Assessing Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) Habitat and Connectivity for Conservation and Restoration.

The federally-threatened Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) occurs in riparian zones located along the foothills and plains in the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming. Anthropogenic and natural disturbances have extensively modified Front Range riparian ecosystems affecting the location, quality, and connectivity of Z. h. preblei populations and habitat. Previous studies suggest that specific microhabitat conditions influence Z. h. preblei occurrence but no landscape-scale assessments have been conducted. To support conservation and management, we assessed Z. h. preblei habitat in Boulder County, Colorado by mapping riparian land cover composition, creating species distribution models (SDM), and evaluating connectivity between suitable habitat and known Z. h. preblei populations. The SDM identified 5381 ha of suitable Z. h. preblei habitat, compared with 252 ha of known Z. h. preblei occupied habitat. We found limited connections between Z. h. preblei populations in different watersheds, as urban development and large expanses of agricultural land disrupt connectivity. Our modeling approach yielded outcomes that are broadly relevant to understanding the distribution and management of geographically restricted species impacted by habitat loss and has provided insight into Z. h. preblei habitat and connectivity that cannot be gathered from field work alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]