FIF grant supports wildlife study

A small grant from Friends of Ironwood Forest supported researchers from the University of Arizona to study wildlife in Ironwood Forestion National Monument.

Rural Road Usage by Herpetofauna of the Southern Sonoran Desert Ecoregion

Interim Project Update – Friends of Ironwood Forest
1 September 2020
Brian R. Blais, Corey Shaw, and Samantha Johnson

Beginning in 2018, our team set out to understand which factors influence herpetofauna (i.e., amphibian and reptile) nighttime usage on rural roads of the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion. In doing so, we have accumulated preliminary data of species localities and conditions. Such location “hotspots” can be used to guide conservation management initiatives and develop mitigation strategies, such as wildlife crossings or biodiversity corridor areas where new roads should be avoided. Read the full report here.