Monitoring is a critical element of any conservation effort and is at the heart of AZGFD's mission to "conserve, enhance, and restore Arizona's diverse wildlife resources and habitats." Monitoring should be a systematic and repeated activity, i.e., not simply an inventory. These efforts are often associated with and designed to assess the effects of a management action, using scientifically-defensible methods. Useful references that have informed our monitoring efforts include Elzinga et al. (2001), Atkinson et al. (2004), Stem et al. (2005), and The Heinz Center (2009).
Species Monitoring
It is not practical to monitor all SGCN, therefore AZGFD prioritizes monitoring efforts for species or habitats of highest conservation concern, such as those species listed under the ESA, covered under signed conservation agreements or strategies, or species that are the subject of reintroduction efforts. Monitoring is conducted at various hierarchical scales, depending on the particular questions being addressed. As such, AZGFD monitors both at the habitat level and at the species level, depending on project goals and priorities. For reference, these correspond fairly closely with TNC’s "course-filter" and "fine-filter" biodiversity conservation targets (TNC 1982).
Monitoring at local scales includes projects that target individual SGCN, such as Chiricahua leopard frog, Huachuca springsnail, black-tailed prairie dog, and others. Monitoring at the landscape scale includes regularly-scheduled bird monitoring projects including Riparian, Grassland, and Sonoran Desert monitoring (data are archived in the Avian Knowledge Network), regularly-scheduled Gunnison’s prairie dog occupancy and productivity surveys, or working with our partners on projects such as the Pima County Multi-Species Conservation Plan. In addition to species or habitat-focused monitoring, AZGFD also monitors various diseases that affect SGCN, including chytridiomycosis, snake fungal disease, avian influenza, bubonic plague, and white-nosed syndrome, among others.
For some SGCN, inventory is our only practical option. This inventory entails collecting as much information as possible regarding a species’ distribution, status, and threats. Information from species inventories provide important baseline data from which other studies and monitoring efforts can be developed. We collect and archive large amounts of these data, most of which are housed either in the Wildlife Data Warehouse (WDW), or in the interactive HDMS Dashboard. The WDW, which is an internal database that launched in the fall 2022, includes information explicitly collected by AZGFD staff for targeted conservation and management efforts (including monitoring). Meanwhile, the HDMS Dashboard combines point data archived in HDMS (i.e. element occurrences, point observation database, Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas), with observation data from Scientific Activity Licenses, and citizen science crowdsourcing applications, including HerpMapper, eBird, and iNaturalist, and others.
Habitat Monitoring
Throughout the state, most habitat monitoring is done by land management agency partners and formalized in their resource management plans. Clearly, much of the habitat manipulation and monitoring can only be done with our partners. Most habitat monitoring done by AZGFD staff is done in concert with species-level projects. For example, since 2012, AZGFD and partners have restored, improved, or secured about 30 springs, ponds, or stream sections intended to support SGCN Chiricahua leopard frogs, for which monitoring includes measuring the success of subsequent leopard frog translocation or reoccupation. In southern Arizona, AZGFD staff work closely with BLM and private landowners to remove mesquite and other woody vegetation in order to restore grasslands for SGCN prairie dogs and other grassland-dependent species. Project success is then measured through prairie dog monitoring. In a slightly different example of a landscape habitat manipulation project (pinyon pine removal to improve grasslands), we also monitor SGCN pinyon jays to evaluate possible unintended consequences of pinyon removal.
Monitoring the effects of management manipulations is a high priority for SGCN conservation. Existing monitoring plans or efforts are outlined in Table 7 below. These plans are utilized by AZGFD and our partners on a regular or semi-regular basis to monitor single species, multiple species, and/or their habitats. Monitoring plans and other documents listed are organized by taxa/species the plan covers (if applicable). Other information includes habitat types where these monitoring efforts occur (with primary habitat listed first followed by other habitat types the plan covers), the document citation with web links (if applicable), and the lead agency and partners associated with implementing the monitoring plan.
Taxa/Species | Habitat Type | Document Citation | Lead or Partners |
American bison | Great Basin Conifer Woodland, Petran montane conifer Forest, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | AZGFD. 2020. Arizona Bison Management Plan | AZGFD |
American pronghorn | Semidesert Grassland, Petran montane conifer Forest, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands, Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Great Basin Conifer Woodland | (1) AZGFD. 2013. Arizona Statewide Pronghorn Management Plan. 96pp.
| AZGFD |
Bald eagle | Various | AZGFD Lead; Various State, Federal, Tribal, and private entities. | |
Bat species | Various | (1) BLM Instruction Memorandum (IM) 2010-181, White Nose Syndrome.
