Final Report: Vulnerability of Riparian Obligate Species in the Rio Grande to the Interactive Effects of Fire, Hydrological Variation and Climate Change

This project had two primary goals: 1) To develop a process for integrating data from multiple sources to improve predictions of climate impacts for wildlife species; and 2) To provide data on climate and related hydrological change, fire behavior under future climates, and species’ distributions for use by researchers and resource managers.We present within this report the process used to integrate species niche models, fire simulations, and vulnerability assessment methods and provide species’ reports that summarize the results of this work. Species niche model analysis provides information on species’ distributions under three climate scenarios and time periods. Niche model analysis allows us to estimate the...

Categories: Data; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service, Shapefile; Tags: 2012, Applications and Tools, Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONSERVATION, All tags... Federal resource managers, Fire, Fire, Invasive species, Invasive species, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Map, Methodology/Protocol, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Report, Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Riparian, Riparian, Riparian obligates, Riparian obligates, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, Vulnerability, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Assessment, Wetlands, Wetlands, biota, completed, Fewer tags

Consequences of stream fragmentation and climate change for rare Great Plains fishes

Rate of global biodiversity loss increased significantly during the 20th century associated with human environmental alterations. Specifically, mismanagement of freshwater resources contributed to historical and contemporary loss of stream-dwelling fish diversity and will likely play a role in determining the persistence of species in the future. We present a mechanistic pathway by which human alteration of streams has caused the decline of a unique reproductive guild of Great Plains stream-dwelling fishes, and suggest how future climate change might exacerbate these declines. Stream fragmentation related to impoundments, diversion dams and stream dewatering are consequences of increasing demand for freshwater resources...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, AR-04, CATFISHES/MINNOWS, CO-03, CT-04, All tags... Climate Change, Colorado, Conservation Planning, FY 2010, Federal resource managers, Final Report, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, LA-04, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, MT-00, Map, Montana, ND-00, NE-03, NM-03, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, OK-01, OK-02, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Plains Fish, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Project, RIVERS/STREAM, Report, SD-00, South Dakota, State agencies, Stream Fragmentation, TX-03, TX-04, TX-05, TX-06, TX-08, TX-11, TX-12, TX-13, TX-17, TX-19, TX-24, TX-25, TX-26, TX-30, TX-31, TX-32, TX-33, Texas, WY-00, Wyoming, biota, completed, environment, inlandWaters, pelagic-spawning cyprinid, Fewer tags

Population Management of Prairie-River Minnows

We propose to use long-term fish-population data from a relict reach of the Pecos River, New Mexico to assess population dynamics of imperiled prairie-river minnows, including Arkansas River shiner. Development of viable management strategies requires basic understanding of population ecology. Rigorous, quantitative ecological methods can be used to analyze continuous, long-term demographic data, but such data are rarely available for imperiled, non-game fishes. Data available for the Pecos River provide a unique opportunity to apply quantitative methods to prairie-river minnow conservation and management. Analyses proposed here would determine (1) whether population regulation is density dependent or flow-regime...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi), Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi), CATFISHES/MINNOWS, Climate Change, All tags... Climate Change, FISH, FY 2013, FY 2013, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, HABITAT CONVERSION/FRAGMENTATION, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, New Mexico, Plains Fish, Plains Fish, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Project, RIVERS/STREAM, Report, State agencies, Wildlife Mangement, Wildlife Mangement, biota, completed, environment, inlandWaters, Fewer tags

Effects of Bio-Control and Restoration on Wildlife in Southwestern Riparian Habitats

