Terrestrial Resources

Publication Date

2018-10-12

Time Period

2018

Manier, D.J, and O'Donnell, M.S., 2018, Compilation and Assessment of Resource Values and Hazards to Inform Transportation and Associated Land-use Planning: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F8W.

We developed a conceptual framework to describe different categories of information, and how these different types of information could be connected to accurately, but simply, inform transportation and related land-use planning (see larger work citation for more details). With this conceptual model, we identified several primary information categories namely, Social Resources, Cultural Resources, Natural Resources, and Natural Hazards which interface with (existing or proposed) transportation networks via spatial “overlap” and similar influences incurred via co-location and/or proximity. These areas, where transportation infrastructure interacts with natural systems, are areas with potential effects of roadways on wildlife, wild habitats, water quality and other natural values, and awareness of these potentials can allow planners and developers to develop mitigation and/or avoidance into planning. Further, prior knowledge of the potential for human-wildlife conflicts may help define and streamline Environmental Impact Assessments and develop plans to assess (minimize) natural and social conflicts associated with the interface of transportation infrastructure and values associated with natural heritage, natural resources and social systems. Importantly, these data are interpretive data products compiled into an index (unit-less metric), which will allow users to recognize concentrations of resource values associated with natural resources. The Terrestrial Resources Index provides a synthetic view of the distribution of natural values, and more specific values may be considered by looking at the metrics that contributed to this index. The data included with this report are based on estimated and modeled spatial information, with varying map scales and resolutions, and differences in appropriate and/or intended uses. These data cannot be used to infer specific locations (e.g., occurrence of a species within a grid-cell or watershed), but they are useful for identifying regional patterns in the distributions of natural and social values by providing spatial context (e.g., relative abundance of species) and evidence of the accumulation of values of interest or concern to society. USERS OF THESE DATA PRODUCTS SHOULD CAREFULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATION OF THE DATA PRODUCT AND RELEVANT DATA INPUTS (SOURCE DATA) BEFORE USING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN.

• USGS Data Release Products

Data source

Input directly