Predicting Wildfire Damage Versus Habitat Compatibility In Endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes

A Case Study Of The Carrizo Plains

Abstract

Current research on this topic covers a large portion of external forces acting on the habitat of the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox (SJKF). In spite of this, no sources currently exist which directly correlate fire damage with a SJKF ecosystem model. Because of the consistent and growing threat of wildfires in California, the topic of which species could be impacted by such an event is important to discuss. A comparison of GIS and satellite mapping data was used to find correlations between burn-damaged areas and those inhabited by foxes; additionally, field research in the Carrizo Plains case study region was conducted to compare the locations of dens with ecosystem fire threat level based on brush quality and density, as well as their relationship with ecosystem vectors’ preferred habitat. To draw conclusions and correlations on burn damage, open-source maps from several online sources were utilized. These maps were layered on one another to provide accurate representations of fire damage zones versus SJKF territory. The goal of the field research was to define the location of active fox dens within the Carrizo Plains case study region. These were compared to habitat type and ground cover as well as predator and prey visitation. From the compiled data and observations we can extrapolate that the SJKF would see an increase in activity following a fire due to the compatibility of habitat topography and the decreased visitation of coyotes; in other words, a post-burn habitat type would more closely match their preferred habitat.