Our proposal addresses Funding Category Ill by evaluating natural resource management practices and adaptation opportunities. More specifically, our project addresses Science Need #6 to improve monitoring and inventory of watersheds and ecosystems (including invasive species). Our proposed study will occur within the Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) (upper Virgin River, UT) and the Desert LCC (lower Virgin River, AZ and NVL and therefore will be submitting to both cooperatives. Invasive saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) is the third most abundant tree in Southwestern riparian systems (Friedman et al. 2005). Resource managers must often balance the management goals of protecting wildlife species and...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Applications and Tools, Arizona, Arizona, BIOSPHERE, BIOSPHERE, BIOSPHERE, CA-08, CA-36, CA-51, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, Conservation NGOs, Datasets/Database, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, Federal resource managers, INVASIVE SPECIES, INVASIVE SPECIES, INVASIVE SPECIES, Informing Conservation Delivery, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower Colorado River Basin, NM-02, NM-03, NV-04, Nevada, Nevada, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, Publication, UT-02, United States, Utah, Utah, Virgin River, Vulnerability Assessment, amphibians, biocontrol, biota, birds, completed, invasive species, reptiles, riparian, tamarisk, tamarisk beetle, Fewer tags

Final Report: Effects of Biocontrol and Restoration on Wildlife in Southwestern Riparian Habitats

Introduction: Tamarisk (Tamarix spp., also saltcedar) is a non-native tree introduced to the United States during the 19th century as an ornamental species and solution to erosion in the American West (Robinson 1965). Tamarisk can form dense monotypic stands, which have been linked to a decline in richness and diversity of native plants (Engel-Wilson & Ohmart 1978; Lovich et al. 1994) and wildlife (Anderson et al. 1977; Durst et al. 2008) in riparian areas. As a result, natural resource managers have invested millions of dollars to control tamarisk (Shafroth & Briggs 2008). Few studies have conducted community-level analyses to document the impact of one of these methods, the introduction of a native enemy or predator,...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Arizona, Arizona, BIOSPHERE, BIOSPHERE, BIOSPHERE, CA-08, CA-36, CA-51, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, Conservation NGOs, Data.gov Desert LCC, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, Federal resource managers, INVASIVE SPECIES, INVASIVE SPECIES, INVASIVE SPECIES, Informing Conservation Delivery, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower Colorado River Basin, NM-02, NM-03, NV-04, Nevada, Nevada, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Publication, Report, UT-02, United States, Utah, Utah, Virgin River, Vulnerability Assessment, amphibians, amphibians, biocontrol, biocontrol, biota, birds, birds, completed, invasive species, invasive species, product, reptiles, reptiles, riparian, riparian, tamarisk, tamarisk, tamarisk beetle, tamarisk beetle, Fewer tags

Climate change and connectivity: Assessing landscape and species vulnerability

Habitat loss and fragmentation are widely recognized as among the most important threats to global biodiversity. New analytical approaches are providing improved ability to predict the effects of landscape change on population connectivity at vast spatial extents. This paper presents an analysis of population connectivity for three species of conservation concern [swift fox (Vulpes velox); lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus); massasuaga (Sistrurus catenatus)] across the American Great Plains region. We used factorial least-cost path and resistant kernel analyses to predict effects of landscape conditions on corridor network connectivity. Our predictions of population connectivity provide testable...

Categories: Data, Project, Publication; Types: Citation, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, CO-04, All tags... CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Climate Change, Decision Support, Decision support, FY 2010, Federal resource managers, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GRASSLANDS, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, LCC, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Map, Map, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Policy makers & regulators, Policy makers & regulators, Population and Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, Publication, Publication, Report, SAVANNA, SD-00, State agencies, State agencies, TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Vulnerability Assessment, WY-00, biota, completed, geoscientificInformation, Fewer tags

Conservation Priorities for Great Plains Fish Communities Based on Riverscape Connectivity and Genetic Integrity of Populations

Biodiversity in stream networks is threatened globally by interactions between habitat fragmentation and altered hydrologic regimes. In the Great Plains of North America, stream networks are fragmented by 19,000 anthropogenic barriers, and flow regimes are altered by surface water retention and groundwater extraction. We documented the distribution of anthropogenic barriers and dry stream segments in five basins covering the central Great Plains to assess effects of broad-scale environmental change on stream fish community structure and distribution of reproductive guilds. We used an information theoretic approach to rank competing models in which fragmentation, discharge magnitude, and percentage of time streams...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, CATFISHES/MINNOWS, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, All tags... CO-04, CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Colorado, Colorado, FISH, FY 2012, FY 2012, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, Gene Flow, Gene Flow, Great Plains, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Habitat Modeling, Habitat Modeling, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Landscape Genetics, Landscape Genetics, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, Nebraska, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Plains Fish, Plains Fish, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Project, Publication, RIVERS/STREAM, SD-00, State agencies, Stream Fragmentation, Stream Fragmentation, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, Texas, WY-00, Wyoming, Wyoming, biota, completed, environment, inlandWaters, Fewer tags

