An Inventory of Rangeland Wildlife in the Western United States

Abstract

The absence of an accurate account of rangeland fauna is becoming increasingly limiting due to the threats created by climate change, biodiversity loss, energy extraction, and changing land use in the western United States, all of which pose new challenges for effective rangeland management. To address this lack of information and underscore the importance of rangelands for wildlife biodiversity, we conducted a rigorous, standardized, and comprehensive inventory of vertebrates inhabiting rangeland ecosystems in the western United States. We classified each species as rangeland dependent, rangeland associated, or nonrangeland associated based on their habitat, life history, and food requirements. Additionally, we identified primary habitat type associations, as well as the federal (USA) and international conservation statuses for each species. Our inventory included 1,593 species in the 21 western U.S. states, with 1,066 classified as rangeland species (429 rangeland dependent, 637 rangeland associated). Among rangeland species, 2% are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and 3% are considered either endangered or critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Our baseline inventory can be used in the development of management plans for rangeland ecosystems and to inspire conservation efforts for these critical ecosystems.