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Regression-Tree Modeling of Desert Tortoise Habitat in the Central Mojave Desert

2000; Wiley; Volume: 10; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2641053

1939-5582

Mark C. Andersen, Joseph Watts, Jerome E. Freilich, Stephen R. Yool, Grey I. Wakefield, John F. McCauley, Peter B. Fahnestock,

Species Distribution and Climate Change

Ecological ApplicationsVolume 10, Issue 3 p. 890-900 Article REGRESSION-TREE MODELING OF DESERT TORTOISE HABITAT IN THE CENTRAL MOJAVE DESERT Mark C. Andersen, Mark C. Andersen Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 USASearch for more papers by this authorJoseph M. Watts, Joseph M. Watts U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center, Alexandria, Virginia 22315 USASearch for more papers by this authorJerome E. Freilich, Jerome E. Freilich Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service, Twentynine Palms, California 92277 USA Present address: The Nature Conservancy, 258 Main St., Suite 200, Lander, Wyoming 82520 USA.Search for more papers by this authorStephen R. Yool, Stephen R. Yool Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USASearch for more papers by this authorGery I. Wakefield, Gery I. Wakefield Science and Technology Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia 22315 USASearch for more papers by this authorJohn F. McCauley, John F. McCauley 189 Wilson Canyon Road, Sedona, Arizona 86336 USASearch for more papers by this authorPeter B. Fahnestock, Peter B. Fahnestock Fort Irwin Soil Survey, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Barstow, California 92311 USASearch for more papers by this author Mark C. Andersen, Mark C. Andersen Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 USASearch for more papers by this authorJoseph M. Watts, Joseph M. Watts U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center, Alexandria, Virginia 22315 USASearch for more papers by this authorJerome E. Freilich, Jerome E. Freilich Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service, Twentynine Palms, California 92277 USA Present address: The Nature Conservancy, 258 Main St., Suite 200, Lander, Wyoming 82520 USA.Search for more papers by this authorStephen R. Yool, Stephen R. Yool Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USASearch for more papers by this authorGery I. Wakefield, Gery I. Wakefield Science and Technology Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia 22315 USASearch for more papers by this authorJohn F. McCauley, John F. McCauley 189 Wilson Canyon Road, Sedona, Arizona 86336 USASearch for more papers by this authorPeter B. Fahnestock, Peter B. Fahnestock Fort Irwin Soil Survey, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Barstow, California 92311 USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 June 2000 https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0890:RTMODT]2.0.CO;2Citations: 57 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract This paper describes an interdisciplinary study of the habitat requirements of threatened desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) on eight 225-ha study plots in a 14 000 ha study area near the southern boundary of the U.S. Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin in the central Mojave Desert of southern California. The objective of the study was to produce an empirical, statistical, GIS-based model of desert tortoise habitat use based on a combination of field data and data derived from various spatial databases, including satellite imagery. A total of 11 primary and secondary data layers constitute the spatial database used for this project. Vegetation and tortoise relative density data were obtained from field surveys. Regression-tree methods were used to develop the statistical model. The tree has 11 terminal nodes and a residual mean deviance of 1.985. Out of 73 potential predictors in the model specification, only eight were selected by the algorithm to be used in construction of the tree. The model suggests that tortoises tend to occur on southwest exposures and loamy soils, and that they avoid stony soils, north exposure, and areas of very low plant cover. Our results imply that soil composition and parent materials can be important determinants of habitat suitability for desert tortoises, and for burrowing animals in general. Our study also provides an example of how the interdisciplinary integration of biology, earth sciences, GIS, and statistical modeling can reveal important aspects of the habitat requirements of endangered species. Literature Cited Bailey, S. J., C. R. Schwalbe, and C. H. Lowe . 1995. Hibernaculum use by a population of desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Sonoran Desert. Journal of Herpetology 29: 361–360. Barbour, M. G., J. H. Burk, and W. D. Pitts . 1986. Terrestrial plant ecology. 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