The structural attributes of shrubland communities may provide thermal refugia and protective cover necessary for wild animals to survive. During the summers of 2002 and 2003, we evaluated the thermal environment for lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Ridgway) broods in southeast New Mexico across a complex landscape that included grazed sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii Rydb.), ungrazed sand shinnery oak treated with tebuthiuron, sand dunes, cropland, and Conservation Reserve Program native grass plantings. Based on data from 257 brood locations and 53 random locations, lesser prairie-chicken broods selected locations based on sand shinnery oak dominance, with taller plant heights and more overhead cover, when temperatures exceeded 26.4uC than what was randomly available. Prairie chickens selected areas not treated with herbicide and these sites were often selected at a fine spatial scale. These data support other studies suggesting that there may be no justification of shrub control for lesser prairie-chicken conservation within the sand shinnery oak communities. Resumen Las características estructurales de las comunidades de plantas arbustivas podrían proveer refugios te´rmicos y cobertura de protección necesaria para la supervivencia de animales salvajes. Durante los veranos del 2002 y 2003, evaluamos el ambiente térmico para polluelos de gallinas de la pradera (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Ridgway) en el sureste de Nuevo México a trave´s de un complejo paisaje que incluyó encino chaparro (Quercus havardii Rydb.) bajo pastoreo, encino chaparro sin pastoreo tratado con tebuthiuron, dunas de arena, tierras de cultivo y plantaciones de pastos nativos del programa de Conservation Reserve Program. Basándose en información proveniente de 257 lugares de cría y 53 lugares escogidos al azar, los polluelos de las gallinas de la pradera provenientes de nidos seleccionaron lugares donde dominaba el encino chaparro con plantas altas con cobertura que alcanzaba alturas superiores a la altura de la cabeza cuando las temperaturas excedían los 26.4uC comparados con los lugares que fueron dispuestos al azar. Las gallinas de la pradera seleccionaron áreas no tratadas con herbicidas y estos sitios fueron a menudo seleccionados en una escala espacial fina. Estos datos apoyan otros estudios que sugieren que puede ser que no exista justificación para el control de arbustos para la conservación de polluelos de gallinas de la pradera dentro de comunidades de encino chaparro.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that using ecological models is beneficial in recovering species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In addition, many federal agencies and environmental organizations have recommended using strategic approaches to conservation. One rare species in need of conservation is the American burying beetle (ABB, Nicrophorus americanus). The ABB was listed as endangered in 1989 and conservation efforts need to be targeted and improved to be successful in achieving de-listing. We combined presence/absence ABB surveys (1979-2011), with habitat-based model projections, to identify specific habitats where the ABB is likely to occur. Our habitat based range for the ABB was 96.9% accurate in identifying positive ABB surveys (n=485) from 1979 to 2011. Previously, potential ABB habitat was identified using political or county boundaries and was not precise and also included areas that were unsuitable for ABB habitat. Using spatial data, known locations, and model projections, we reduced the potential habitat range by over 4.5 million acres (1.8 million hectares) from the county delineation, resulting in greater precision for conservation of the ABB, more targeted conservation efforts, and reduced costs to other federal agencies and industry that are required to have minimal impact to this endangered species under the ESA. Our approach will be useful to other agencies and other states that need to target conservation and recovery efforts for rare invertebrates.

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