Development of landscape-level habitat suitability models for ten wildlife species in the central hardwoods region

Abstract

Reports landscape-level habitat suitability models for 10 species in the Central Hardwoods Region of the Midwestern United States: American woodcock, cerulean warbler, Henslow's sparrow, Indiana bat, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, timber rattlesnake, wood thrush, worm-eating warbler, and yellow-breasted chat. All models included spatially explicit variables and relationships based on the best available empirical data and expert opinion. Also includes overview of habitat characteristics for each species, a discussion of the habitat variables used in each model, and supporting reference materials for all assumed relationships between quantity of a resource and quality for each species modeled. The models are included in a stand-alone software package, Landscape HSImodels version 2.1, available from the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station (www.nrs.fs.fed.us/hsi). These models provide a general approach for evaluating habitat suitability at large spatial scales.

Citation

Rittenhouse, Chadwick D.; Dijak, William D.; Thompson, Frank R. III; Millspaugh, Joshua J. 2007. Development of landscape-level habitat suitability models for ten wildlife species in the central hardwoods region. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-4. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 47 p.