Multi-scale factors influencing occurrences of Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) in the Flint Hills, Kansas

The agreement that will result from this funding opportunity will provide financial support from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the recipient to conduct research necessary to support Topeka shiner efforts by USFWS, NPS, KDWPT, TNC, and other partners. To successfully implement Topeka shiner recovery efforts, this project is consistent with implementation of the USFWS Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) business model. This business model is built on four critical elements. These critical elements include: Biological Planning, Conservation Design, Research/Monitoring/Evaluation, and Implementation/Project Delivery. When implemented these elements provide a feedback mechanism that refines conservation delivery through time. This agreement will facilitate funding to support the critical elements of the SHC business model. This agreement will support the biological planning element through; collection of survey and census data relevant to priority species (Topeka shiner), analysis of survey and census data to develop and refine population distributions, assessment of local and landscape habitat relationships, development of population based habitat goals, collection and analysis of geospatial data to document habitat/landscape conditions, development of biologically driven spatially explicit habitat models for species of concern, development of GIS data that inventory habitat conditions and occurrence of Topeka shiner.