As domestic energy development activity continues in the western United States, wildlife conservation planning in affected regions is increasingly important. The geologic basins where oil and gas energy exploration is occurring are primarily sagebrush steppe rangelands. Sagebrush steppe habitats may support more than 20 vertebrate species of conservation concern, and for many of these species, information is lacking on the effects of gas energy development. In earlier work, we demonstrated a negative relationship among development density of gas field infrastructure and pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis). We now examine the spatial relationship among gas field infrastructure, pygmy rabbits, and their habitat on four major gas fields in southwest Wyoming. Using data collected from 120 plots over three years (2011–2013) and 2012 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery, we evaluated (1) whether well pads are more likely to be located in areas of pygmy rabbit habitat, (2) whether the presence and abundance of pygmy rabbits are related to distance from infrastructure, and, if so, (3) how much of the total surface area on a gas field is affected. Well pads on three gas fields occurred in higher quality pygmy rabbit habitat than did a set of randomly generated points, and the abundance and probability of pygmy rabbits being present were lower within approximately 0.5–1.5 km of the nearest road and 2 km of well pads and utilities. Buffering a digital layer of roads and well pads on one gas field revealed that nearly 82% of the (4417 km²) surface area was within 1 km of infrastructure, and over 95% of the gas field surface area was within 2 km. This need not be the case on future gas fields. Directional and horizontal well drilling technologies now make it possible for gas to be recovered from a greater area per well pad, enabling future gas field developments that require fewer well pads, roads, and pipeline corridors. Such changes would enable increased well pad spacing and provide the opportunity to locate gas field infrastructure in areas of poor quality wildlife habitat, avoid high priority habitat, and conserve a greater amount of on‐field wildlife habitat overall.

中文翻译：

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气田基础设施对怀俄明州西南部侏儒兔的距离影响

随着美国西部地区国内能源开发活动的继续，受影响地区的野生动植物保护规划变得越来越重要。进行石油和天然气能源勘探的地质盆地主要是鼠尾草草原牧场。鼠尾草草原栖息地可能支持超过20种需要关注的脊椎动物，而对于其中许多物种，缺乏有关天然气能源开发影响的信息。在较早的工作中，我们证明了气田基础设施和侏儒兔（布拉希拉达斯达荷斯兔）的开发密度之间存在负相关关系）。现在，我们研究怀俄明州西南部四个主要气田的气田基础设施，侏儒兔及其栖息地之间的空间关系。使用三年（2011-2013年）和2012年国家农业影像计划（NAIP）影像中120个样地收集的数据，我们评估了（1）孔板是否更可能位于侏儒兔栖息地区域，（2）是否侏儒兔的存在和丰度与距基础设施的距离有关，如果这样，则（3）气田总表面积的多少受到影响。与一组随机生成的点相比，在质量更高的侏儒兔栖息地中出现了三个气田的井垫，并且在距最近道路约0.5-1.5 km和2 km井垫内，侏儒兔出现的丰度和概率较低和公用事业。²）表面积在基础设施的1公里以内，超过95％的气田表面积在2公里以内。在未来的气田中不必是这种情况。现在，定向井和水平井钻探技术使从每个井垫的更大面积中回收天然气成为可能，从而使未来的气田开发需要更少的井垫，道路和管道走廊。这种变化将使井垫间距增加，并提供机会在劣质野生生物栖息地地区定位气田基础设施，避免优先考虑的栖息地并总体上保护更多的野外野生生物栖息地。