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Biological Report for the Upper Virgin River Recovery Unit Population of Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii)

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Biological Report for the Upper Virgin River Recovery Unit Population of Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii) Biological Report for the Upper Virgin River Recovery Unit population of Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Prepared by the Utah Ecological Services Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Salt Lake City, Utah Final Report January 2021 1 Acknowledgements We would like to recognize and thank the following individuals who provided substantive information and insights for our biological report. A big thank you to: Ann McLuckie and Rick Fridell with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Kristen Comella, manager of Snow Canyon State Park; John Kellam and Dawna Ferris with the Bureau of Land Management-St. George Field Office; Cameron Rognan and Mike Schijf with the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan Administration; Marshall Topham member of the HCP technical committee; Janice Stroud-Settles with Zion National Park; Todd Esque with the U.S. Geological Survey; the Desert Tortoise Recovery Office, especially Roy Averill-Murray and Linda Allison; and other contributors and commenters. Suggested Reference: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Biological report for the Upper Virgin River recovery unit population of the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Version 1. January 2021. Utah Ecological Services Field Office, Salt Lake City, Utah. 119 pages + Appendices. 2 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Analytical Framework ........................................................................................................ 10 1.2 Information Compilation .................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: SPECIES ECOLOGY AND NEEDS.......................................................................... 13 2.1 Species Description and Taxonomy .................................................................................... 13 2.2 Range and Distribution for the Species .............................................................................. 14 2.2.1 Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................. 14 2.2.2 Recovery Units............................................................................................................. 14 2.3 Upper Virgin River (UVR) Recovery Unit Distribution and Abundance .......................... 15 2.3.1 Red Cliffs Desert Reserve ............................................................................................ 17 2.3.2 Analytical Units ........................................................................................................... 20 2.3 Life Stages and Basic Life History ..................................................................................... 25 2.3.1 Reproduction ................................................................................................................ 26 2.3.2 Feeding, Nutrition, and Water ..................................................................................... 29 2.3.3 Shelter .......................................................................................................................... 30 2.3.4 Summary of Individual Resource Needs ..................................................................... 31 2.3.5 Uncertainties Regarding Individual Needs .................................................................. 32 2.4 Demographic Needs for Analytical Units within the UVR Recovery Unit ........................ 33 2.4.1 Abundance and Density ............................................................................................... 34 2.4.2 Recruitment .................................................................................................................. 36 2.4.3 Survivorship ................................................................................................................. 36 2.4.4 Connectivity ................................................................................................................. 37 2.4.5 Summary: Analytical Unit Demographic Needs ......................................................... 38 2.4.6 Uncertainties and Assumptions Regarding AU Needs ................................................ 38 2.5 Redundancy and Representation Needs in the UVR Recovery Unit .................................. 38 2.5.1 Uncertainties Regarding Recovery Unit Needs ........................................................... 39 Chapter 3: RISK AND CONSERVATION FACTORS ............................................................... 40 3.1 Risk Factors ........................................................................................................................ 40 3.1.1 Small Isolated Habitat and Abundance ........................................................................ 42 3 3.1.2 Wildfire and Invasive Plants ........................................................................................ 42 3.1.3 Drought and Changing Climate Conditions ................................................................. 45 3.1.4 Predation ...................................................................................................................... 46 3.1.5 Recreation and Human Access .................................................................................... 47 3.1.6 Disease ......................................................................................................................... 48 3.1.7 Urbanization and Paved Roads .................................................................................... 49 3.2 Conservation Factors .......................................................................................................... 51 3.2.1 Long-Term Habitat Protection ..................................................................................... 53 3.2.2 Habitat Connectivity .................................................................................................... 55 3.2.3 Habitat Restoration ...................................................................................................... 58 3.2.4 Fencing Installation and Maintenance ......................................................................... 58 3.2.5 Increasing Law Enforcement ....................................................................................... 59 3.2.6 Environmental Education ............................................................................................. 60 Chapter 4: CURRENT CONDITION ........................................................................................... 61 4.1 Resiliency ............................................................................................................................ 61 4.1.1 Habitat Quantity ........................................................................................................... 63 4.1.2 Habitat Quality ............................................................................................................. 63 4.1.3 Abundance, Density, and Survival............................................................................... 65 4.1.4 Life Stages and Sex Ratios .......................................................................................... 66 4.1.5 Connectivity ................................................................................................................. 66 4.2 Redundancy......................................................................................................................... 70 4.3 Representation..................................................................................................................... 73 4.4 Synopsis .............................................................................................................................. 75 Chapter 5: FUTURE CONDITION .............................................................................................. 75 5.1 Environmental Scenarios (Slow or Rapid Change) ............................................................ 76 5.2 Conservation Management Scenarios (Continued, Improved, Reduced) ........................... 77 5.3 Results: Future Scenarios to 2069 (49 years) .................................................................... 81 5.3.1 Continued Conservation Management ......................................................................... 81 5.3.2 Improved Conservation Management .......................................................................... 86 5.3.3 Reduced Conservation Management ........................................................................... 90 5.4 Synopsis .............................................................................................................................. 94 4 Chapter 6: SYNTHESIS ............................................................................................................... 97 KEY UNCERTAINTIES .............................................................................................................. 99 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................... 100 APPENDIX 1. Peer review comments ....................................................................................... 120 APPENDIX 2. Spatial Decision Support stressors identified for the species rangewide
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