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A combination of citizen science inventories and expert assessments will be used to collect critical baseline information on known spring and seep resources using the Spring Ecosystem Inventory and Assessment Protocols and adapting them as needed for the unique arid Sky Island ecosystems. The assessment will collect information on channel morphology, riparian and wetland vegetation, water quality, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and wildlife. This information will be combined with historic data from cooperating agencies (Pima County, Santa Cruz County, USFS, NPA, USGS, USFWS, BLM, and AGFD) in a regional, on-line database to provide a landscape level context for managing resources, which was previously unavailable due...
A combination of citizen science inventories and expert assessments will be used to collect critical baseline information on known spring and seep resources using the Spring Ecosystem Inventory and Assessment Protocols and adapting them as needed for the unique arid Sky Island ecosystems. The assessment will collect information on channel morphology, riparian and wetland vegetation, water quality, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and wildlife. This information will be combined with historic data from cooperating agencies (Pima County, Santa Cruz County, USFS, NPA, USGS, USFWS, BLM, and AGFD) in a regional, on-line database to provide a landscape level context for managing resources, which was previously unavailable due...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, AZ-02, AZ-03, Arizona, Arizona, All tags...
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In the drier, mid- and low-elevation portions of the Southern Rockies LCC, Fremont cottonwood represents the only native vegetation of tall stature, and cottonwood-dominated woodlands provide critical habitat for a large array of neotropical migratory birds and other animals. These woodlands likely dominated alluvial reaches of all streams where a snowmelt-driven spring flood was the major factor driving geomorphic and vegetation dynamics. These woodlands were also among the first habitats to undergo transformation as the regions land and water resources were developed.The PI coauthored a paper (Andersen et al. 2007) on assessing the amount of native Fremont cottonwood forest remaining on floodplains in 26 subbasins...
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The USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center (SESC) Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database provides records of sightings and capture data of non-native (introduced) aquatic species over the entire the United States (Benson 1999). For areas within the SALCC region, the NAS currently contains records dating back to 1885 for over 200 nonindigenous plant and animal species. This project seeks to utilize these data along with new GIS-based data on current and future (e.g. SLEUTH) landscape and climate parameters to develop models of invasive species introductions and dispersal across the SALCC region. Both multi- and single species models will be considered in these analyses. We will then utilize a formal decision-analytic...
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Rural America has changed dramatically over the last century, from having over half the population living in rural settings to only 20 percent residing in a rural area today, and outmigration of younger populations from rural communities remains a constant issue for local governing officials. A declining tax base and concurrent rising costs for maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure add further challenges to policy decisions. Reduced enrollment has caused school closures or mergers. Farm consolidation and technical advances reduced the demand for local labor. On the positive side, however, record-high commodity prices have amplified farm income to new heights. The increased revenues can lead to farmers spending...
This project used species distribution modeling, population genetics, and geospatial analysis of historical vs. modern vertebrate populations to identify climate change refugia and population connectivity across the Sierra Nevada. It is hypothesized that climate change refugia will increase persistence and stability of populations and, as a result, maintain higher genetic diversity. This work helps managers assess the need to include connectivity and refugia in climate change adaptation strategies. Results help Sierra Nevada land managers allocate limited resources, aid future scenario assessment at landscape scales, and develop a performance measure for assessing resilience.
Categories: Data, Project; Tags: 2011, 2013, CA, California Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Conservation Design, All tags...
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The importance of riparian ecosystems in semiarid and arid regions has generated interest in understanding processes that drive the distribution and abundance of dominant riparian plants. Changes in streamflow patterns downstream of dams have profoundly affected riparian vegetation composition and structure. For example, in the southwestern United States, flow regulation has contributed to the replacement of many riparian forests historically dominated by the native Populus fremontii (Fremont Cottonwood) and Salix gooddingii (Goodding’s Willow) by the exotic species Tamarix spp. (Salt Cedar). The proposed project will help guide reservoir release decision making to enhance downstream recruitment of native cottonwood...
