Thesis
Inventory and description of wildlife watering sites in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
(2005)
Abstract
With the establishment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in September of 1996, an increasing need arose for more detailed biological inventories within the GSENM's boundaries. In particular, managers wanted better data on the GSENM water resources and the plants and animals associated with them. The purpose of this project was to identify and describe water sources in selected portions of the GSENM relative to their importance to wildlife. I inventoried GSENM water sources and used these sites to create a comprehensive geographic information system (GIS) database for managers to access. Specifically, I used satellite imagery to create a predictive GIS model targeted at locating unknown water sources. The predicted water sources were ground truthed to verify the presence of water and, thus, evaluate the effectiveness of the model. Evidence of wildlife use and site degradation are detailed. Specific management recommendations are discussed for sites with high priority.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2005
Degree
Master of Science
Field of study
Wildlife Biology (Wildlife Management)
Department
Forest, Range, and Wildlife Sciences
Advisor
Terry A. Messmer
Citation Information
Adam R. Bronson. "Inventory and description of wildlife watering sites in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" (2005) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/terry-messmer/415/