1 IDENTIFYING SAGE GROUSE LEK & PRAIRIE DOG HABITAT ON WYOMING’S THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND Steve Storie The Pennsylvania State University Master Geographical.

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
Managing Rangelands rangeland: landscape of grasses and/or scattered trees - uncultivated & provides forage for large animals - gradient in precipitation,
Advertisements

The National Greater Sage-Grouse Planning Strategy.
Ecozones Project – Boreal Plains
Types and Characteristics of Different Environments By Martin Eriksson.
 Necessary materials: PowerPoint Guide Teacher Information!
United States and Canada Climate and Resources Chapter 3 Section 2.
Biomes Of the World Karlo Sam & Mike. Where in the World is Mike? Characteristics of this biome include: Extremely cold climate Low biotic diversity Simple.
Chapter 6 Physical Geography.
Chapter 2 Seeing the World Like a Geographer
Measuring Habitat and Biodiversity Outcomes Sara Vickerman and Frank Casey September 26, 2013 Defenders of Wildlife.
Analysis of Conflict between Potential Resource Use and Wildlife Conservation in The Muskuwa-Kechika Management Area Nobuya (Nobi) Suzuki, Natural Resources.
A Spatial Way of Thinking
Name of Your Country Official Nickname of your country Your Name.
Chapter 2 Vocabulary Arid: dry or lacking rainfall; climate zone that is hot and dry all year with little rain Climate: the pattern of weather over a long.
Regions of Texas UNIT 1. What is a Region?  An area of the world that has similar, unifying characteristics.
Challenges and Opportunities for Increased Access to On-shore Federal Lands Natural Gas Technologies What’s New & What’s Next Orlando, FL January 30-February.
1. 2 Waterways in Texas 3 WATER RESOURCES IN TEXAS 1.Rivers – 22 rivers are located in Texas 2.Lakes – Caddo Lake is the only natural lake 3.Reservoirs.
Hill Country Associates Pedernales River analysis Team: Kelly Blanton, Erica Tice, William Weldon, and Paul Starkel.
What is Rangeland?. What is rangeland? Uncultivated land dominated by native plants: grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs. All land that is not.
DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELING GEOG 421: DR. SHUNFU HU, SIUE Project One Steve Klaas Fall 2013.
Regional Geography of North America. Appalachian Region Mountainous East Coast Fold Mountains Formed years ago! Erosion Fertile Plateaus and.
Unit 1. A region is an area that is used to identify and organize areas of the Earth’s surface for various purposes.
Grasslands National Park of Canada. Location Grasslands National Park is located in Val Marie, Saskatchewan. South west part of Saskatchewan.
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Landscape Monitoring Great Basin Pilot Carol Schuler Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science.
History of Rangeland Management
REGIONS OF TEXAS In which region do you live?. REGION A geographical area identified by common features Human Geographical Features Characteristics created.
Oregon Coast Range PAC (Province Advisory Council) Corvallis, OR, April 15, :30 AM Bob Zybach Forest Fire History & Land Use Ecologist: Five Rivers.
The Regions of the United States
 Draw two circles label one the United States and the other Canada (example on the chalk board)  Write words that suggest ways in which Canada and the.
Chapter 2 Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Texas History Section 1: The Physical Landscape of Texas Main Ideas Hills, mountains,
Chapter 3: Geography and History Essential Questions: What are the significant physical features of North America?, How did the United States and Canada.
Canada’s only Grassland National Park. Location Located in Saskatchewan province Just North of the border of Montana Has an east and west half.
BriannaTopia.. By : Brianna LeDuff. Location My desert is hot & dry. It has a hot weather climate. Its located next to south Africa. A couple miles away.
Soil type Vegetation type / Forest density Land Use Fire activity Slopes Support NWS Flash Flood Warning Program: Development of Flash Flood Potential.
Environmental Science Kathey Hoover  Ecology-comes from two greek words meaning the “study of home”  Ecology is the study of organisms in their.
What are Rangelands? Presentation (ppt.)
Developing recommendations for sustainable flows in the Great Lakes Basin of New York and Pennsylvania Sustainable Flows: The flow of water in a natural.
Ecological Zones. Ecozones p.74 What is an ecozone? An ecozone is a large region; look at how human activities interact with environment -ecozone is swamps,
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
Environmental Science
Biomes of the World.
Research and Conservation on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation
Thunder Basin Research Initiative
Physical Geography of Latin America
ECOSYSTEMS.
Biomes of the World.
What is a biome? A BIOME is the largest geographic biotic unit, a major community of ________ and ___________ with ________ life forms and ___________conditions.
Unit 2: The Ecozone Jigsaw
Physical Geography of Latin America
Biomes of the World.
Climate of Rangelands Presentation (ppt.) There are J. Peterson
Biomes of the World.
Unit 1 Five Themes of Geography
Hill Country Associates Pedernales River analysis
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
Chapter 21 Biomes of the World
Biomes of the World.
Biomes of the World.
What is a biome? A BIOME is the largest geographic biotic unit, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.
Final Jeopardy 100 pt 100 pt 100 pt 100 pt ? 200 pt 200 pt 200pt
5 Themes of Geography: place.
Countries in North America. Countries in North America.
Why do different organisms live in different places?
Biomes of the World.
Presentation transcript:

1 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

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 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 DescriptionSourceComments Sage grouse leks Wyoming Game and Fish In hand StreamsUSGS National Hydrography Dataset In hand RoadsCensus Bureau Tiger Line Data In hand Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule Sage Grouse Leks and Drainages

15 POLYGON DATA DescriptionSourceComments Water bodiesUSGS National Hydrography Dataset In hand NRCS soil ecological sites Natural Resource Conservation Service In hand Vegetation map UnknownIn hand Prairie dog towns Wyoming Game and Fish Partially in hand Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

16 RASTER DATA DescriptionSourceComments Vegetation cover TBGPEAIn hand ElevationUSGSIn 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 DataObtain Line DataObtain Polygon DataObtain 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 TASKDEADLINE Locate prairie dog town data April 2010 Perform data analysisMay 2010 Complete final paperJune 2010 Complete final presentation June 2010 Give final presentationJuly-Oct 2010 Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

25 QUESTIONS ???