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The Desert LCC identified the need for a Protected Areas spatial database that showed land ownership, management designations and conservation status for lands in the United States and Mexico. However, the existing Protected Areas database was found to be particularly prone to boundary and database errors that affected its potential use. This USGS project will develop a single, seamless, error-free Protected Areas dataset for the full geographic scope of the Desert LCC. This will involve acquiring numerous spatial layers from Federal, State, and NGO organizations which are responsible for administering and/or managing areas that have a designated protected status. Protected Area will be categorized as defined by...
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...
Climate velocity is a concept derived from the intersection between ecology and climate change. It attempts to summarize the rate of climate change on a spatial scale as a movement rate (usually in units of kilometer per year) that a species would need to maintain to remain in its current climatological niche in the face of climate change. We now have downscaled climate models for the main Hawaiian Islands. In conjunction with the rainfall atlas of contemporary climate we have the information to calculate climate velocity for Hawaii, providing a useful index of the rate of climate change for conservation and resource managers. The goal of this project was to produce climate velocity maps for the seven main Hawaiian...
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Colorados Front Range represents a region of the Southern Rockies LCC that is both ecologically and economically significant. It is home to the majority of Colorados residents, including the major population centers of Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, and provides critical ecosystem services such as clean and abundant water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and aesthetic values to the rest of the state. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) dominated forests span the majority of the Front Range mountains and foothills, covering approximately 700,000 acres of the Front Range landscape between 5000 and 8500 ft elevation. The lower-montane zone ponderosa pine forests (~5500-7000 ft) form the...
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In the desert Southwest, changes in species composition, abundance, and distribution that may occur with climate change have significant implications for management of natural resources. These changes include: the extirpation or introduction of species, losses of biodiversity, shifts in structure and function of ecosystems and the services they provide, changes in wildlife habitat, invasion of non-native species, and changes in fire regimes. For planning, mitigation, and adaption, land managers would be greatly aided by knowing, in advance, which plant species, functional types, and assemblages will change in response to climate change so that monitoring and mitigation measures can focus on those resources. FY2012In...
Recent studies show that past and ongoing environmental changes have been substantial and have likely already affected conservation efforts in Hawaii. Much of the state has experienced substantial drying, including decreases in mean annual precipitation since the 1920s, longer rainless periods, and decreasing stream flow. Temperatures have been increasing in the state for the last 40 years, especially at higher elevations where most native habitats and species currently persist. Unfortunately there are few long term monitoring efforts that allow us to understand plant species responses to these past, ongoing and future shifts in environmental conditions. Consequently, we know little about how environmental shifts...
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Explore climate change impacts on vegetation across the Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs using historical monitoring data collected from 23 sites across the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Mojave and Colorado Plateau deserts for 30-50 years. This data will then be combined with ecosystem water balance model simulations to establish features of water availability critical for plant species response. Results will allow managers to identify species and communities at risk under future climate scenarios based on predicted changes in plant water availability. Due to the high variability in soils, incorporating a detailed understanding of soil water availability beyond bioclimatic envelope approaches in the desert Southwest is essential...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, Academics & scientific researchers, All tags...
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In the desert southwest biodiversity is facing a changing landscape due to human population growth, expansion of energy development, and from the persistent effects of climate change among other threats. The 2012 Desert LCC science needs document recognized the importance of modeling and predicting habitat area, fragmentation and corridor network connectivity for a broad range of wildlife taxa. Tools and methods from conservation planning are available to address some of these issues, but tools to evaluate the expected benefits of corridors in mitigating climate change effects are only in their infancy. This USGS project will use quantitative spatial analysis and principles from landscape ecology to determine where...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service, Shapefile; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags...
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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...
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The RESTORE Act (33 U.S. Code § 1321) directs 80% of Clean Water Act penalties from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (likely to be in the billions) to Gulf of Mexico restoration. Gulf partners profess a common goal of “restoring and protecting the natural resources…and economy of the Gulf Coast region”(Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council 2013:2), yet specific and explicit objectives that quantify what it means to actually achieve this goal remain undefined. Despite the presence of numerous conservation partnerships along the Gulf of Mexico, there is concern that this unprecedented opportunity will lack a coordinated response (NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program 2013). The success of the RESTORE Act will hinge...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, AL-01, All tags...
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This project highlights the potential for LCCs to facilitate collaboration among conservation practitioners and research scientists to plan for the future. A team of UMass scientists is developing a landscape change, assessment and design model to assess ecosystems and their capacity to sustain populations of wildlife in the northeastern U.S. in the face of urban growth, climate change, and other stressors. The project plays a major role in developing the science and data for two collaborative landscape planning and design efforts: 1) the pilot Landscape Conservation Design for the Connecticut River Watershed, and 2) Nature’s Network, which expands and elaborates on the data to extend to throughout New England and...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, All tags...
Coastal change is an important issue for all coastal regions of the LCC Network, yet there are vast differences in the tools and information available across coastal regions. While the key uncertainties may differ across the Network, all coastal LCCs have been working to advance coastal resilience and adaptation. In some coastal areas, there are significant resources available to communities to understand coastal change and the discussions are now focused upon adaptation and incorporating natural resource considerations. In other regions, few tools exist for either communities or resource managers to address observed and predicted coastal change. The ultimate goal for LCCs is to have decision makers informed about...
A century of fire exclusion across many forest types in the western U.S. has resulted in unforeseen changes, including high fuel accumulations, high densities of trees, and increasing dominance of fire-intolerant species. These changes are particularly acute in forests that historically experienced high frequency and low severity fires. In response, the NPS Pacific-West region supports a large prescribed fire program to reduce understory fuels and forest density. Prescribed fire has been generally successful at reducing understory fuels and threats of catastrophic fire, and treated stands are expected to be more resistant to future wildfire. Less well understood is how well prescribed fire confers resistance to...


map background search result map search result map Black-tailed Prairie Dog Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Southern Great Plains: Cross-scale Analysis of Soils, Topography and Climate Implications of climate change for avian conservation in Great Plains landscapes The Impact of Ecosystem Water Balance on Desert Vegetation: Quantification of Historical Patterns and Projection Under Climate Change (Not listed in the LCC Science Catalog due to Desert LCC co-funding and catalog administering) A GIS-Based Evaluation of Fremont Cottonwood Stand Dynamics in the SRLCC Springs and Seeps Inventory, Assessment, and Management Planning Project Impact of Ecosystem Water Balance on Desert Vegetation: Quantification of Historical Patterns and Projection under Climate Change Corridors, Climate Change, and Conservation Planning in the Desert Southwest Development of Protected Areas Digital Spatial Data for the Desert LCC Managing water and riparian habitats on the Bill Williams River with scientific benefit for other desert river systems Collaborative Multi-species Monitoring in the Southern Rockies LCC: Impacts of Forest Restoration Treatments on Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems in Colorado Establishing Explicit Biological Objectives to Guide Strategic Habitat Conservation for the Gulf Coast Assessing the impacts to rural communities of wildlife habitat protection and restoration Mechanisms of aquatic species invasions across the SALCC Designing Sustainable Landscapes in the Northeast Region Springs and Seeps Inventory, Assessment, and Management Planning Project Managing water and riparian habitats on the Bill Williams River with scientific benefit for other desert river systems Collaborative Multi-species Monitoring in the Southern Rockies LCC: Impacts of Forest Restoration Treatments on Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems in Colorado Springs and Seeps Inventory, Assessment, and Management Planning Project Springs and Seeps Inventory, Assessment, and Management Planning Project The Impact of Ecosystem Water Balance on Desert Vegetation: Quantification of Historical Patterns and Projection Under Climate Change (Not listed in the LCC Science Catalog due to Desert LCC co-funding and catalog administering) A GIS-Based Evaluation of Fremont Cottonwood Stand Dynamics in the SRLCC Black-tailed Prairie Dog Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Southern Great Plains: Cross-scale Analysis of Soils, Topography and Climate Implications of climate change for avian conservation in Great Plains landscapes Mechanisms of aquatic species invasions across the SALCC Designing Sustainable Landscapes in the Northeast Region Establishing Explicit Biological Objectives to Guide Strategic Habitat Conservation for the Gulf Coast Assessing the impacts to rural communities of wildlife habitat protection and restoration Development of Protected Areas Digital Spatial Data for the Desert LCC Corridors, Climate Change, and Conservation Planning in the Desert Southwest Impact of Ecosystem Water Balance on Desert Vegetation: Quantification of Historical Patterns and Projection under Climate Change