Potential Landscapes for Conservation of the Black‐Tailed Prairie Dog Ecosystem

• Published in: Diversity & distributions Vol. 31; no. 1
• Main Authors: Davidson, Ana D., Thiesen Brum, Fernanda, Houts, Michael, Menefee, Michael, Williamson, Matt, Sterling Krank, Lindsey, Van Pelt, Bill, Augustine, David J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2025
• Subjects: black‐footed ferret; black‐tailed prairie dogs; climate; climate change; conservation planning; Cynomys ludovicianus; decision support systems; ecosystems; grassland conservation; keystone species; land use; North America; politics; prairie dog ecosystem; spatial conservation prioritization; species; North America
• DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13945
• ISSN: 1366-9516

ABSTRACT Aim To identify potential landscapes for the conservation of the black‐tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus; BTPD) ecosystem, across their historical geographical range within the United States. Location Central Grasslands of the United States. Methods We used a structured decision analysis approach to identify landscapes with high conservation potential (HCP) for the BTPD ecosystem. Our analysis incorporated ecological, political and social factors, along with changing climate and land use to maximise long‐term conservation potential. Results The landscapes we identified with HCP (top 30% rangewide) represented 22% of the historical distribution of BTPDs and remained strongholds under projected climate change. We provide a suite of HCP area scenarios to help inform different conservation and management interests, including those that consider projected climate change and jurisdictional (state‐level) boundaries. Main Conclusions Our findings highlight the large conservation potential for BTPDs and associated species, and the maps we generated can be incorporated into other large‐scale, multispecies conservation planning efforts being developed for the Central Grasslands of North America.