| Institution: | 1. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;2. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA;3. III, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 202 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Habitat suitability index (HSI) models are traditionally used to evaluate habitat quality for wildlife at a local scale. Rarely have such models incorporated spatial relationships of habitat components. We introduce Landscape HSImodels, a new Microsoft Windows® (Microsoft, Redmond, WA)—based program that incorporates local habitat as well as landscape-scale attributes to evaluate habitats for 21 species of wildlife. Models for additional species can be constructed using the generic model option. At a landscape scale, attributes include edge effects, patch area, distance to resources, and habitat composition. A moving window approach is used to evaluate habitat composition and interspersion within areas typical of home ranges and territories or larger. The software and sample data are available free of charge from the United States Forest Service, Northern Research Station at http:www.nrs.fs.fed.ushsi . |