Migration of Arkansas River Shiner and other Broadcast Spawning Fishes in the Canadian River, New Mexico-Texas

Potamodromous migrations, those that occur entirely in fresh waters, are made by a variety of minnows (Family Cyprinidae) in, and between, freshwater habitats around the world. These migrations most commonly are undertaken for purposes of breeding, feeding, or occupying specific habitats or refugia. There is a growing body of evidence that potamodromous migrations are undertaken by a number of cyprinids native to larger streams and rivers of the Great Plains region of central USA. Cross et al. (1985) observed that populations of Arkansas River shiner disappeared from large tributaries to the Arkansas River, in Kansas, as a result of dam construction and water withdrawal. They speculated that populations in these...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi), Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi), CATFISHES/MINNOWS, Decision Support, All tags... FY 2011, FY 2011, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, New Mexico, Plains Fish, Plains Fish, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Project, RIVERS/STREAM, Report, State agencies, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, Texas, biota, completed, environment, inlandWaters, Fewer tags

Range-wide Lesser Prairie-Chicken Management Plan Development

The range-wide plan (RWP) has been developed in response to concerns about lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) habitat threats which may be impacting LPC populations, and the proposed listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Along with the existing conservation efforts already being implemented, as described in the RWP, the supporting WAFWA Conservation Agreement (WCA) represents another mechanism to implement conservation to benefit LPC. The WCP represents an opportunity to enroll participants who agree to avoid, minimize and mitigate actions which may be detrimental to LPC. Landowners may enroll properties to be managed for the benefit of LPC. Properties may generate credits for mitigation. When complete avoidance...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, BIRDS, CO-04, Colorado, Conservation Planning, All tags... FY 2012, FY 2012, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, GRASSLANDS, Grassland Conservation, Grassland Conservation, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-04, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, Oklahoma, Policy makers & regulators, Project, Report, SAVANNAS, State agencies, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, Texas, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Management, biota, completed, environment, Fewer tags

Decision support for climate change adaptation in the GPLCC: Creating geospatial data products for ecosystem assessments and predictive species modeling

Species populations are in a state of flux due to the cumulative and interacting impacts of climate change and human stressors across landscapes. Invasive spread, pathogen outbreaks, land-use activities, and especially climate disruption and its associated impacts—severe drought (see Figure 3 or the GPLCC), reduced stream flow, increased wildfire frequency, extended growing season, and extreme weather events—are increasing, and in some cases accelerating. These impacts are outpacing management and conservation responses intended to support trust species and their critical habitats. Our common goal is to craft successful adaptation strategies in the face of these multiple, interacting drivers of environmental change....

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, Academics & scientific researchers, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, All tags... CO-04, CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Climate Change, Climate Change, Colorado, Conservation Planning, Data Acquisition and Development, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, FY 2010, FY 2010, GPLCC, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Habitat Modeling, Habitat Modeling, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, Nebraska, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Policy makers & regulators, Project, Report, SD-00, SOLAR-ATMOSPHERE/SPACE-WEATHER MODELS, South Dakota, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, WY-00, Website, Wyoming, climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere, completed, environment, Fewer tags

Maps and Data: Vulnerability of Riparian Obligate Species in the Rio Grande to the Interactive Effects of Fire, Hydrological Variation and Climate Change

We are providing geospatial data layers of climate, fire, biome and predicted species distributions for download at our project website. Links to presentations, data descriptions and zip files containing data layers can be found here. Over the next few months, we will continue to upload webinars and new training tutorials that demonstrate the application of these datasets to new questions and species. Climate and environmental data can readily be used to generate new models for additional species or other applications to describe habitats and future conditions within New Mexico. Initial fire model output is available as raster images and tabulated values that can be used in analyses of wildfire risk or hazardous...

