Ground Coverage of Sagebrush Steppe Effect on Piute Ground Squirrel (<em>Urocitellus mollis</em>) Emergence

Fine-scale environmental features display variation between close proximity habitats. These differences can impact the behavior of species in these environments. One local example is the Piute Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus mollis). They live in sagebrush steppe environments that vary in amount of ground cover. The ground squirrel population has endured a steady decline in recent years and, to understand why they may not be recovering from this decline, we evaluated ground squirrel phenology in open and closed habitats by observing ground squirrel activity. We aim to determine if habitat type impacts emergence date and specifically, if open habitats will cause ground squirrels to emerge earlier in the year. We predict that ground squirrels will emerge sooner in open habitats compared to closed habitats, and have different breeding season windows. We analyzed camera trap footage collected from late January to late March, to quantify ground squirrel activity and emergence dates in the dominant brush cover types present in the study area. Microhabitats should impact the emergence time and breeding seasons of ground squirrels. Knowing when ground squirrels emerge and begin activity at each site helps to advise future projects by knowing the optimal times throughout the year to monitor these species and if site location matters, minimizing the potential for skew. This, in turn, helps to validate the findings of other projects, ensuring conservation efforts are assisted by well-supported evidence.