SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX HABITAT UTILIZATION AT A LARGE-SCALE SOLAR FACILITY

Daniel E. Meade; Althouse and Meade, Inc.; dan@althouseandmeade.com; Brian Cypher, Jason Dart, Christine Van Horn Job, Tory Westall, Erica Kelly, Ken Spencer, Jacqueline Tilligkeit

San Joaquin kit fox (SJKF) use of habitat on and around Topaz Solar Farms has been studied since 2008 over an approximately 10,000 acre study area. A combination of annual scat surveys and radio collars has allowed tracking of kit fox individuals, locations, and habitat use. We present data from the first full year of post-construction kit fox tracking and the first year of GPS collar data. Currently, kit foxes regularly utilize completed solar array fields, and additional individuals are present in the vicinity. SJKF continue to be tracked post-construction with scat studies for five years and with GPS telemetry on up to 20 individual kit foxes for three years. Information gathered will provide a measurement of SJKF use on and near this large PV solar facility, and could help inform management decisions on future large-scale energy projects.

Wildlife and Renewable Energy