Tortoise Surveys for Natural Resource Protection, Mojave National Preserve

Description

Mojave National Preserve (Preserve) wishes to provide experience and training opportunities for the professional development of an early-career scientist to conduct tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) surveys following the USFWS small projects and linear project survey protocols (USFWS 2017). This project addresses Secretary of the Interior priorities of Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt (1.a Utilize science to identify best practices to manage land and water resources and adapt to changes in the environment; 1.c. Revise and streamline the environmental and regulatory review process while maintaining environmental standards).The Research Associate would develop skills in tortoise survey methodologies, macro and microhabitat observations, remote field navigation and GIS, data recording, and data management. The preserve, in cooperation with the USDA NRCS are conducting area wide soils surveys for the purpose of developing a third order soils map and related data. Soils surveys require excavating trenches and pits so as to classify soil series. Dozens of such excavations are required in order to accurately map each soil series across the preserve. However, such excavations risk exposing desert tortoises to take as defined under the endangered species act. To minimize this risk of take, tortoise surveys can be conducted prior to excavation work to determine if any tortoises are present in the immediate area. If there are tortoises present then measures can be taken to protect them. Tortoise survey methodologies are derived from protocols designed to detect tortoises and their sign (i.e., burrows, scat, tracks, etc.) so as to determine presence (USFWS 2017). They do not require actual sighting of a tortoise thus they can be conducted any time of the year. This type of survey requires the surveyor to have an acute ability to observe minimal signs in a naturally diverse landscape. They must also be able to interpret such sign as to whether the tortoise uses the area only sporadically or frequently. Finally, the surveyor needs to be able to accurately record their observations and file them for review and reporting. In addition, soil survey sites can be remote and rugged areas requiring the ability to navigate to these sites using a GPS and recording any findings using mobile GIS technology. Naturally, during the course of such surveys other wildlife and their signs could be encountered and the surveyor is expected to document such sign as well. There will also be opportunities to conduct other surveys and participate in other natural resource projects.

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