Categories: Data; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service, Shapefile; Tags: 2012, Applications and Tools, Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONSERVATION, All tags... Federal resource managers, Fire, Invasive species, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Map, Methodology/Protocol, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Rio Grande, Riparian, Riparian obligates, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Assessment, Wetlands, biota, completed, map, repository, Fewer tags

Implications of climate change for avian conservation in Great Plains landscapes

Funded project resulted in 6 publications covering various aspects related to shorebird/grassland bird migration, climate and nesting success in the great plains region.

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, Avian, Avian, BIRDS, CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT MODELS, All tags... CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, CO-04, CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Climate Change, Climate Change, Climatic Change, Climatic Change, Colorado, Conservation Planning, FY 2010, FY 2010, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, GRASSLANDS, Grassland Birds, Grassland Birds, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Habitat Models, Habitat Models, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus), Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus), NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, Native Grassland, Native Grassland, Nebraska, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Playas, Playas, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, Publication, Report, SD-00, Sedimentation, Sedimentation, Shorebirds, Shorebirds, South Dakota, State agencies, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, WETLANDS, WY-00, Wetlands, Wetlands, Wyoming, biota, completed, environment, Fewer tags

Final Report: A Landscape Approach to Fisheries Database Compilation and Predictive Modeling

Executive Summary: Fisheries data compilation efforts for this project fell within two large watersheds in Arizona; the Verde River watershed (Desert LCC) and the Little Colorado River watershed (Southern Rockies LCC). We divided the project into two phases; 1) data compilation for the Arizona Game and Fish Fisheries Information Systems (FINS) and 2) a demonstration of FINS through model development and species distribution data. During phase 1, we compiled, cleaned, assigned National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) reach codes to historical data for 113,230 fish records in the Verde River watershed and 43,828 fish records from the Little Colorado River watershed. These records were standardized to meet the Arizona Game...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Arizona, Conservation NGOs, Data Management and Integration, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING, Federal resource managers, GIS, GIS, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Publication, Report, State agencies, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, aquatic, biota, climate change, climate change, completed, fish, invasive species, invasive species, riparian, water management, water management, water use, water use, Fewer tags

From Genotype to River Basin: The combined impacts of climate change on bio-control on a dominant riparian invasive tree/shrub (Tamarisk spp.)

Delivering adequate water supplies to support expanding human enterprise while maintaining the necessary flow regimes to support desired riparian ecosystems and formally protected wildlife species that depend upon them is increasingly difficult in the arid western United States. Many riparian systems have undergone dramatic alteration over the last 50 - 100 years, exacerbating the conflicts between resource use and biodiversity protection. One of the most visible changes that is in part due to altered flow regimes is the establishment of invasive plant species in riparian ecosystems. The highest priority invasive riparian plant is the Eurasian tree/shrub, tamarisk (or saltcedar, Tamarix spp.) the third most abundant...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Arizona, BIOSPHERE, CA-08, CA-36, CA-51, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Planning, Datasets/Database, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, Federal resource managers, INVASIVE SPECIES, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower Colorado River Basin, Map, Methodology/Protocol, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, NM-02, NM-03, NV-04, Nevada, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, State agencies, UT-02, United States, Utah, Virgin River watershed, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, climate change, completed, drought, genetics, invasive species, phenology, riparian, stream flow, tamarisk, tamarisk leaf beetles, water supply, woody plants, Fewer tags

Conservation Assessment and Mapping Products for GPLCC Priority Fish Taxa

Strategic conservation planning for broad, multi-species landscapes benefits from a data-driven approach that emphasizes persistence of all priority species’ populations and utilized landscapes, while simultaneously accounting for human uses. We propose to initiate a strategic conservation area assessment for the GPLCC. We will focus on Great Plains fishes for this initial project, though additional priority taxa can later be easily incorporated into this proposed framework. We will start with compilation and/or creation of spatial habitat utilization information (including construction of range-wide species distribution models) for GPLCC priority fishes. We will then utilize the open source software Zonation to...

