| Summary: | Concern for the conservation of American marten (Martes americana) and fisher (Martes pennanti) in California has increased in recent years and was the impetus for surveys conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks between 2002 and 2004. Track plates and remote cameras were used to detect carnivores at sites (n = 79) ranging in elevations from 600 to 3,500 m. Distribution patterns for marten and fisher exhibited similarities to historic records. Martens were detected at 36.7% of sites between 1,800 and 3,340 m across a relatively broad geographic area. Habitat types at sites with martens included Sierran mixed conifer (28%), red fir (24%), lodgepole (21%), montane riparian (10%), subalpine conifer (10%), and barren (7%). Martens were detected most often at sites dominated by trees with ≥ 61.0 cm dbh (59%) and ≥ 40% canopy cover (72%), but a few detections occurred at high elevation sites with boulder cover. Fishers were detected at only 11.4% of sites from 1,000 to 2,870 m in the western half of the Parks. Fishers occurred at sites in Sierran mixed conifer (56%), foothill hardwood-conifer (11%), montane hardwood (11%), white fir (11%), and subalpine conifer (11%) habitat types, with most detections at sites dominated by trees of ≥ 61.0 cm dbh (67%) and ≥ 40% canopy cover (100%). Eight other species of carnivore were detected, but wolverine (Gulo gulo) and Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) were notably absent from surveys. Conservation plans for marten and fisher in the southern Sierra Nevada should include the Parks within a larger regional network of suitable habitat. Habitat models have become increasingly popular as tools to assist wildlife biologists in predicting species occurrence and identifying habitat for conservation. Numerous models have been created, but few have been evaluated with independent data. Surveys for forest carnivores in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks provided presence-absence data to evaluate the California Wildlife Habitat Relationships model for American ...
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