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Using LiDAR to evaluate forest landscape and health factors and their relationship to habitat of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel on the Coronado National Forest, Pinaleño Mountains, Arizona

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The Pinaleño Mountains in southeastern Arizona represent a Madrean sky island ecosystem that contains the southernmost expanse of spruce-­r forest type in North America. This ecosystem is also the last remaining habitat for the Mt. Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamenis), a federally listed endangered species. Due to a general shift in species composition and forest structure of spruce-­r type forests across the Southwest, the ecosystem is being threatened by large high-severity ­res, insect infestation, and a general loss of biodiversity. These risk factors have led the Coronado National Forest to begin a forest restoration effort using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) as a tool for identifying habitat and cataloging forest inventory variables at a landscape level. LiDAR was identi­ed as an ef­cient tool for ­lling the data collection needs because ­eld data collection is restricted due to rugged terrain and safety concerns.

Parent Publication

Citation

Anhold, John, Brent Mitchell, Craig Wilcox, Tom Mellin, Melissa Merrick, Ann Lynch, Mike Walterman, Donald Falk, John Koprowski, Denise Laes, Don Evans, and Haans Fisk. 2015. Using LiDAR to evaluate forest landscape and health factors and their relationship to habitat of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel on the Coronado National Forest, Pinaleño Mountains, Arizona. Chapter 12 in K.M. Potter and B.L. Conkling, eds., Forest Health Monitoring: National Status, Trends and Analysis, 2014. General Technical Report SRS-209. Asheville, North Carolina: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. p. 133-142.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/57840