Солтүстік Айдахо жерсіңірінің жағдайы және қорғау шаралары

Species of rodent

The northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) is a species of the largest genus of ground squirrels. This species and the Southern Idaho ground squirrel were previously considered conspecific, together called the Idaho ground squirrel. The species is about 233mm in length and weighs 120 to 290 grams.

The northern Idaho ground squirrel has an 8 month hibernation period from August to late April. Their diet consists of mostly forbs, grasses, shrubs, trees, rushes, and sedges. The squirrel's active season is from April to July, and then the species spends the rest of the year hibernating. Within the first two weeks of the active period, the NIDGS starts reproducing. In the mating process, the male individuals protect the sexually receptive females from other potential male mates. The mating season occurs within 12–13 days. The males are kicked out from the burrow after mating with the female. Original vegetation in the habitat of the NIDGS was big sage brush, bitterbrush, native bunch grasses, and forbs, but now the area contains cheatgrass and medusahead. During the winter, the NIDGS hibernates in environments with larger coverage compared to the active season habitats. The species used to occupy 1,600 km2, but now the species only occupies less than 20 km2.

The main cause for the decreasing population of the species is habitat loss. In pre settlement times, the squirrels lived in ponderosa pine forests containing meadow terrain. The Native Americans set fires to these forests, which introduced more open terrain in the forests for the squirrels to roam and allowed young trees to infill the meadows they inhabit. In 1910, a movement for fire suppression stopped these fires. Consistent logging efforts in the habitats of northern Idaho ground squirrels has caused the forests to grow back thicker, leaving no open space for the species. As the population continues to decline, the increased likelihood of inbreeding and decrease in genetic diversity continues to lead the northern Idaho ground squirrel into extinction. Since the species utilize two different habitats (one for hibernating in the winter and one for summer), the most effective conservation would be to restore both types of habitats. The U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service put a recovery plan for the northern Idaho ground squirrel in place in 2003. The plan seeks to increase population size and create more metapopulations and care for them until they are self sufficient. For the plan to end, the effective population must increase to over 5,000 individuals. The plan is also using a captive breeding program, in case the effort to increase the wild populations fails. In August 2022, there was a 5 year review published by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess the recovery plan and the species. Research on forest restoration for the squirrel is expected to be done by 2027. Forest thinning followed by prescribed fire and prescribed fire are begin used to restore the NIDGS habitat. 32 acres of land in the Payette National Forest received prescribed fire for the NIDGS habitat. The OX Ranch signed a Safe Harbor Agreement to support one of the largest populations of the NIDGS with 7,783 acres of land (the ranch has been a crucial part of conservation). The squirrel is still a threatened species.