A geographical information systems (GIS) database for sage grouse and shrubsteppe management in the Intermountain West

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Abstract:

Federal and state land and wildlife agencies currently need spatial data which are readily available and documented to properly address critical issues in management of shrubsteppe in the western United States. In this project, we will play a lead role by providing data that will help our understanding of factors causing the loss of shrub steppe habitats, that can be used in the decision process for listing of sage grouse as a Threatened or Endangered Species, and help guide decisions on restoration of habitat in the Great Basin. For the sage grouse range and shrubsteppe regions in the western United States, spatial data currently are limited in the extent of coverage, not readily accessible because of computer software or hardware incompatibility, or may not be available in digital format. Therefore, collecting, documenting, and making common datasets available for subsequent analyses are important components in critical issues relative to management of shrubsteppe habitats in the western United States. We will not create new datasets on this study. Rather, we will assemble existing data, recognizing that not all hardcopy data can be digitized within the scope of this study. Data on this project will be collected from many different entities. We also expect that the data will be derived from a variety of sources, such as remotely sensed data, digitized from USGS base maps, or developed from site-specific information located by a Global Positioning System. We also must ensure that data that we will make available for research or management will be compliant to Federal Geographic Data Committee's standards for geospatial data. As such, the information will need to be documented through metadata. Researchers and managers will be able to use the spatial data to document current habitat and other environmental conditions, and to identify areas that have undergone significant changes in land cover and potentially identify underlying causes. As such, development of a reliable spatial database carries multiple benefits for land and wildlife management. The database will permit an analysis for large-scale and range-wide factors that may be causing declines in sage grouse populations. Our database would benefit current research projects, such as those conducted by Idaho Fish and Game on sage grouse in several parts of southern Idaho. Important areas for sage grouse can be identified from habitat modeling that incorporates the individual habitat layers in the GIS as a second step after the database is established. For example, using maps of predicted distributions derived from the GIS analysis, managers can identify regions containing high probability of use and maintain areas of sufficient size to contain viable populations, or identify habitat corridors for dispersal and migration. State agencies and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the primary entities responsible for management of sage grouse and their habitats, will need the information in developing responses if sage grouse are listed as a Threatened or Endangered Species. Other ongoing or proposed efforts, such as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Great Basin Restoration Initiative will benefit from identification of high-priority regions of remaining sagebrush and from an analysis of disturbance history and habitat change.

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Reference Code: UNDKNI01IDUS

Full Citation: Knick, S. T. No date. A geographical information systems (GIS) database for sage grouse and shrubsteppe management in the Intermountain West. U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Snake River Field Station, Boise, ID. 6 pp.

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Related URL: http://sagemap.wr.usgs.gov/aboutSagemap.aspx