| BLM, various |
Bendire’s thrasher | Upland Sonoran Desertscrub | Desert Thrasher Working Group | |
Bighorn sheep | Various | WAFWA Wildlife Health Committee. 2015. Bighorn Sheep Herd Health Monitoring Recommendations. | AZGFD |
Black-footed ferret | Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | AZGFD. 2016. Management Plan for the Black-footed Ferret in Arizona. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program Technical Report 301. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona. | AZGFD |
Black-tailed prairie dog | Semidesert Grassland, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands, Chihuahuan Desertscrub | 11 state fish and wildlife agencies within the range of the black-tailed prairie dog | |
California floater | Lotic | AZGFD Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Conservation Plan, July 1, 2022-June 30, 2032 | AZGFD, ACNC-Phoenix Zoo |
Cervids | Various |
| AZGFD |
Chiricahua leopard frog | Various | Jones, TR. 2013. A survey/monitoring plan for bullfrogs and native ranid frogs in the Peña Blanca Lake region, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program Technical Report 273. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona. | AZGFD, USFS, USFWS |
Colonial waterbird nest survey | Wetland, Lentic, Lotic | AZGFD lead; various State, Federal, Tribal, and private entities. | |
Desert pupfish | Lotic, Lentic | AZGFD, USFWS | |
Flat-tailed horned lizard | Lower Sonoran Desertscrub | AZGFD, DOD, USBR | |
Golden eagle | Various | AZGFD lead; various State, Federal, Tribal, and private entities. | |
Gunninson's prairie dog | Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | Seglund, AE, AE Ernst, and DM O’Neill. 2005. Gunnison’s prairie dog conservation assessment. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Laramie, Wyoming. | WAFWA, AZGFD, USFWS |
Huachuca springsnail | Springs, Wetlands, Madrean Woodlands | USFWS. 2016. Candidate Conservation Agreement for the Huachuca Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis thompsoni). | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS, DOD, ACNC-Phoenix Zoo, TNC |
LeConte's thrasher | Lower Sonoran Desertscrub | Desert Thrasher Working Group | |
Lesser long-nosed bat | Upland Sonoran Desert, Lower Sonoran Desert, Semidesert Grassland, Madrean Woodlands | USFWS | |
Mexican spotted owl | Petran montane conifer Forest, Petran subalpine conifer Forest | USFS Lead, USFWS | |
Mexican wolf | Subalpine Grasslands, Petran montane conifer Forest | USFWS. 2017. Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, First Revision. Region 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. | AZGFD, USFWS |
Monarch butterfly | Various | WAFWA Monarch and Native Pollinator Working Group, Arizona Monarch Collaborative | |
Mt. Graham red squirrel | Petran montane conifer forest | AZGFD, USFWS | |
Narrow-headed gartersnake | Semidesert Grassland, Great Basin Conifer Woodland, Petran montane conifer Forest, Chaparral | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS | |
New Mexico jumping mouse | Subalpine Grasslands, Petran montane conifer Forest, Petran subalpine conifer Forest | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS | |
New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake | Madrean Woodland, Montaine Conifer Forest | USFWS, NMGFD, AZGFD | |
Nightjars | Various | AZGFD, The College of William and Mary | |
Niobrara ambersnail (includes populations formerly called Kanab ambersnail) | Springs, Great Basin Desertscrub | AZGFD. 2017. Ambersnail Survey Protocol - April 2017. Arizona Game and Fish Department. | AZGFD, USFWS, NPS, UDWR, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary |
Northern leopard frog | Great Basin Desertscrub, Great Basin Woodland, Petran montane conifer Forest, Lentic, Lotic, Wetlands | AZGFD, USFS, USFWS | |
Northern Mexican gartersnake | Semidesert Grassland, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands, Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Great Basin Conifer Woodland, Petran montane conifer Forest | Boyarski, VL, MJ Ryan, and TB Cotten. 2019. Monitoring Program for Northern Mexican Gartersnakes (Thamnophis eques megalops) at Page Springs and Bubbling Ponds Fish Hatcheries. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program Technical Report 317. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona. | AZGFD, USFWS |
Page springsnail | Springs | USFWS. 2015. Species Status Assessment Report for the Page Springsnail. Version 1.0.