Categories: Project; Tags: 2013, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, CO-04, All tags... CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Colorado, Datasets/Database, FY 2013, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Habitat Modeling, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, LCC, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, Nebraska, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Plains Fish, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Prairie Rivers and Streams, Report, SD-00, State agencies, Stream Fragmentation, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, WY-00, Wyoming, Fewer tags

Black-tailed Prairie Dog Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Southern Great Plains: Cross-scale Analysis of Soils, Topography and Climate

We developed multi-scale habitat suitability models for black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPD) in the southwestern Great Plains, corresponding to the western region of the Great Plains LCC. We used long-term (10-yr), high-resolution datasets on BTPD colony boundary locations collected at 7 study areas distributed across the region to develop resource selection functions based on colony locations and expansion patterns. Models are based on (1) soil maps and associated Ecological Sites (NRCS SSURGO database), (2) a topographic wetness index based upon water runoff and solar insolation patterns (TWIsi) that tests a priori hypotheses for topographic controls on BTPD, and (3) broad climatic gradients in temperature and mean...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, BTPD, BTPD, CO-04, Climate Change, All tags... Climate Change, Colorado, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, FY 2011, FY 2011, Federal resource managers, Final Report, Final Report, GPLCC, GPLCC, GRASSLANDS, Grassland Conservation, Grassland Conservation, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Habitat Modeling, Habitat Modeling, KS-01, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NE-03, NM-03, New Mexico, OK-03, Oklahoma, Policy makers & regulators, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, RODENTS, Report, SAVANNA, State agencies, TX-13, Texas, biota, black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), completed, environment, Fewer tags

Final Reports: Modeling Woody Plant Regeneration and Debris Accumulation under Future Streamflow and Wildfire Scenarios in the DLCC

Executive Summary: Riparian ecosystems are vital components of the semi-arid landscape because woody riparian plants provide resources that are absent in adjacent vegetation types. Historically, flood played a key role in shaping the composition and structure of riparian forests. In recent decades, however, the frequency and magnitude of floods has decreased and the timing of peak discharge has been altered. In addition, wildfire has increased in importance as an agent of disturbance along many streams. We initiated this study to increase our understanding of fire, flood, and drought processes at our Middle Rio Grande study sites and develop tools that managers of other systems can use to project the response of...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, Acer negundo, Applications and Tools, Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, All tags... EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > FOREST COMPOSITION/VEGETATION STRUCTURE, Federal resource managers, LCC Network Science Catalog, Middle Rio Grande, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Populus spp, Publication, R, Report, Training/Outreach/Workshop, United States, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, boxelder, completed, cottonwood, debris, fire, population model, riparian, riparian obligates, vegetation, vulnerability, watershed management, wildlife, woody vegetation, Fewer tags

Developing a Continental Blueprint for Targeting Landscape-Level Urban Monarch Conservation

