………………………….223
China Lake South Range-Edwards Air Force Base……………………………………………….225
China Lake South Range-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman…………………………..225
Edwards Air Force Base-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman……………………………226
Edwards Air Force Base-San Gabriel Mountains…………………………………………………..227
Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman-San Gabriel Mountains……………………………..228
Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman-San Bernardino Mountains………………………...230
China Lake South Range-Kingston Mesquite Mountains…………………………………………231
Kingston Mesquite Mountains-Mojave National Preserve………………………………………...232
Mojave National Preserve-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman………………………….233
Mojave National Preserve-Stepladder Turtle Mountains………………………………………….235
Stepladder Turtle Mountains-Palen McCoy Mountains……………………………………………235
Palen McCoy Mountains-Whipple Mountains………………………………………………………236
Joshua Tree National Park-Palen McCoy Mountains……………………………………………...237
Joshua Tree National Park-Chocolate Mountains………………………………………………….238
Palen McCoy Mountains-Chocolate Mountains…………………………………………………….239
Palen McCoy Mountains-Little Picacho……………………………………………………………..240
Chocolate Mountains-Little Picacho…………………………………………………………………242
Chocolate Mountains-East Mesa…………………………………………………………………….243
Chapter 7. Summary…………………………………………………………………………………245
Literature Cited…………………………………………………………………………………………247
List of Figures
Figure 1. Linkage Planning Areas
Figure 2. Existing Conservation Investments & Other Major Landholders
Figure 3. Major Land Cover Types
Figure 4. Least-Cost Corridors Displaying Species Overlap
Figure 5. Network of Focal Species Least-Cost Unions
Figure 6. Least-Cost Corridors for American badger (Taxidea taxus)
Figure 7. Least-Cost Corridors for Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
Figure 8. Least-Cost Corridors for Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Figure 9. Least-Cost Corridors for Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Figure 10. Network of Focal Land Facet Least-Cost Unions
Figure 11. Land Facets: Sierra Nevada-China Lake North Range
Figure 12. Land Facets: Sierra Nevada-China Lake South Range

Figure 13. Land Facets: China Lake North Range-China Lake South Range

Figure 14. Land Facets: China Lake South Range-Edwards Air Force Base

Figure 15. Land Facets: China Lake South Range-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman

Figure 16. Land Facets: Edwards Air Force Base-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman

Figure 17. Land Facets: Edwards Air Force Base-San Gabriel Mountains

Figure 18. Land Facets: Twentynine Palms and Newbery Rodman-San Gabriel Mountains

Figure 19. Land Facets: Twentynine Palms and Newbery Rodman-San Bernardino Mountains

Figure 20. Land Facets: China Lake South Range-Kingston Mesquite Mountains

Figure 21. Land Facets: Kingston Mesquite Mountains-Mojave National Preserve

Figure 22. Land Facets: Mojave National Preserve-Twentynine Palms and Newberry Rodman

Figure 23. Land Facets: Mojave National Preserve-Stepladder Turtle Mountains

Figure 24. Land Facets: Stepladder Turtle Mountains-Palen McCoy Mountains

Figure 25. Land Facets: Palen McCoy Mountains-Whipple Mountains

Figure 26. Land Facets: Joshua Tree National Park-Palen McCoy Mountains

Figure 27. Land Facets: Joshua Tree National Park-Chocolate Mountains

Figure 28. Land Facets: Palen McCoy Mountains-Chocolate Mountains

Figure 29. Land Facets: Palen McCoy Mountains-Little Picacho

Figure 30. Land Facets: Chocolate Mountains-Little Picacho

Figure 31. Land Facets: Chocolate Mountains-East Mesa

Figure 32. Edits to the Preliminary Linkage Network

Figure 33. A Linkage Network for the California Deserts
Figure 34. Potential Habitat for Mountain lion (Puma concolor)
Figure 35. Potential Habitat for American badger (Taxidea taxus)
Figure 36. Potential Habitat for Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis)
Figure 37. Potential Habitat for Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)
Figure 38. Potential Habitat for Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Figure 39. Potential Habitat for Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Figure 40. Potential Habitat for Mohave ground squirrel (Spermophilus mohavensis)
Figure 41. Potential Habitat for Round-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus)
Figure 42. Patch Configuration for Round-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus)
Figure 43. Potential Habitat for Little Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris)
Figure 44. Potential Habitat for Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
Figure 45. Patch Configuration for Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
Figure 46. Potential Habitat for Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus)
Figure 47. Patch Configuration for Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus)
Figure 48. Potential Habitat for Pallid Bat (Antrozus pallidus)
Figure 49. Potential Habitat for Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)
Figure 50. Potential Habitat for Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Figure 51. Potential Habitat for LeConte’s thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei)
Figure 52. Potential Habitat for Bendire’s thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)
Figure 53. Potential Habitat for Crissal thrasher (Toxostoma crissale)
Figure 54. Potential Habitat for Cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
Figure 55. Patch Configuration for Cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
Figure 56. Potential Habitat for Black-tailed gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura)
Figure 57. Potential Habitat for Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
Figure 58. Potential Habitat for Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Figure 59. Potential Habitat for Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus obesus)
Figure 60. Potential Habitat for Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma scoparia)
Figure 61. Potential Habitat for Desert night lizard (Xantusia vigilis)