Bradley Bauman Wildlife Diversity Biologist Nevada Department of Wildlife
Winnemucca, Nevada
Photo by Larry Neel
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Program responsibility is under Wildlife Diversity Division of NDOW
NDOW receives State Wildlife Grants 2005
State wildlife agencies develop wildlife action plan 2007
American pika identified a species of conservation concern
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Statewide Inventory and Distribution
Population Demographics
Long-term response to global climate
change
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Pika inventories were
initiated in 2007
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Selected areas with suitable
habitat.
Selected areas that had not
been previously surveyed.
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Field methods followed
those described by Beever et
al. 2003.
Walked line transects
approximately 15 m apart.
Searched for any evidence of
pika.
Visualizations
 Vocalizations
 Haypiles
 Pellets
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Addition data collected was
elevation, aspect, slope, and
haypile compsition
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Started in the Santa Rosa Range.
Focused on Santa Rosa Paradise Peak Wilderness
(7000 ft-9732 ft)
High elevation sites (>7,000 ft)
Santa Rosa Range
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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No American pika evidence was observed.
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≈ 70 % of talus areas were searched.
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (2009) and North
west corner of Nevada (2010).
Low elevation sites (< 7, 000 ft)
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Discovered 5 new populations of American Pika on the Sheldon
National Wildlife Refuge.
Average elevation 6,378 ft
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Percent of vegetation found in haypiles
70.0
64.2
60.0
PERCENT
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
12.8
10.6
10.0
6.5
1.8
3.5
0.0
Bunchgrass
Shrub
Cheatgrass
Tree
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Forbs
Other
Pika use in relation to aspect
N
NW
W
N, 38
NW, 34
NE
NE, 6
E, 12
W, 6
E
SW, 6
S, 14
SW
SE, 24
SE
S
# of occupied sites
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Discovered 2 additional
populations of pika.
Continue to conduct surveys
throughout the year.
Expect to find additional
populations.
Nevada Department of Wildlife
2007
2010
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Continue to conduct inventories throughout
Nevada.
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Thermal monitoring of occupied talus sites.
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Population monitoring on known sites.
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Genetic analysis.
Nevada Department of Wildlife
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Nevada Department of Wildlife
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USFWS
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Gail Collins
A. Wellborn
J. Armstrong
Polly Conrad
Christy Klinger
Larry Neel
Shirley Atkinson
Teri Slatauski
Luke Wartgo
Tyler Johnson
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Great Basin College
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Doug Hogan
Terri Covert
Kara Vega
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Nevada Department of Wildlife