The antelope-like pronghorn is the fastest land animal in North America and has the longest land migration in the continental U.S—in fact, the species has been dubbed “the true marathoners of the American West”. While pronghorns are numerous in parts of their range, such as Wyoming and northern Colorado, they are endangered in others, such as the Sonoran Desert. In the arid Southwest, pronghorn populations have been declining since the 1980s—and it’s thought that drought is partially to blame.
Average temperatures in the Southwest have increased 1.6°C since 1901, and the area affected by drought from 2001-2010 was the second largest observed since 1901. Drought conditions have reduced the availability of vegetation, impacting the survival of pronghorns and putting the long-term viability of the species in question, as climate change models predict warmer and drier conditions for the region in the future.
This project sought to understand the impacts of drought on pronghorn populations in the Southwest. Specific objectives of the study were to (1) determine the extent of pronghorn population decline; (2) identify the climatic factors that best explain these declines; and (3) use current climate change models to project how a changing climate may affect pronghorn populations in the future. So far, researchers have found that precipitation is strongly linked to pronghorn population growth, and that under future climate scenarios, 9 of 18 studied populations are projected to disappear by the end of the century.
The results of this project can assist wildlife managers in developing the most appropriate management strategy for pronghorns in the face of climate change and future drought conditions, thus contributing to the long-term conservation of this species in the Southwest.
