Skip to main content

Andrew Shirk

Synopsis: This paper aimed to quantify the relative importance of habitat area and configuration, as well as the contrast in resistance between habitat and non-habitat, on genetic differentiation patterns. Using spatially explicit, individual-based simulation modeling, researchers found that habitat configuration had stronger relationships with genetic differentiation than did habitat area. The pattern of habitat in a landscape will affect the distribution of the population and the degree of connectivity across it, resulting in differential patterns of gene flow. Researchers also evaluated the predictive ability of six widely used landscape metrics and found that patch cohesion and correlation length of habitat...
thumbnail
Washington Shrub-steppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative: Defining Shared Spatial Priorities
The Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI) is a new collaborative effortdedicated to conserving the states shrubsteppe wildlife and habitat in the face of increasing threatsfrom wildfire, climate change and other stressors. As part of a long-term transboundary strategy, we willwork with our partners to further co-develop and integrate TerrAdapt into adaptive management plans,enabling managers to better prioritize where shrubsteppe conservation actions (e.g., protecting corehabitat from invasive annual grasses and fire, restoring sagebrush and mesic habitats post-fire, ormitigating key highway movement barriers) are implemented to maintain ecologically connectednetworks of habitat that...
thumbnail
The HCA toolkit is a GIS tool designed to support regional wildlife habitat connectivity analyses by automating the process of identifying habitat concentration areas (HCAs). HCAs are areas on the landscape between which patterns of connectivity are evaluated. The habitat areas identified by this toolkit may be used as an input for Linkage Mapper to model connectivity between HCAs. We developed this tool to support the 2010 Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group (WHCWG) statewide connectivity analysis, and are making it public for use in other wildlife connectivity assessments. The toolkit is available for download in a zip file that includes a user guide ,demo data, and scripts.
ScienceBase brings together the best information it can find about USGS researchers and offices to show connections to publications, projects, and data. We are still working to improve this process and information is by no means complete. If you don't see everything you know is associated with you, a colleague, or your office, please be patient while we work to connect the dots. Feel free to contact sciencebase@usgs.gov.