COMPILING THE LIST OF BREEDING SPECIES

We consulted multiple sources in compiling a vertebrate species list for the Muddy Creek watershed, which includes information for each species about

• native versus introduced origin,
• present-day versus past occurrence in the watershed, and
• season of occurrence in the watershed.

The biodiversity modeling was subsequently limited to breeding species (breeding and feeding habitats during the breeding season) for several reasons:

• habitat use is different between seasons for some species;
• species' breeding habitat associations are more readily available than wintering habitat associations; and
• the species list for the non-breeding season is different, particularly for migratory birds.

Fish were included in the initial working species list, but not in the biodiversity modeling because available landscape data do not adequately represent fish habitat. Humans, both native (now locally extirpated) and more recent immigrants, should also be considered part of a complete vertebrate species list for the Muddy Creek watershed. Humans were not included in the biodiversity modeling because our numbers and resource use are the cause (or input variable) for landscape changes, not the result.

We compiled an initial working species list for amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals from two primary sources. Several additional sources representing a subset of the species or of the watershed area were also compiled.

The working species list for the Muddy Creek watershed was revised through consultation with local experts, who also assigned each species to one of the following categories (Table 2):

1. species currently occurs and breeds in the watershed,
2. species is locally extirpated (rare or unlikely breeder) in the watershed but might breed successfully with habitat improvement (R on Table 2),
3. species is permanently extirpated from the watershed and surrounding areas, and will not return even with favorable habitat management (E on Table 2).

Stakeholders participating in the visioning process viewed and commented on the revised species at the joint meetings held between stakeholders and the research teams. Several stakeholders responded with queries about the inclusion or exclusion of several species. We consulted with local experts and/or publications to resolve each case.

The final breeding species list for the Muddy Creek watershed (Table 2) is summarized here: