Skip to main content
Advanced Search

Filters: Tags: {"type":"Fiscal Year"} (X) > partyWithName: Plains and Prairie Potholes Landscape Conservation Cooperative (X)

40 results (28ms)   

View Results as: JSON ATOM CSV
thumbnail
Native grasslands have been reduced to a fraction of their original extent, with estimated total loss prior to the 1990s of 70% for prairie grassland (Federal Provincial and Territorial Governments of Canada 2010). Conversion of native grassland to cropland and tame hayfields or pasture has been one of the leading drivers of native grassland loss in North America. Degradation of native grasslands also continues in some areas due to changes in natural disturbance regimes such as fire suppression and intensive prolonged cattle grazing, threats from invasive non-native species, fragmentation, intensification of agriculture, and economic development associated with population growth(Federal Provincial and Territorial...
thumbnail
The Williston Basin, located in the NorthernGreat Plains, is experiencing rapid energy developmentwith North Dakota and Montana being the epicenter ofcurrent and projected development in the USA. Theaverage single-bore well pad is 5 acres with an estimated58,485 wells in North Dakota alone. This landscapeleveldisturbance may provide a pathway for the establishmentof non-native plants. To evaluate potentialinfluences of energy development on the presence andabundance of non-native species, vegetation surveyswere conducted at 30 oil well sites (14 ten-year-oldand 16 five-year-old wells) and 14 control sites in nativeprairie environments across the Williston Basin. Nonnativespecies richness and cover were recorded...
thumbnail
The project will utilize a 4.5 million acre study area on the Montana Glaciated Plains. The objectives are to (1) identify environmental conditions and management practices that will maintain habitat for grassland birds but not impact ranching sustainability, and (2) identify areas on the landscape that have the greatest conservation potential for grassland birds. This spatial analysis will provide the framework for a rigorous assessment of management actions on the Montana Glaciated Plains.
thumbnail
Land transformations occurring from energy development and agrarian use have altered the natural connectivity of fish communities inhabiting prairie waterways. The nation’s prairie waterways are obstructed by thousands of barriers that include road culverts, irrigation diversions, and dams. Connectivity is essential for the long term viability of aquatic species. One of the most promising adaptive management strategies for addressing impacts to aquatic systems by climate change and other landscape stressors is increasing connectivity. The purpose of this research is to characterize swimming abilities of three northern plains fish species; the sauger, the longnose dace, and the fathead minnow. The results of the...
thumbnail
Cottonwood forests are in decline becasue of losses from land use conversion and reduced regeneration from river regulation. Projecting lon-term implications of current trends and policies, or alterations of these, will help to identify the importance and scale of restoration activities needed to offset losses. This project developed a landscape dynamic model to project future (eig. 25, 50, 100 year) trends in cottonwood forst area and age distribution for four remnant floodplain reches on the Missouri River, based on recent rates (or alternative scenarios) of land use change, cottonwood recruitment, and succession. For two reaches, these changes are used to project the effects onabundances of selected songbird...
thumbnail
Habitat loss is one of the key factors contributing to loss of wildlife, but ultimately it comes down to decisions made at he private landowner. Economin pressures from comodity prices probably heavily wieght in decisions. However, understanding how a private landowner responds to economic incentives and pressures may identify strategies to reduce habitat loss in the plains and prairie pothole region. Also, farmers & ranchers generally have more thn an econominc interest in their lands with strong social and cultura ties. The aging trend inteh agricultrual industry is another factor contributing to decisions about land, foten with farm/rances being split among surviving relatives who may not continue to...
thumbnail
Rapid expansion of cropland threatens grassland ecosystems across western North America and broad-scaleplanning can be a catalyst motivating individuals and agencies to accelerate conservation. Sprague’s Pipit(Anthus spragueii) is an imperiled grassland songbird whose population has been declining rapidly in recent decades.Here, we present a strategic framework for conservation of pipits and their habitat in the northern GreatPlains.We modeled pipit distribution across its million-km2 breeding range in Canada and the U.S.We describefactors shaping distribution, delineate population cores and assess vulnerability to future grassland losses. Pipitsselected landscapes with a high proportion of continuous grassland...
thumbnail
The Matador Ranch Grassbank is the most successful grassbank in the country, annually incentivizing conservation actions on over 200,000 acres of participating ranches. Incentives for management actions are in the form of discounts, which reduce the cost of leased grazing at the Matador Ranch. One of the required discounts for participating in the grassbank is a ranch management plan that guides grazing and benefits natural communities and the wildlife dependent upon them. This report details the results of our work to assess resource conditions and craft management plans with eight ranches on over 113,000 acres. Our analysis found that overall ranches implemented grazing management practices that maintained ecological...
thumbnail
In this thesis I explore a derivation of the MSAM using the DDO survey method to create a multispecies dependent double-observer abundance (MDAM) model. I use this tool to explore how two widely used grazing systems affect the abundance of eight songbird species with varying reliance on grassland vegetation in a sagebrush ecosystem.
thumbnail
Seven Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are working together to identify key scientific uncertainties associated with design and management of a sustainable ecosystem/floodplain landscape that provides multiple benefits for agricultural productivity, water quality, and wildlife conservation—both locally and in the Gulf of Mexico. Online meetings through the summer are preparing for a Mississippi River Basin / Gulf Hypoxia Structured Decision Making Workshop to be held August 12 – 14, 2014 at the Ducks Unlimited Headquarters in Memphis, TN, to convene 30 key representatives integrating a range of perspectives. The ultimate goal of this multi-LCC effort is to prioritize agricultural conservation areas by...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, 2014, 2015, AR-01, CO-04, All tags...
thumbnail
This multi-LCC project is designed to evaluate delivery of existing courses offered through the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) as “pilots” to enhance expertise needed within the regional context of LCC and Climate Science Center (CSC) communities. Feedback from these offsite training sessions and other strategic discussion will help identify and prioritize which tools to include in future training for staff and partners. A pre-workshop and in-person exercise was conducted by reviewing SIAS metrics and other LCC activities for products required of the LCCs, determining the process/skills/tools needed to deliver this training, and listing training opportunities that are available or needed to develop...
thumbnail
In FY12, hydrogeomorphic methodology was being applied along 670 miles of the Missouri River from Decatur, Nebraska to St. Louis, Missouri. In FY15, additional resources extended the HGM up river to Gavin’s Point Dam, West Yankton, South Dakota (approximate river mile 811), the location of the most downstream mainstem dam; thus encompassing the entire free flowing reach of the Missouri River and increasing the study area by approximately 800,000 acres. Using this method, engineers and ecologists will incorporate state-of-the-art scientific knowledge of ecological processes and key fish and wildlife species to identify options by which to emulate natural hydrologic and vegetation/ animal community dynamics. Results...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, Conservation NGOs, All tags...
thumbnail
The best hope for recovering and maintaining ecosystem function and services for the tallgrass prairie ecosystem is reconstruction. To that end, tallgrass prairie reconstruction efforts are on-going across federal, state, and non-profit organizations and among private landowners throughout the upper Midwest. Despite this heightened activity, a framework for comprehensive evaluation and adaptive learning from past reconstruction efforts is lacking. With an increasing percentage of already limited natural resource budgets being applied to reconstruction activities, it is imperative that we make the best use of these funds by developing best practices for reconstructions. The growing number of completed reconstructions...
thumbnail
The Plains and Prairie Potholes Ecoregion (PPPE), is located in the north-central contiguous United States and is one of the most imperiled grassland regions in the world. Most of the region is privately owned and used for the production of agricultural commodities. In addition to its direct benefits to humanity, the PPPE provides multiple ecosystem services including, soil and water quality improvements, carbon sequestration, weather amelioration, and wildlife habitat. Recent increases in expansion of row crop agriculture concerns conservation practitioners about the long-term integrity of the PPPE. Conservation practitioners are looking to improve their private landowner conservation initiatives in the region....
thumbnail
Livestock grazing practices are managed by private landowners and federal and state agencies across the western U.S. Increasingly, grazing strategies by these entities are incorporating conservation objectives and developing goals that include livestock production that is compatible with wildlife conservation objectives. This project evaluates the impact of conservation-oriented, rest-rotation livestock grazing and climate changes on migratory bird species associated with sagebrush habitat to better inform grazing management practices. Rest-rotation grazing management is likely to enhance important components of sagebrush, shrubland, and grassland habitat for a wide range of species, but little work has been done...
thumbnail
Estimating species abundance is important for land managers, especially for monitoringconservation efforts. The two main survey methods for estimating avian abundance are point counts and transects. Previous comparisons of these two methods have either been limited to a single species or have not included detection probability. During the 2012 breeding season, we compared and assessed the efficiency (precision for amount of effort) of point count time of detection (PCTD) and dependent double-observer transect (TRMO) methods based on detection probabilities and abundance estimates of five species of songbirds that use a range of habitats in a prairie system in Montana dominated by sagebrush and grassland vegetation....
thumbnail
How did this multi-LCC initiative develop? The framework for this landscape conservation design is objective-driven across three sectors for wildlife, water quality and agriculture – ultimately doing our part to strategically maximize the value of every conservation dollar for the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico. An intensive year-long dialogue culminated in the Memphis workshop in August 2014, setting the stage for research and development of design tools this past year. For more information, see: https://www.fws.gov/science/catalog….What is the workshop purpose? Reconvene multi-sector participants to examine the set of high impact conservation practices, web-based spatial analysis tools, and research...
thumbnail
Montana's State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is a comprehensive strategy to maintain the health and diversity of wildlife within the state, including reducing the need for future listings under the Endangered Species Act. Special emphasis is given to addressing wildlife species that have received less attention in the past, including those that are not hunted or fished. All 50 states have developed SWAPs, providing a framework for planning and coordination on wildlife issues that cross state boundaries. The development and implementation of SWAPs is supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Services' State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program.Montana's SWAP addresses a variety of wildlife and habitat management challenges,...
thumbnail
Temperate grasslands are among earth’s most imperiled ecosystems. In North America,steep declines of endemic songbird populations indicate that grassland loss and degradation may be approaching critical levels. Grasslands are agricultural landscapes largely (~85%) under private ownership with little formal protection status. Remaining bird populations depend on grazing lands that have not been converted to cropland. We combine regional data from a hotspot for grassland bird diversity (northeast Montana,USA; 26,500-km2) with continental data spanning the northern Great Plains (1,000,000- km2) to evaluate how land use and management influence bird distribution and abundance. Regionally, habitat used by seven grassland...
map background search result map search result map Grassland Bird Conservation on Working Landscapes: Spatial analysis linking populations to habitat Maintaining migratory pathways of imperiled Large River and Small Stream Fishes in the Face of Climate Change and Energy Development Assessing land use practices on ecological charateristics of sagebrush ecosystems Creating a detailed vegetation classification and digital vegetation map for Squaw Creek NWR A Hydrogeomorphic approach to evaluate ecosystem restoration and habitat management for the Lower Missouri River Developing a Framework for Evaluating Tallgrass Prairie Reconstruction Methods and Management Mississippi River Basin Gulf Hypoxia Structured Decision Making Workshop NCTC Toolbox Workshops: A Train the Trainer Approach to Provide Services to Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Mississippi River Basin/Gulf Hypoxia Research and Design Forum March 1-3 Human dimensions of habitat loss in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Region Comparative Analysis of Native Prairie Spatial Delineation Methods in the Prairie Ecozone Projecting Long-Term Landscape Change Along the Missouri River: Implications for Cottonwood Forests and Songbird Populations Comparison of removal-based methods for estimating abundance of five species of prairie songbirds Assessing changes in Avian Communities Montana SWAP Climate Change Chapter Report: Assessing and Implementing Ranch Management Planning at Scale through the Matador Ranch Grassbank Cows and Plows: Science-based Conservation for Grassland Songbirds in Agricultural Landscapes One step ahead of the plow: Using cropland conversion risk to guide Sprague's Pipit conservation in the northern Great Plains Report: Human Dimensions of Habitat Loss in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Ecoregion Presence and abundance of non-native plant species associated with recent energy development in the Williston Basin Creating a detailed vegetation classification and digital vegetation map for Squaw Creek NWR A Hydrogeomorphic approach to evaluate ecosystem restoration and habitat management for the Lower Missouri River Grassland Bird Conservation on Working Landscapes: Spatial analysis linking populations to habitat Report: Assessing and Implementing Ranch Management Planning at Scale through the Matador Ranch Grassbank Cows and Plows: Science-based Conservation for Grassland Songbirds in Agricultural Landscapes One step ahead of the plow: Using cropland conversion risk to guide Sprague's Pipit conservation in the northern Great Plains Montana SWAP Climate Change Chapter Presence and abundance of non-native plant species associated with recent energy development in the Williston Basin Developing a Framework for Evaluating Tallgrass Prairie Reconstruction Methods and Management Maintaining migratory pathways of imperiled Large River and Small Stream Fishes in the Face of Climate Change and Energy Development Assessing land use practices on ecological charateristics of sagebrush ecosystems Human dimensions of habitat loss in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Region Comparative Analysis of Native Prairie Spatial Delineation Methods in the Prairie Ecozone Projecting Long-Term Landscape Change Along the Missouri River: Implications for Cottonwood Forests and Songbird Populations Comparison of removal-based methods for estimating abundance of five species of prairie songbirds Assessing changes in Avian Communities Report: Human Dimensions of Habitat Loss in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Ecoregion Mississippi River Basin Gulf Hypoxia Structured Decision Making Workshop Mississippi River Basin/Gulf Hypoxia Research and Design Forum March 1-3 NCTC Toolbox Workshops: A Train the Trainer Approach to Provide Services to Landscape Conservation Cooperatives