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This raster dataset depicts percent canopy cover derived from 1-m conifer classifications when aggregated to 30-m cells. Conifer features were classified from 2010, 2012, and 2013 NAIP Digital Ortho Quarter Quads (DOQQ) using the Feature Analyst 5.0 extension for ArcGIS 10.1. Tiles were organized and grouped by Nevada Department of Wildlife Population Management Unit (PMU) locations, plus a 10 km area beyond the PMU extent. Analysts visually identified conifers in the imagery using false color infrared settings and digitized multiple trees per tile as training locations for classification. After performing hierarchical learning and clutter removal with Feature Analyst to remove non-conifer features on output shapefiles,...
Emerging applications of ecosystem resilience and resistance concepts in sagebrush ecosystems allow managers to better predict and mitigate impacts of wildfire and invasive annual grasses. Soil temperature and moisture strongly influence the kind and amount of vegetation, and consequently, are closely tied to sagebrush ecosystem resilience and resistance (Chambers et al. 2014, 2016). Soil taxonomic temperature and moisture regimes can be used as indicators of resilience and resistance at landscape scales to depict environmental gradients in sagebrush ecosystems that range from cold/cool-moist sites to warm-dry sites. We aggregated soil survey spatial and tabular data to facilitate broad-scale analyses of resilience...
A genecological approach was used to explore genetic variation for survival in Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush). Artemisia tridentata is a widespread and foundational shrub species in western North America. This species has become extremely fragmented, to the detriment of dependent wildlife, and efforts to restore it are now a land manage-ment priority. Common- garden experiments were established at three sites with seed-lings from 55 source- populations. Populations included each of the three predominant subspecies, and cytotype variations. Survival was monitored for 5 years to assess dif-ferences in survival between gardens and populations. We found evidence of adap-tive genetic variation for survival. Survival...
The spread and impacts of exotic species are unambiguous, global threats to many ecosystems. A prominent example is the suite of annual grasses in the Bromus genus (Bromus hereafter) that originate from Europe and Eurasia but have invaded or are invading large areas of the Western USA. This book brings a diverse, multidisciplinary group of authors together to synthesize current knowledge, research needs, and management implications for Bromus. Exotic plant invasions are multifaceted problems, and understanding and managing them requires the biological, ecological, sociological, and economic perspectives that are integrated in this book. Knowing how well information from one geographic or environmental setting can...
Melanism (dark coloration) is a condition resulting from a greater than normal expres-sion of the eumelanin pigments in the plumage (Gill 1990). The dark coloration can be advantageous to raptors by increasing the feathers’ resistance to bacterial degradation (Goldstein et al. 2004). conversely, abnormally dark pigmentation can reduce success in pairing by disguising key species-identification cues (García 2003) and decrease lifetime reproductive success by increasing mortality (krüger and lindström 2001). Polymorphism in color, of which melanism is one example, occurs in at least 3.5% of avian species worldwide and in 22% of raptors of the family Accipitridae (harriers, hawks, eagles, kites, and Old World vultures;...
Abstract (from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10980-015-0160-1): Content Changing aspen distribution in response to climate change and fire is a major focus of biodiversity conservation, yet little is known about the potential response of aspen to these two driving forces along topoclimatic gradients. Objective This study is set to evaluate how aspen distribution might shift in response to different climate-fire scenarios in a semi-arid montane landscape, and quantify the influence of fire regime along topoclimatic gradients. Methods We used a novel integration of a forest landscape succession and disturbance model (LANDIS-II) with a fine-scale climatic water deficit approach to simulate dynamics of...
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Accurate and consistent estimates of shrubland ecosystem components are crucial to a better understanding of ecosystems condition in arid and semiarid lands. We developed an innovative approach by integrating multiple information to quantify shrubland components as continuous field products within the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The approach consists of five major parts: field sample collection, high-resolution mapping of shrubland components using WorldView-2 imagery and regression tree models, Landsat 8 radiometric balancing and phenological mosaicking, coarse resolution estimate of shrubland components across a large geographic extent using Landsat 8 phenological mosaics and regression tree models, and...
