the habitat priority planner - new hampshire · the habitat priority planner (hpp) is a gis-based...

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

The Habitat Priority Planner: A GIS-Based Tool to Help Focus Financial and

Community Resources on Critical Areas

NHDES Water & Watershed Meeting 2009

Shane Bradt UNH Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

My experience with HPP

  Introduced to tool at NOAA CSC in Dec 2007

  “This is how GIS-based decision making is supposed to happen! Could I have done this myself by hand? Probably. Would I? Probably not. Would it be as easy to use? No!”

  Included HPP in Co-occurrence & Habitat Mapping workshops at UNHCE

  Four workshops in 2008 – 41 participants   One workshop in 2009 – 8 participants

  Hosted first CSC-designed HPP hands-on training at UNH   June 2009 – 16 participants

  HPP workshop offered by UNHCE at UNH   December 2009

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

The Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) is a GIS-based tool for prioritizing important areas in

the landscape or seascape.

The HPP tool provides:   Decision-making support that increases the transparency,

objectivity, and repeatability of the process.   Flexibility: HPP can be used for conservation, restoration,

and land use planning applications.   Method to engage stakeholders.

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Making maps & decisions

CMECS Classes Mud (es1BbUB3) Shell Hash (es1BbUB5a) Oyster (es1BcRF1a) Sand (es1BbUB2b) Mixed Sediments (es1BbUB6h)

Sand (es1BbUB2b-sand wave) Sand (es1BbUB2b-tidal inlet)

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Habitat Priority Planner At a Glance

Applications •  Conservation and restoration

planning •  Land use planning •  Interactive decision making

Intended Users •  Land use planners •  Conservation groups •  Resource managers •  Researchers

Applications •  Any GIS-based activity where

areas of a town, watershed, state, ect. need to be prioritized

•  Interactive decision making

Intended Users •  Anyone who would like to

prioritize areas of a areas of a town, watershed, state based on GIS data

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Habitat Priority Planner

Step 1: Classify Habitats Step 2: Habitat Analysis Step 3: Explore Data

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Software Requirements •  ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 or 9.3 •  ESRI’s Spatial Analyst extension •  Microsoft’s .NET ArcGIS Application

Framework

•  Raster landcover layer •  Site - specific data sets (optional)

Data Requirements

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

NH specific landcover data set

Inventory of all landcover categories throughout NH

Developed in cooperation with numerous state and regional organizations

Land Cover Data NH GRANIT

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

National coastal land cover and change mapping program

Inventory of intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent upland, produced/updated every 5

years

Consistent, accurate products through standard data and methods

Coastal Expression of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD)

Land Cover Data NOAA C-CAP

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Step 1: Classify Your Habitats

UNIQUE GROUPED

SIMPLE

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Patch: a single polygon of one habitat type

Raster data   Any adjacent or diagonal

connection

Vector data   Strict adjacency   Watch out for slivers!

Classification Schemes – Patch Definition

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Additional Classification Methods

Unique classification   More detailed   Preserved from land cover

data

Example unique classes Estuarine and Marine Deepwater

Estuarine and Marine Wetland

Freshwater Emergent Wetland

Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Additional Classification Methods

Grouped classification   Functional groups are user-

determined

Example grouped classes

Freshwater Wetland

Saltwater Wetland

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Land Use Scenario Change

BEFORE

AFTER

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UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Step 2 - Habitat Analysis Core Metrics

Habitat Quality •  Size •  Perimeter-Area Ratio •  Core Area

Habitat Connectivity

•  Proximity

•  Nearest Neighbor

Size 20acres

Size High Low CORE AREA PROXIMITY NEAREST NEIGHBOR

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Step 2 – Habitat Analysis Custom Metrics

•  Count •  Distance to •  Presence/Absence •  Polygon overlay •  Linear Distance Within

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Step 3 – Explore Data

•  Graph based selections

•  Easy query building •  Quick analysis •  Transparent decision-

making

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Step 3 – Participatory GIS

•  Interactive planning •  Fast changes •  Decision scenarios

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Participatory GIS and HPP

Creates transparent decision making

Facilitates group buy-in

Identifies data gaps

Provides a resource for stakeholder participation

  Determines when stakeholder participation is needed   Identifies stakeholders   Evaluates the processes

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

Habitat Priority Planner Outputs

Step 1: Classified Habitats

Step 2: Habitat Analysis

results & Report

Step 3: Habitats meeting

selection criteria

UNH Cooperative Extension 2009

The Habitat Priority Planner

Download the tool and instructions from http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hpp/

For More Information: Contact Danielle.Bamford@noaa.gov