Monarch butterfly and other pollinators are in trouble. Monarch butterfly habitat— including milkweed host plants and nectar food sources—has declined drastically throughout most of the United States. Observed overwinter population levels have also exhibited a long-term downward trend, suggesting a strong relationship between habitat loss and monarch population declines. Preliminary research results from a U.S. Geological Survey led effort indicate that we need a comprehensive conservation strategy that includes all land types in order to stabilize monarch populations at levels necessary to adequately minimize extinction risk—urban areas will likely play a critical role. This strategy reflects an integrated and...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2015, 2016, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, All tags... CO-04, CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Colorado, Conservation Design, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Plan/Design/Framework, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > LANDSCAPE, Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Federal resource managers, IA-01, IA-02, IA-03, IA-04, IL-01, IL-02, IL-03, IL-04, IL-05, IL-06, IL-07, IL-08, IL-09, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IN-01, IN-02, IN-03, IN-04, IN-05, IN-06, IN-07, IN-08, IN-09, Illinois, Indiana, Informing Conservation Delivery, Iowa, KS-01, KS-02, KS-03, KS-04, Kansas, LA-01, LA-02, LA-03, LA-04, LA-05, LA-06, LCC, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Louisiana, MI-01, MI-02, MI-03, MI-04, MI-05, MI-06, MI-07, MI-08, MI-09, MI-10, MI-11, MI-12, MI-13, MI-14, MN-01, MN-02, MN-03, MN-04, MN-05, MN-06, MN-07, MN-08, MO-01, MO-02, MO-03, MO-04, MO-05, MO-06, MO-07, MO-08, MS-04, Map, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Monitoring, NE-01, NE-02, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, NY-21, NY-22, NY-23, NY-24, NY-25, NY-26, NY-27, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, OH-01, OH-02, OH-03, OH-04, OH-05, OH-06, OH-07, OH-08, OH-09, OH-10, OH-11, OH-12, OH-13, OH-14, OH-15, OH-16, OK-01, OK-02, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Ohio, Oklahoma, PA-03, PA-05, PA-12, Pennsylvania, Pilot/Case Study, Project, Regional & county planners, Report, SD-00, Socio-economics/Ecosystem Services, South Dakota, State agencies, TX-02, TX-03, TX-04, TX-05, TX-06, TX-07, TX-08, TX-09, TX-10, TX-11, TX-12, TX-13, TX-14, TX-15, TX-17, TX-18, TX-19, TX-20, TX-21, TX-22, TX-23, TX-24, TX-25, TX-26, TX-27, TX-28, TX-29, TX-30, TX-31, TX-32, TX-33, TX-34, TX-35, TX-36, Texas, Training/Outreach/Workshop, Urban Ecosystems, User Manual, WI-01, WI-02, WI-03, WI-04, WI-05, WI-06, WI-07, WI-08, Wisconsin, completed, environment, environment, Fewer tags

Climate change planning for the Great Plains: Wildlife vulnerability assessment and potential for mitigation with grazing management

While we assessed the vulnerability of a number of different wildlife and plant species to climate change, none of those species exhibited high vulnerability to changes projected for the region and there was limited differentiation in vulnerability between the individual species. Given this shared level of vulnerability to climate change, we chose to focus our adaptation planning on grassland birds as they represent a large group with a diversity of habitat needs. These birds are obligate grassland wildlife species which have great potential to act as indicators for habitat quality since different species have distinct habitat structure needs. Participants in the adaptation planning workshop agreed that if the GP...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, Animal Agriculture, CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT MODELS, CO-01, CO-02, All tags... CO-03, CO-04, CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, Climate Change, FY 2010, Federal resource managers, Final Report, GPLCC, GRASSLANDS, Grassland Birds, Grassland Conservation, Grassland Management, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Policy makers & regulators, Private land owners, Project, Ranching, Report, SD-00, State agencies, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Training/Outreach/Workshop, Vulnerability Assessment, WY-00, biota, completed, environment, Fewer tags

Understanding Landowner Attitudes, Opinions and Willingness to Participate in Playa Conservation

DJ Case will work with PLJV and other project cooperators to develop, conduct, and analyze 14 focus groups with key landowners in six states within the GPLCC. Focus groups allow for open-ended discussions and follow-on questioning that will reveal the key socioeconomic realities and hurdles that discourage landowners from enrolling in conservation programs or restoring playas. Focus groups will be conducted in areas with large playa clusters as identified by PLJV’s science-based Playa Decision Support System. Researchers will select key landowners in each state for participation, and will use the focus group sessions to learn what landowners think and feel about management of their lands in general, and about conservation...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, CO-01, CO-02, CO-03, CO-04, All tags... CO-05, CO-06, CO-07, CONSERVATION, Colorado, Conservation Programs, Conservation Programs, Customer Opinions, Customer Opinions, FY 2013, FY 2013, Federal resource managers, GPLCC, GPLCC, Great Plains, Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, Informing Conservation Delivery, KS-01, KS-02, KS-04, Kansas, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NE-01, NE-03, NM-02, NM-03, Nebraska, New Mexico, OK-03, OK-04, OK-05, Oklahoma, Playas, Playas, Policy makers & regulators, Project, Report, SD-00, Social Sciences, Social Sciences, Socio-economics/Ecosystem Services, State agencies, TX-11, TX-13, TX-19, TX-23, Texas, WETLANDS, Wetlands, Wetlands, completed, environment, inlandWaters, society, Fewer tags