Although biotic responses to contemporary climate change are spatially pervasive and often reflect synergies between climate and other ecological disturbances, the relative importance of climatic factors versus habitat extent for species persistence remains poorly understood. To address this shortcoming, we performed surveys for American pikas (Ochotona princeps) at > 910 locations in 3 geographic regions of western North America during 2014 and 2015, complementing earlier modern (1994–2013) and historical (1898–1990) surveys. We sought to compare extirpation rates and the relative importance of climatic factors versus habitat area for pikas in a mainland-versus-islands framework. In each region, we found widespread...
Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) has widely invaded the Great Basin, U.S.A. The sporadic natural phenomenon of complete stand failure (‘die- off’) of this invader may present opportunities to restore native plants. A recent die-off in Nevada was precision-planted with seeds of the native grasses Poa secunda (Sandberg bluegrass) and Elymus elymoides (bottlebrush squirreltail), of both local and nonlocal origin, to ask: 1) Can native species be restored in recent B. tectorum die-offs? And 2) Do local and nonlocal seeds differ in performance? Additionally, we asked how litter removal and water addition affected responses. Although emergence and growth of native seeds was lower in die-off than control plots early in year...
We examined patterns of genetic variation and diversity of extant pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) populations across the species’ current range in Nevada and California. Our aims were to determine population genetic structure and levels of diversity across the southern portion of the species’ range. We genotyped 13 microsatellite loci from 194 fecal samples collected across 14 localities. Our Bayesian cluster analyses found 2 genetically distinct groups: 1 in the Mono Basin of California and the other encompassing all remaining Nevada Great Basin populations. Considering only the Nevada Great Basin group, we found 4 minimally divergent groups that overlap spatially with many individuals maintaining composite...
Land managers in the Great Basin are working to maintain or restore sagebrush ecosystems as climate change exacerbates existing threats. Web applications delivering climate change and climate impacts information have the potential to assist their efforts. Although many web applications containing climate information currently exist, few have been co-produced with land managers or have incorporated information specifically focused on land managers’ needs. Through surveys and interviews, we gathered detailed feedback from federal, state, and tribal sagebrush land managers in the Great Basin on climate information web applications targeting land management. We found that a) managers are searching for weather and climate...
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This dataset contains data supporting the paper: DeCrappeo, N.M., DeLorenze, E.J., Giguere, A.T., Pyke, D.A., and Bottomley, P.J. Fungal and bacterial contributions to nitrogen cycling in cheatgrass-invaded and uninvaded native sagebrush soils of the western USA (accepted at the journal Plant and Soil). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relative contributions of soil bacteria and fungi to inorganic nitrogen (N) cycling in sagebrush and cheatgrass-invaded soils using a 15N isotope dilution experiment. Soils were collected from sagebrush and cheatgrass rhizospheres at six paired sites in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon. In order to partition the contribution of each microbial group to N cycling, soils...
Characterizing circadian activity patterns is one of the essential steps to understanding how a species interacts with its environment. This study documented activity patterns of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) in free-ranging populations at 5 sites in Nevada and California. Infrared-triggered camera systems were placed within areas occupied by populations of pygmy rabbits and operated for 1 year. The number of photographs obtained per hour was used as an index of aboveground activity. Activity was analyzed for diel and seasonal patterns as well as for differences among populations. All populations showed a bimodal diel activity pattern with most activity occurring at dawn and at dusk during all seasons....
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Accurate and consistent estimates of shrubland ecosystem components are crucial to a better understanding of ecosystems condition in arid and semiarid lands. We developed an innovative approach by integrating multiple information to quantify shrubland components as continuous field products within the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The approach consists of five major parts: field sample collection, high-resolution mapping of shrubland components using WorldView-2 imagery and regression tree models, Landsat 8 radiometric balancing and phenological mosaicking, coarse resolution estimate of shrubland components across a large geographic extent using Landsat 8 phenological mosaics and regression tree models, and...
