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Bombing and Sonoran Pronghorn: A Clear and Present Danger?
Author(s) -
KRAUSMAN PAUL R.,
HARRIS LISA K.,
WILSON RYAN R.,
CAIN JAMES W.,
KOENEN KIANA K. G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2007-212
Subject(s) - wildlife , geography , endangered species , wildlife refuge , habitat , fishery , aeronautics , ecology , biology , engineering
ABSTRACT The United States Air Force (USAF) uses part of Sonoran pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana sonoriensis ) habitat for bombing exercises (i.e., Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range [BMGR], southwest AZ, USA) that could be detrimental to the endangered subspecies. To minimize injury or death to Sonoran pronghorn, the USAF and United States Fish and Wildlife Service developed a monitoring protocol that would eliminate live ordnance delivery in the vicinity of pronghorn. From 1998 to 2003, we searched for pronghorn on or near military targets prior to ordnance delivery. If we observed pronghorn within 5 km of a target, the target was closed for ≥24 hours. We monitored bombing ranges on BMGR and closed >5,000 targets for >1,000 days due to military activity. To our knowledge, no pronghorn were killed or injured. We recommend that the monitoring program continue as long as military activity occurs in pronghorn habitat.