Potential landscapes for conservation of the black-tailed prairie dog ecosystem
Conserving the black‑tailed prairie dog ecosystem requires understanding where long‑term protection is most feasible. Using structured decision analysis across the Central Grasslands, this study identifies landscapes with the highest conservation potential (top 30% rangewide), representing 22% of the species’ historical distribution and remaining strongholds under projected climate change. By integrating ecological, political, social and climate‑driven factors, the analysis provides scenario‑based conservation maps that support diverse management goals, including state‑level planning. Results highlight substantial opportunities to conserve BTPDs and associated species and offer a foundation for large‑scale multispecies planning across North America.
Subject Tags
- Conservation Planning
- Grassland
- Wildlife
Abstract
Aim
To identify potential landscapes for the conservation of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus; BTPD) ecosystem, across their historical geographical range within the United States.
Location
Central Grasslands of the United States.
Methods
We used a structured decision analysis approach to identify landscapes with high conservation potential (HCP) for the BTPD ecosystem. Our analysis incorporated ecological, political and social factors, along with changing climate and land use to maximise long-term conservation potential.
Results
The landscapes we identified with HCP (top 30% rangewide) represented 22% of the historical distribution of BTPDs and remained strongholds under projected climate change. We provide a suite of HCP area scenarios to help inform different conservation and management interests, including those that consider projected climate change and jurisdictional (state-level) boundaries.
Main Conclusions
Our findings highlight the large conservation potential for BTPDs and associated species, and the maps we generated can be incorporated into other large-scale, multispecies conservation planning efforts being developed for the Central Grasslands of North America.
Citation
Davidson, A. D., Thiesen Brum, F., Houts, M., Menefee, M., Williamson, M., Sterling Krank, L., ... & Augustine, D. J. (2025). Potential Landscapes for Conservation of the Black‐Tailed Prairie Dog Ecosystem. Diversity and Distributions, 31(1), e13945. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13945
TNC Authors
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Fernanda Thiesen Brum
Spatial Prioritization Scientist
The Nature Conservancy
Email: fernanda.brum@tnc.org