identifying sage grouse lek & prairie dog habitat on wyoming’s thunder basin grassland
DESCRIPTION
IDENTIFYING SAGE GROUSE LEK & PRAIRIE DOG HABITAT ON WYOMING’S THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND. Steve Storie. The Pennsylvania State University Master Geographical Information Systems Program Geography 596A Capstone Project Proposal Presentation April 1, 2010 Douglas Miller, Advisor. Overview. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
1
IDENTIFYING SAGE GROUSE LEK & PRAIRIE DOG HABITAT ON WYOMING’S
THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND
Steve Storie
The Pennsylvania State UniversityMaster Geographical Information Systems Program
Geography 596ACapstone Project Proposal Presentation
April 1, 2010
Douglas Miller, Advisor
2
Overview
• Study Area• Project Objectives• Data• Methods• Timeline• Anticipated
Results
3
Thunder Basin Grassland Prairie Ecosystem Association
(TBGPEA)
•Formed in 1999 to address land management issues•Provides voluntary non-profit privately-led efforts•Partners with government•Backs responsible economic use.• Demonstrates effective stewardship.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
4
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
• History, ecology, and economy discussed in 2001 symposium;
• Methods of formulating and implementing an ecosystem management plan discussed in 2004;
• Ecological assessment of terrestrial ecosystems by EMRI completed in 2008.
5
LAND OWNERSHIP
• Private (members)- 25%• Private (non-members)-
34%• US Forest Service- 31%• Bureau of Land
Management- 4%• State of Wyoming- 6%
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Land Ownership in Study Area
6
ISSUES• Land Uses
– Grazing– Wildlife– Coal, oil, & gas
extraction• Land Management
– Maintain range– Maintain wildlife
habitat– Reclaim mined land
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Large Coal Mine
Oil Pump Station
7
RANGE MANAGEMENT ISSUES
• Exotic plant species– 41% of ecosites with
> 5% exotic cover – Influenced by
grazing and fire management
• Reseeding go-back lands– Previously farmed
lands– Abandoned prairie
dog towns
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Cheat Grass
Rabbit by Abandoned Prairie Dog Hole
8
WILDLIFE ISSUES
• Sage grouse– Half of population in
Wyoming– Habitat dividing– Population declining
• Prairie dogs– Holes provide
habitat for other animals
– Nuisance to ranchers
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Male Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)
9
ENERGY ISSUES
• Reseed range for grazing
• Minimize impact to existing wildlife habitat
• Reconstruct wildlife habitat
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Cattle Grazing on Reclaimed Land
Pronghorn Grazing on Reclaimed Land
10
MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
• Changing traditional attitudes about solving public and private land issues;
• Getting a management consensus between multiple private and government entities;
• Implementing management plans across private and public land ownership boundaries.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
11
PHYSIOGRAPHY
• Transition area between Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to the west.
• Elevation ranges from 4000 to 5300 feet.
• Surface geology consists of weathered bedrock mixed with alluvium, eolian, and slopewash.
• Desert and prairie soils.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Wyoming Landforms
12
HYDROLOGY & CLIMATE
• Drainage east to Cheyenne and Missouri Rivers.
• Hot summers and cold winters.
• 12.5 inches of precipitation.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Cheyenne River Bridge
Study Area in Summer
Study Area in Winter
13
OBJECTIVES
• Locate and characterize prairie dog town and sage grouse lek habitat;
• Identify the management challenges if habitat is favorable for both prairie dogs and sage grouse.
• Provide management recommendations
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Male Sage Grouse Strutting at a Lek
Prairie Dogs
14
POINT & LINE DATA
Description
Source Comments
Sage grouse leks
Wyoming Game and Fish
In hand
Streams USGS National Hydrography Dataset
In hand
Roads Census Bureau Tiger Line Data
In hand
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Sage Grouse Leks and Drainages
15
POLYGON DATADescription
Source Comments
Water bodies
USGS National Hydrography Dataset
In hand
NRCS soil ecological sites
Natural Resource Conservation Service
In hand
Vegetation map
Unknown In hand
Prairie dog towns
Wyoming Game and Fish
Partially in hand
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
0 10 205Kilometers
4
NRCS ECOLOGICAL SITES
CLAYEY
CLAYEY OVERFLOW
GULLIED LAND
LOAMY
LOWLAND
MINES/PITS/DUMPS
OVERFLOW
SALINE LOWLAND
SALINE UPLAND
SANDS/SANDY
SHALLOW CLAYEY
SHALLOW HILLY
SHALLOW LOAMY
SHALLOW SANDY
SUBIRRIGATED
URBAN LAND
VERY SHALLOW
WATER
THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEM ASSOCIATIONNRCS ECOLOGICAL SITES
Study area is in red.
WYOMING
16
RASTER DATA
Description Source Comments
Vegetation cover
TBGPEA In hand
Elevation USGS In hand
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Elevation Raster Data
17
METHODS- OVERVIEW
• Retrieve all data• Identify suitable sage grouse and
prairie dog habitat on study area• Characterize habitat of actual sage
grouse and prairie dog town locations• Provide management
recommendations to TBGPEA
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
18
METHODS- CREATE RASTERS
• Create slope and slope aspect rasters from elevation data;
• Create buffers around point and line data;
• Create rasters of polygon and buffered data.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Slope Raster Data
19
METHODS- RECLASSIFY RASTER DATA
• Reclassify rasters at prairie dog town and sage grouse lek locations to identify habitat characteristics;
• Convert reclassified rasters to point shapefiles for statistical analyses;
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Slope Less Than Five Percent
20
METHODS- FLOW CHART
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Obtain Point Data Obtain Line Data Obtain Polygon Data Obtain Raster Data
Create Buffers
Convert to Raster
Reclassify Rasters
Identify Suitable Habitat by Raster Calculation
Prepare Maps of Suitable Habitat
Research Best Management Practices
Provide Best Practices Recommendations to TBGPEA
21
METHODS- STATISTICAL ANALYSES
• ArcGIS spatial analyst tools;
• ArcGIS spatial statistics tools;
• Point pattern analysis;
• Histograms;• Normal qq plots.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
Slope Histogram
22
DELIVERABLES
• Provide a habitat suitability index• Maps showing suitable sage grouse
and prairie dog habitat• Recommended best management
practices for specific areas
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
23
ANTICIPATED RESULTS
• Identify typical habitat for existing prairie dog towns and sage grouse leks.
• Identify management conflicts between prairie dog towns and sage grouse leks.
• Provide best management practices to TBGPEA.
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
24
SCHEDULE
TASK DEADLINE
Locate prairie dog town data
April 2010
Perform data analysis May 2010
Complete final paper June 2010
Complete final presentation
June 2010
Give final presentation
July-Oct 2010
Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule
25
QUESTIONS ???