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The Great Basin LCC is comprised of partner individuals and organizations. These individuals and groups sit on decision making committees such as the GBLCC Steering Committee and S-TEK Committee, conduct research that is financially supported by GBLCC, particpate in Landscape Conservation Design projects, serve as operations and communications staff for the organization and fill other significant organizational roles. These data contained herein describe the geographic distribution of the individuals and organizations locations of work for the purposes of strategic analysis and planning and public display. All past and present contributors to GBLCC strategic planning, operations, and research are included based...
The phenomenon of cheatgrass die-off is a common and naturally- occurring stand failure that can eliminate the presence of this annual grass for a year or more, affecting tens to hundreds of thousands of acres in some years. We designed a study to determine if the temporary lack of cheatgrass caused by die-offs is a restoration opportunity. We seeded native perennial species at three die-offs in the Winnemucca, Nevada area. Native grass establishment in die-offs was almost three times higher in the first season at all sites, relative to adjacent areas without die-off. In the second season, establishment was five times higher in the die-off at two sites, and plants were notably larger in the die-off at the third...
Rising temperatures have begun to shift flowering time, but it is unclear whether phenotypic plasticity canaccommodate projected temperature change for this century. Evaluating clines in phenological traits and the extentand variation in plasticity can provide key information on assessing risk of maladaptation and developing strategiesto mitigate climate change. In this study, flower phenology was examined in 52 populations of big sagebrush (Artemi-sia tridentata) growing in three common gardens. Flowering date (anthesis) varied 91 days from late July to lateNovember among gardens. Mixed-effects modeling explained 79% of variation in flowering date, of which 46% couldbe assigned to plasticity and genetic variation...
Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) has been developing web applications to centralize and serve credible and usable information that allows natural resource managers, as well as the general public, to better understand the challenges posed by on-going environmental change. In particular CBI has designed a series of climate consoles that provide natural resource managers the most recent 5th Climate Model Intercomparison Program (CMIP5) climate projections, landscape intactness, and soil sensitivity for a series of reporting units over the western United States. The publically available web sites were refined based on feedback from a variety of users. In this paper, we describe each of the tools developed as open-source...
The loss of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) on sites disturbed by fire has motivated restoration seeding and planting efforts. However, the resulting sagebrush establishment is often lower than desired, especially in dry areas. Sagebrush establishment may be increased by addressing factors such as seed source and condition or management of the plant community. We assessed initial establishment of seeded sagebrush and four populations of small outplants (from different geographies, climates, and cytotypes) and small sagebrush outplants in an early seral community where mowing, herbicide, and seeding of other native plants had been experimentally applied. No emergence of seeded sagebrush was detected. Mowing...
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This raster represents a continuous surface of sage-grouse habitat suitability index (HSI) values for Nevada during summer, which is a surrogate for habitat conditions during the sage-grouse brood-rearing period.
map background search result map search result map Summer Season Habitat Suitability Index raster dataset Shrub Percent - Provisional Remote Sensing Shrub/Grass NLCD Products for the Great Basin Shrub Height - Provisional Remote Sensing Shrub/Grass NLCD Products for the Great Basin Nitrogen cycling rates from sagebrush and cheatgrass-invaded soils in the Northern Great Basin (2008) Percent canopy cover of conifers within Nevada and northeastern California sage-grouse habitat (2017) Great Basin LCC Partners Nitrogen cycling rates from sagebrush and cheatgrass-invaded soils in the Northern Great Basin (2008) Summer Season Habitat Suitability Index raster dataset Percent canopy cover of conifers within Nevada and northeastern California sage-grouse habitat (2017) Shrub Percent - Provisional Remote Sensing Shrub/Grass NLCD Products for the Great Basin Shrub Height - Provisional Remote Sensing Shrub/Grass NLCD Products for the Great Basin Great Basin LCC Partners