Modeling Pathways to Humboldt Marten Recovery

CEG is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to explore what recovery could take for the Humboldt, or Coastal, marten in a changing landscape. Using an individual-based HexSim model, we are simulating potential future conditions - including fire, timber harvest, and habitat change - and projecting how marten populations may respond over time. 

The model simulates individual martens as they establish territories, reproduce, survive, and disperse through landscapes shaped by habitat quality and disturbance. It also tracks movement between populations and incorporates genetics, allowing us to explore how connectivity and genetic diversity may influence the persistence of small populations over time. By testing different future conditions, this work can help identify the combinations of habitat, disturbance, and management actions that may best support Humboldt marten recovery. 

Coastal Marten. Image credit: CC S. Slocomb