Technical Notes

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USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Boise, Idaho

BIOLOGY TECHNICAL NOTE NO. 19 December 2006

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# WILDLIFE HABITAT APPRAISAL GUIDES FOR IDAHO

Habitat Appraisal Guides provide the NRCS planner with a relatively
simple and objective means of determining the value of wildlife habitat
on any conservation planning unit. The guides can be used on land where
wildlife is a primary objective or on land (such as farmland) where
wildlife is a secondary objective. They can be used to evaluate habitat
on different land uses including farmland (i.e., cropland, hayland and
pastureland), rangeland, forest and woodland. Planning unit boundaries
for wildlife may coincide with those delineated for rangeland, farmland
or woodland OR a wildlife planning unit may be delineated that includes
two or more land uses or land types.

The Guides are based on the following assumptions:

1\. All land and water provides habitat for wildlife.

2\. The quality of habitat is variable depending on the quality,
quantity and interspersion of food, cover, water and space.

3\. Habitat elements can be measured and compared to optimum conditions.

4\. Wildlife populations are proportional to the quality and quantity of
habitat available. A 400 acre planning unit may have potential to
provide more diverse habitat and thus a greater variety of wildlife than
does a 40 acre unit. Likewise, a 1,000 acre unit is more apt to have
more potential than does a 400 acre unit. Wildlife use of an area is
dependent on the variety of habitats it supports and the area's size.

These guides can be used to determine if a conservation planning unit
meets the minimum quality criteria for wildlife as directed in Section
III of the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). See Section III -
Resource Management Systems (RMS) - Animals in the FOTG. Conservation
practices and management measures can be identified to meet the minimum
RMS standard or to meet the higher habitat quality objectives of the
landowner. These guides [are not]{.underline} intended to be used to
evaluate the potential for introducing wildlife species not presently
found on the planning unit.

The Guides have been developed to consider the needs of a [variety of
species]{.underline} using a particular land use/cover type, a goal
commonly referred to as the management for species richness. They were
[not]{.underline} developed to evaluate the habitat quality for
individual species. The guides may not reflect complete habitat needs or
home range requirements for any particular wildlife species. They are
intended to evaluate habitat richness or diversity of the planning unit.
A planning unit that exhibits high habitat diversity is likely to have
equally diverse fauna. The farmland habitat guide, for instance,
evaluates habitat components for a variety of wildlife species (game and
non-game) commonly inhabiting farmland, not just pheasants. When a
landowner is interested in improving or managing habitat for a
particular species, a species-specific habitat model should be used.

The Wildlife Habitat Appraisal Guide:

<ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/ID/technical/technotes/tn19revised.xls>

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## **Instructions for the Use of Habitat Appraisal Guides**

1\. Determine the landowner\'s objectives with regard to overall
conservation program, interest in wildlife, the specific practices to
apply, etc. Is the land to be managed primarily for wildlife or cropland
or both? Does he/she wish to increase wildlife populations or maintain
at present levels?

2\. Based on your or the landowner's knowledge of the planning area,
identify the wildlife species present and their seasons of use. Are
threatened or endangered species present or other species that require
special attention?

3\. Delineate on an aerial photo or other suitable planning map the
conservation planning unit to be evaluated. Wildlife planning units
should be delineated by the appropriate habitat (farmland, rangeland and
woodland) after considering the types of habitats that occur within the
farm, ranch or planning unit. Large or complex planning units may
require the use of more than one guide to evaluate wildlife habitat
suitability.

4\. Refer to soil survey reports or Certified Soil Survey Data (found in
the eFOTG) for soils/wildlife interpretations and soils potential for
plant groups on the soils you are dealing with. Where soil surveys have
not been conducted, use the best available information for the
establishment of plants for wildlife.

5\. Completion of the guides is better achieved when done in the field
with the landowner. Enough of the planning area should be visited,
referred to on the aerial photo and discussed with the landowner to
accurately evaluate habitat condition. Keep in mind that these are
guides. When encountering situations not specifically covered, use your
judgment to rate such elements. These Guides can be completed while
collecting other resource information such as rangeland health, woodland
site index or soil erosion information.

Rate only those elements which are applicable to the planning unit. For
example, when rating farmland, if no wetlands are present, then do not
rate this element. In areas where pastureland is the dominant land use
and no cropland is present, you can drop cropland questions from the
evaluation. Be sure to adjust the number of elements inventoried when
calculating the final habitat value if no rating is given to one or more
elements. Do not use this evaluation to rate individual practices like
shelterbelts. Include shelterbelts in the surrounding land cover types
(i.e., woody cover) when completing a wildlife evaluation.

6\. After habitat values have been determined, look back through
individual scores to find those factors that are deficient and could be
improved. Any habitat element(s) that scores less than five (5) is
considered a limiting factor. Habitat improvement efforts should be
directed to overcome such limitations. Compare those deficient factors
with the soils interpretation. For example, if on a cropland planning
unit, a score of zero to four (0-4) for herbaceous and woody vegetation
is indicated, refer to the Soil Survey Data to find the potential for
growing shrubs, hardwoods, grasses, forbs and conifers.

7\. When calculating the Habitat Value, follow the guidance provided in
each land use habitat type to determine the overall habitat value.

8\. With the landowner, develop alternatives for improving deficient
elements. A conservation cropping system may improve farmland habitat
quality. A small clear-cut of merchantable timber may be used to create
a forest opening. A planned grazing system will not only improve the
score for that factor, but may, in time, lead to improved range
conditions. A stock pond will provide drinking water for wildlife as
well as livestock. Shelterbelts may offset the lack of woody cover.

For further planning guidance, refer to:

-   Habitat management guides

-   Section IV of the Field Office Technical Guide for Upland Wildlife
    Habitat Management (645) and Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management
    (644)

-   National and Idaho Biology Technical Notes for species-specific
    habitat requirements