Sorensen, JA. 2021. Monitoring program for Page springsnail. Version 9/16/2021 | AZGFD, USFWS |
Quitobaquito Tryonia | Springs | Quitobaquito Tryonia Working Group. 2021 (Draft). Monitoring program for Quitobaquito tryonia springsnails. | AZGFD, USFWS, NPS, ASDM |
Relict leopard frog | Springs, Mohave Desertscrub | AZGFD, BLM, USFWS, BOR, NDOW, NPS, UDWR, UNLV | |
San Bernardino springsnail | Springs | AZGFD Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Conservation Plan July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2032. | AZGFD, USFWS, ACNC-Phoenix Zoo, private |
San Xavier talussnail | Upland Sonoran Desertscrub | AZGFD, USFWS, KinderMorgan (El Paso Natural Gas Company, LLC), Arizona G&T Cooperatives, Pima County | |
Sonoran Desert Breeding Birds | Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Lower Sonoran Desertscrub | AZGFD | |
Sonoran desert tortoise | Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Mohave Desertscrub, Semidesert Grasslands | Averill-Murray, RC. 2000. Survey protocol for Sonoran desert tortoise monitoring plots: Reviewed and revised. Arizona Interagency Desert Tortoise Team. | AZGFD, USFWS, BLM, NPS, DOD, CBP, USFS, NRCS, ADOT |
Sonoran pronghorn | Lower Sonoran Desertscrub | AZGFD, USFWS | |
Sonoran tiger salamander | Plains and Great Basin Grassland, Madrean Woodlands | AZGFD, USFWS | |
Southwestern willow flycatcher | Riparian areas within most habitat types found in Arizona | USFWS | |
Three Forks springsnail | Springs | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS, ACNC-Phoenix Zoo | |
Various | Lower Sonoran Desertscrub, Lentic, Lotic, Wetlands | BOR | |
Various | Lower Sonoran Desertscrub, Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, Semidesert Grasslands, Lentic, Lotic, Wetlands, Springs | Pima County. 2016. Multi-species Conservation Plan for Pima County, Arizona: Final. Submitted to the Arizona Ecological Services office of the U.S. Fish and | Pima County, USFWS |
Various | Semidesert Grasslands, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | TNC, NFWF | |
Various | Semidesert Grasslands, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | TNC, NFWF | |
Various bird species (breeding birds) | Various | USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. North American Breeding Bird Survey. | USGS, AZGFD lead, various State, Federal, and private entities. |
Various bird species (grasslands) | Semidesert Grasslands, Plains and Great Basin Grasslands | Sparks, RA , DC Pavlacky, JP Beason, and E Juarez. 2017. Monitoring Grassland Birds in BCR 34, Arizona: 2016 Field Season Report. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Brighton, Colorado. | AZGFD |
Various bird species (riparian areas) | Riparian | Corman, TE, EA Juarez, JE Arnett., and CJ Beardmore. 2018. Riparian habitats breeding bird Monitoring: 2009-2012 Summary Report. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program Technical Report 297. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona. | AZGFD |
Various snail species: Huachuca woodlandsnail, Huachuca mountainsnail, Huachuca talussnail, Bear Canyon talussnail, Garden Canyon talussnail, Ramsey Canyon talussnail | Petran montane conifer Forest | AZGFD. 2016. AZGFD Land Snail Survey Protocol - October 2016. Arizona Game and Fish Department. | AZGFD, USFWS, Maricopa County, City of Phoenix, City of Glendale |
Various snail species: Phoenix talussnail, Superstition talussnail, Eastern desertsnail, undescribed Sonorella species | Upland Sonoran Desertscrub | AZGFD. 2016. AZGFD Land Snail Survey Protocol - October 2016. Arizona Game and Fish Department.. | AZGFD, USFWS, Maricopa County Parks, City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation, City of Glendale Parks and Recreation |
Various snail species: Pinaleño talussnail, Wet Canyon talussnail, Mimic talussnail, Clark Peak talussnail, Pinaleño mountainsnail, Cross snaggletooth, Shortneck snaggletooth | Petran montane conifer Forest | Pinaleño Land Snail Working Group. 2018. Conservation Agreement for Land Snails in the Pinaleño Mountain on the Coronado National Forest in Arizona. | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS |
Various snail species: Kingman springsnail, Grand Wash springsnail, Virgin (Desert) springsnail, Bylas springsnail, and Gila Tryonia | Springs | AZGFD. 2018 (Draft). Monitoring Program for Springsnails on BLM Lands in Arizona. | AZGFD, USFWS, BLM |
Various snail species: Page springsnail, Verde Rim springsnail, Fossil springsnail, Montezuma Well springsnail, Brown springsnail, and two undescribed Pyrgulopsis species | Springs | Central Arizona Springsnails Strategic Conservation Plan (2021, in review)
AZGFD. 2021 (Draft). Monitoring Program for Central Arizona Springsnails. | AZGFD, USFWS, USFS, NPS |
Western burrowing owl | Various | AZGFD, BLM, USFWS | |
Western yellow-billed cuckoo | Riparian areas within most habitat types found in Arizona | USFWS, Pima County | |
Yuma Ridgway's rail, other marsh birds | Wetlands | USFWS, AZGFD |