landscape integrity jamie trammell-aknhp. landscape integrity landscape integrity dataset for...

Landscape IntegrityJamie Trammell-AKNHP

Landscape Integrity

• Landscape Integrity dataset for current, near-term, and long-term– Landscape Condition Model (LCM)– Large Intact Blocks (LIB)

• Conservation Element status for current, near-term, and long-term

• Ecological Intactness for current, near-term, and long-term

Landscape Condition Model

NatureServe (Comer and Hak)

1. Identify any/all human footprint2. Assign impact factors to each

footprint type3. Assign distance decay values to

each impact4. Sum total impact over landscape

Approach to LCM

Theme Data SourceSite

Impact Score

Est. Relative Stress

Decay Distance (m)

Transportation Dirt roads, 4-wheel drive ESRI StreetMap 0.7 Low 500Local and connecting roads ESRI StreetMap 0.5 Medium 500Secondary and connecting roads ESRI StreetMap 0.2 High 1000Primary Highways with limited access ESRI StreetMap 0.05 Very High 5000Primary Highways w/out limited access ESRI StreetMap 0.05 Very High 5000Urban and Industrial Development Low Density Development NLCD 2001 0.6 Medium 1000Medium Density Development NLCD 2001 0.5 Medium 1000Powerline/Transmission lines DNR 0.5 Medium 500Oil /gas Wells DNR 0.5 Medium 500High Density Development NLCD 2001 0.05 Very High 5000Mines USGS 0.05 Very High 500Managed and Modified Land Cover Ruderal Forest & Upland AK Mosaic 0.9 Very Low 0Native Veg. with introduced Species AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.9 Very Low 0Recently Logged AK Mosaic 0.9 Very Low 200Managed Tree Plantations AK Mosaic 0.8 Low 200Introduced Tree & Shrub AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.5 Medium 200Introduced Upland grass & forb AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.5 Medium 200Introduced Wetland AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.3 High 200Cultivated Agriculture AK Mosaic 0.3 High 200

Approach to LCM-YKL

Theme Data SourceSite

Impact Score

Est. Relative Stress

Decay Distance (m)

Transportation Dirt roads, 4-wheel drive ESRI StreetMap 0.7 Low 500Local and connecting roads ESRI StreetMap 0.5 Medium 500Secondary and connecting roads ESRI StreetMap 0.2 High 1000Primary Highways with limited access ESRI StreetMap 0.05 Very High 5000Primary Highways w/out limited access ESRI StreetMap 0.05 Very High 5000Urban and Industrial Development Low Density Development NLCD 2001 0.6 Medium 1000Medium Density Development NLCD 2001 0.5 Medium 1000Powerline/Transmission lines DNR 0.5 Medium 500Oil /gas Wells DNR 0.5 Medium 500High Density Development NLCD 2001 0.05 Very High 5000Mines USGS 0.05 Very High 500Managed and Modified Land Cover Ruderal Forest & Upland AK Mosaic 0.9 Very Low 0Native Veg. with introduced Species AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.9 Very Low 0Recently Logged AK Mosaic 0.9 Very Low 200Managed Tree Plantations AK Mosaic 0.8 Low 200Introduced Tree & Shrub AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.5 Medium 200Introduced Upland grass & forb AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.5 Medium 200Introduced Wetland AK Mosaic/AKEPIC 0.3 High 200Cultivated Agriculture AK Mosaic 0.3 High 200

YKL LCM Data

YKL LCM Data

YKL LCM Data

YKL LCM Data

Landscape Condition Model

Used Euclidean Distance to calculate distance decay• Create a gradient increasing in values as

you move toward the end of the buffer• Multiply by impact factor

YKL LCM Data

YKL LCM Data

YKL LCM Data

Landscape Condition Model

Combined all individual models into final LCM• Merged the datasets using MIN rules–Originally proposed a fuzzy sum, but

doesn’t make sense to reduce (by averaging) the impact of the high impact footprints

Current Landscape Condition

As expected, most of the YKL is relatively pristine

Intense, localized impact

Spatial resolution (60 m)

Current Landscape Condition

As expected, most of the YKL is relatively pristine

Intense, localized impact

Spatial resolution (60 m)

Current Landscape Condition

As expected, most of the YKL is relatively pristine

Intense, localized impact

Spatial resolution (60 m)

Current Landscape Condition

As expected, most of the YKL is relatively pristine

Intense, localized impact

Spatial resolution (60 m)

Current Landscape Condition

As expected, most of the YKL is relatively pristine

Intense, localized impact

Spatial resolution (60 m)

Current Landscape Integrity

However, this scale is not appropriate (very likely we have missed impacts)

98.4% of the ecoregion is completely intact

Using the raw LCM, we can segment into Large Intact Blocks

Current Landscape Condition

Summarized by 10-digit HUC

Overall condition still very high

Some patterns begin to emerge

Current Landscape Integrity

83% of the ecoregion (by HUC) is completely intact

If we take the top 4 of the 5 quintiles, we see a partially fragmented landscape

All are Large Intact Blocks > 50,000 acres

Current Landscape Integrity

49% of the ecoregion (by HUCs) is completely intact

If we look at HUCs where there is no human footprint whatsoever, we get an even more fragmented landscape

Current Landscape Integrity

49% of the ecoregion (by HUCs) is completely intact

If we look at HUCs where there is no human footprint whatsoever, we get an even more fragmented landscape

All are Large Intact Blocks > 50,000 acres

Next Steps

Assess the status of each CE according to the LCM– Using the 10-digit HUC summarized LCM– First done for current time period, then near and

long-term time periods

Current CE Status

We will be examining the distribution of each CE and assessing it’s habitat status according to the Landscape Integrity

Summary1. Landscape condition of the YKL is

very good2. When summarized at the 10-digit

HUC (5th level watershed) there are some clear patterns that can be used to infer overall intactness

3. Level of landscape integrity an important management question

Questions or Comments?

Jamie Trammell786-4865ejtrammell@uaa.alaska.edu