Balancing Rare Species Conservation with Extractive Industries

Joshua D. Carrell (), Edward Hammill and Thomas C. Edwards
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Joshua D. Carrell: Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Edward Hammill: Department of Watershed Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Thomas C. Edwards: Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: The Colorado Plateau has abundant oil, gas, and alternative energy potential. This energy potential is scattered among a patchwork of land ownership, with private, tribal, and public lands being actively developed for energy extraction. Elements of biodiversity (e.g., listed and sensitive plant and animal species) are distributed among all land tenures, yet the laws protecting them can vary as a function of land tenure. It is imperative to understand the spatial distributions of threatened endangered, and sensitive species in relation to land tenure to preserve habitat and conserve species populations in areas undergoing energy development. We developed species distribution models and spatial conservation optimization frameworks to explore the interactions among land ownership, existing and potential energy extraction, and biodiversity. Four management scenarios were tested to quantify how different approaches to energy extraction may impact rare plant distributions. Results show that incorporating risk and land tenure in spatially optimized frameworks it is possible to facilitate the long-term viability of rare plant species. The scenarios developed here represent a different attitude towards the value of rare plants and the risk of energy development. Results gives insight into the financial consequences of rare species protection and quantifies the biodiversity costs of energy development across landscapes.

Keywords: rare plants; conservation planning; oil and gas; colorado plateau; energy development and potential (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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