Is there room for all of us? Renewable energy and Xerospermophilus mohavensis

Mohave ground squirrels Xerosper- mophilus mohavensis Merriam are small ground- dwelling rodents that have a highly restricted range in the northwest Mojave Desert, California, USA. Their small natural range is further reduced by habitat loss from agriculture, urban develop- ment, military training and recreational activities. Development of wind and solar resources for re - newable energy has the potential to further re - duce existing habitat. We used maximum entropy habitat models with observation data to describe current potential habitat in the context of future renewable energy development in the region. While 16% of historic habitat has been impacted by, or lost to, urbanization at present, an additional 10% may be affected by renewable energy devel- opment in the near future. Our models show that X. moha vensis habitat suitability is higher in areas slated for renewable energy development than in surrounding areas. We provide habitat maps that can be used to develop sampling designs, evaluate conservation corridors and inform development planning in the region.