Desert Tortoise clearance surveys on 36 square miles of US Army training lands yielded more than 500 animals. All were moved off base and out of the planned impact area.
The US Army Ft. Irwin National Training Center underwent a training area expansion. In compliance with USFWS agency guidance, approximately 36 square miles of desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) habitat were surveyed and cleared of resident tortoises, in advance of military operations in the area.
The tortoises were moved to comparable habitat nearby, and subsequently sampled in a series of long term (5+ years) studies that were undertaken to determine the effects of this large translocation event on those animals that were moved, as well as the resident animals already living in the recipient areas.
Wilder Ecological Principal Biologists Nate Jones and Liana Harp participated in the effort, subcontracted to assist in clearance, translocation, and data collection for scientific evaluation of the effects of the translocation.
- Survey team lead and field biologist for desert tortoise clearance surveys
- Hundreds of potential desert tortoise burrows excavated
- Artificial desert tortoise burrow construction
- Team lead and field biologist for subsequent tortoise translocation
- Desert tortoise biologists for tagging, transmitter attachment/removal, and radio telemetry tracking of hundreds of desert tortoises over a period of three years
- Data collection (X-ray, morphometrics) for desert tortoise reproductive health study
- Plant community characterization and structure – Strip transects for perennial plant community and Desert Tortoise habitat assessments