| Institution: | 1. School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO, 65211 USA;2. School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO, 65211 USA
Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70802 USA;3. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station;4. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97330 USA;5. 130 Colony Trail, Lanexa, VA, 23089 USA;6. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, PO Box 1270, Hot Springs, AR, 71902 USA;7. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 213A Highway 89 South, Mayflower, AR, 72106 USA;8. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003 USA |
| Abstract: | The plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta) is of conservation concern because of widespread population declines and is being considered for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. Although the taxon is relatively rare and difficult to study, recent research and reports provided some information about spotted skunks in Arkansas and Missouri, USA. Using this information, we employed full and simplified multivariate species distribution models to evaluate cover type associations and identify regions of high predicted presence for plains spotted skunks. The simple model contained percent forest and percent development within 5 km, land cover category, and distance to water. Percent forest within 5 km was the most important variable based on permutation importance in both models, indicating that plains spotted skunk habitat may persist in contiguous forest at the landscape scale. Regions predicted to have high presence occurred in northern, western, and southern Arkansas and southern Missouri, totaling >300,000 ha. The resulting plains spotted skunk distribution map can be used for research and management efforts in areas of high probability of occurrence, and future statewide survey efforts may validate our results. |
