Photo of boreal owl

Wildlife Habitat Response Model
A Short Introduction

 Photo of Northern flying squirrel by Kate Schick
[Skip the intro and run WHRM]


The Wildlife Habitat Response Model (WHRM) was developed by David Pilliod and Elena Velasquez. WHRM is a web-based tool meant to assist fuel treatment planners in evaluating the effects of fuel treatment alternatives on wildlife habitat elements. WHRM does not provide estimates of wildlife population changes or viability.

WHRM is based on published literature about species/habitat relationships, and provides qualitative information about potential changes in wildlife habitat elements. These relationships are updated as new literature comes to our attention. The date of last revision will be noted for each species.

Basically, WHRM functions as a data look-up table. For each species, information has been gleaned from the literature about habitat associations and life history requirements, including requirements for reproduction and food resources, and about predators and hazards. These habitat associations and requirements were categorized into habitat elements such as down wood and live trees. Users determine how a fuel treatment will change these elements and WHRM reports how a species. habitat may be affected by these changes. To run WHRM, the user first selects from a menu listing the taxonomic group and species. Two options are then available: To evaluate habitat element changes ("habitat associations"), the user must already have some knowledge or estimates about how the fuel treatment is going to affect the stand. In WHRM, the user then chooses (by broad category) the relative change from pre-treatment conditions in forest floor components, down wood, standing dead wood, understory vegetation, and live trees. These values can come from any source -- for example, based on fuel treatment objectives or desired future conditions, or on predictions from computer simulations such as the Forest Vegetation Simulator with the Fire and Fuels Extension (FVS-FFE). (One can find some examples of common fuel treatments and changes to structure and fuels on the fire hazard/forest structure website.) Then the user runs WHRM. The output includes predicted effects on the various habitat requirements in qualitative terms: positive, null, or negative, and some summary text about the results.

It might be helpful for users to work with a wildlife specialist to interpret the results. Remember, WHRM is based on scientific literature that sometimes may not be applicable to local conditions. What WHRM essentially provides is a summary of the literature about how wildlife habitat might respond to fuel treatments. From this and perhaps the assistance of a local wildlife expert, the fuels planner can evaluate the potential consequences of fuel treatment alternatives on wildlife habitat elements under local conditions, and support that evaluation with the available scientific literature.

WHRM is in nearly final form and currently under review. The literature used in WHRM has already been published and was reviewed according to the standards of the individual publishers. The model itself is under open review by academic, federal, and non-governmental organization scientists with expertise in various taxonomic groups and species. In the end, all products related to WHRM will have undergone rigorous review and will conform to the standards of the Data Quality Act.

We invite comments and suggestions about WHRM; please contact David Pilliod or Elaine Kennedy Sutherland (team leader for the Environmental Consequences group) with your ideas.

Run WHRM
Documentation and User Manual: [User guide (14-page PDF)] [Fact sheet (1-page PDF)]
The Wildlife Habitat Response Model: WHRM
Input interface v. 2005.03.22 (for review only) by Elena Velasquez & David Hall
Model developed by: David Pilliod
Team leader Elaine Kennedy Sutherland, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station