What are primary constituent elements essential to the conservation of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat?
Primary constituent elements are those habitat components that are essential for the primary biological needs of foraging, reproducing, rearing of young, intra-specific communication, dispersal, genetic exchange, or shelering. Based on our current knowledge of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat, the primary constituent elements it requires include: (1) Soil series consisting predominantly of sand, sandy loam, or loam within the historical range of the species; (2) alluvial sage scrub and associated vegetation, such as coastal sage scrub and chamise chaparral, with a moderately open canopy; (3) river, creek, stream, and wash channels; alluvial fans; flood plains; flood plain benches and terraces; and historic braided channels that are subject to dynamic geomorphological and hydrological processes; and (4) upland areas proximal to flood plains containing suitable habitat (e.g., flood plains that support the soils, vegetation, geomorphological, or hydrological processes essential to the spec
