Wildlife and Protected Species

Ecology and Management

Research Applications

Pandion prides itself on contributing to the understanding of ecology and management by finding opportunities to study the application and effects of management decisions. Examples include researching movement patterns of radio-tagged relocated gopher tortoises and studying the reproductive success of shrub-nesting birds at wind farms.

Our ecologists give the utmost attention to technical details, scientific rigor, and overall implications when preparing studies, reports, and manuscripts. We develop scientifically sound research projects to answer ecological questions about wildlife. We start by determining the questions that need to be answered. Then data collection is carefully planned based on discussions among Pandion staff and associate scientists.

Wildlife Management and Protection

Wildlife management and protection forms the core of Pandion’s services. We have written wildlife management and protection plans for a variety of government, private, and NGO sectors. Our plans focus on scientifically defensible techniques that balance the needs of wildlife and the project.

We offer the following wildlife services:

• Surveys and Inventories
• Habitat Assessment
• Monitoring
• GIS and Mapping
• Risk Assessment
• Agency Consultation and Coordination
• Management Plans
• Avian and Bat Protection Plans
• Habitat Conservation Plans and Environmental Assessments
• White Papers, Fact Sheets, and Technical Reports
• Expert Testimony and Technical Support

Threatened and Endangered Species Surveys

Threatened and endangered species surveys require both technical and regulatory understanding of the particular species. Most federal or state protected species are rare or are dependent on specific habitat requirements. Although survey techniques are typically prescribed by agencies, there are many times when new protocols must be developed. These need to be scientifically defensible because the presence or absence of those species has significant ramifications. 

Survey techniques typically include point counts, radio telemetry, trapping, presence/absence surveys, mist-netting, territorial mapping, and acoustic monitoring. We commonly implement multiple survey techniques to maximize the thoroughness of data collection. Ultimately, the study protocol will depend on the scientific questions to be answered and the goals of the project.

Human-Wildlife Issues (Coexisting with Wildlife)

Interactions between people and wildlife can be improved through effective outreach, education, and facilitation. Pandion has conducted research on ways to best reach communities with information about how to minimize negative wildlife-human interactions and ultimately influence behaviors so these interactions do not occur in the future.