Updated August 18, 2011!! Beaver Habitat Suitability Model: Big Hole Watershed, Montana
The purpose of this project was to develop a landscape level screening tool for the Big Hole Watershed that could be used to locate potential sites to relocate "nuisance" beavers and re-establish wetland and riparian ecosystems in degraded streams or areas not meeting their aquatic ecological potential.
The beaver habitat suitability index (HSI) model is a landscape level model looking at potential stream segments in the Big Hole Watershed that can support and sustain a population of relocated beavers. The product of the HSI model is habitat suitability categories describing stream segments as low quality, marginal quality, or high quality habitat suitability for supporting and sustaining beaver populations. Where; low quality habitat is defined as habitat not able to support a population of relocated beaver. Marginal quality habitat is defined as habitat that may support, for a short period of time, a population of relocated beavers. High quality habitat is defined as habitat that will support and sustain a population of relocated beaver.
This report outlines the methods used to develop the HSI model. It also provides the results for the Big Hole Watershed in Southwestern Montana.
You can view the report by clicking here or on the picture of the report below.
A large map showing the habitat suitability of streams in the Big Hole Watershed can be found here.
