Abstract:
I examined the conservation opportunity for Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat represented
by the initiation of the Fort Hood Recovery Credit System in the area immediately
outside the boundaries of Fort Hood, Texas. Conservation planning requires a thorough
and thoughtful examination of the landscape to achieve conservation goals as efficiently
as possible in the face of limited financial resources. To successfully accomplish this
challenging task, various components of Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat needs must be
assessed to ensure that the patches with the greatest value to the species are conserved.
However, the “best” sites are frequently not obvious or necessarily adequate in
conservation planning scenarios. To aid in the conservation planning process, areas of
Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat within 15 km of Fort Hood were identified and
delineated using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Habitat patch values with
respect to area, quality, and connectivity were also determined. Calculations for the area
and quality metrics were fairly straightforward using GIS. The connectivity portion of
this analysis used graph theory to examine the relationships among patches in the context
of the surrounding landscape. Four aspects of connectivity were assessed using graph
theory: (1) source/sink strength of each patch, (2) change in landscape traversability with
patch removal, (3) the centrality (betweenness) of each patch, and (4) patch connection to
important habitat areas within Fort Hood. The resulting product of this analysis is a table
of values (area, effective area, and four connectivity metrics) to accompany each patch
identified in the region surrounding Fort Hood. This information can help guide the
conservation planning process in the face of financial constraints and varying levels of
landowner cooperation.
