Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Effectiveness Monitoring Active
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources, the efficacy of habitat management projects, and effects of energy development on wildlife and socioeconomics. We’re also developing protocols for region-level monitoring long-term vegetation trends and modeling future resource conditions. Associated outreach highlights include developing online tools and data resources to support natural resource planning and management, and the efforts of FORT’s WLCI liaison, who spearheads WLCI Science Conferences and integrates science with WLCI management and conservation activities.
Federal, State, industry, and nongovernmental organizations have been funding habitat improvement treatments across southwestern Wyoming. A primary goal of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) is to monitor and assess the effectiveness of these treatments at individual sites and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting landscape-level conservation goals, such as connecting fragmented habitats. The Effectiveness Monitoring task is intended to help guide the design and development of future habitat treatments and to improve the ability of these treatments to meet WLCI landscape conservation objectives.
Effectiveness monitoring includes measuring vegetation and soil responses to treatments, developing methods for using remotely sensed estimates of plant productivity to evaluate habitat treatments, and investigating relations between energy development and soil and surface-water salinity. As part of the USGS WLCI effectiveness-monitoring effort, information is collected to assess the effectiveness of a range of habitat treatments (for example, applying herbicide to sagebrush or thinning aspen stands). Existing data associated with past and current habitat treatments have been acquired and evaluated to assess their effectiveness in meeting WLCI conservation goals. Assessments entail comparing historical treatments of different ages as well as before-and-after comparisons of new treatments. Effectiveness is being measured on the basis of multiple factors, including species composition and cover, bare soil cover, forestry metrics (aspen), and biotic and abiotic properties of soils. In addition, researchers are collaborating with scientists working on projects funded by other sources to ascertain the effects of habitat treatments on wildlife use (for example, greater sage-grouse and elk [Cervus elaphus]), which is an essential measure of success resulting from individual and cumulative habitat treatments.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Spatial and temporal trends of drought effects in a heterogeneous semi-arid forest ecosystem
Mapping forest functional type in a forest-shrubland ecotone using SPOT imagery and predictive habitat distribution modelling
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2014 annual report
Forecasting sagebrush ecosystem components and greater sage-grouse habitat for 2050: learning from past climate patterns and Landsat imagery to predict the future
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources, the efficacy of habitat management projects, and effects of energy development on wildlife and socioeconomics. We’re also developing protocols for region-level monitoring long-term vegetation trends and modeling future resource conditions. Associated outreach highlights include developing online tools and data resources to support natural resource planning and management, and the efforts of FORT’s WLCI liaison, who spearheads WLCI Science Conferences and integrates science with WLCI management and conservation activities.
Federal, State, industry, and nongovernmental organizations have been funding habitat improvement treatments across southwestern Wyoming. A primary goal of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) is to monitor and assess the effectiveness of these treatments at individual sites and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting landscape-level conservation goals, such as connecting fragmented habitats. The Effectiveness Monitoring task is intended to help guide the design and development of future habitat treatments and to improve the ability of these treatments to meet WLCI landscape conservation objectives.
Effectiveness monitoring includes measuring vegetation and soil responses to treatments, developing methods for using remotely sensed estimates of plant productivity to evaluate habitat treatments, and investigating relations between energy development and soil and surface-water salinity. As part of the USGS WLCI effectiveness-monitoring effort, information is collected to assess the effectiveness of a range of habitat treatments (for example, applying herbicide to sagebrush or thinning aspen stands). Existing data associated with past and current habitat treatments have been acquired and evaluated to assess their effectiveness in meeting WLCI conservation goals. Assessments entail comparing historical treatments of different ages as well as before-and-after comparisons of new treatments. Effectiveness is being measured on the basis of multiple factors, including species composition and cover, bare soil cover, forestry metrics (aspen), and biotic and abiotic properties of soils. In addition, researchers are collaborating with scientists working on projects funded by other sources to ascertain the effects of habitat treatments on wildlife use (for example, greater sage-grouse and elk [Cervus elaphus]), which is an essential measure of success resulting from individual and cumulative habitat treatments.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Spatial and temporal trends of drought effects in a heterogeneous semi-arid forest ecosystem
Drought has long been recognized as a driving mechanism in the forests of western North America and drought-induced mortality has been documented across genera in recent years. Given the frequency of these events are expected to increase in the future, understanding patterns of mortality and plant response to severe drought is important to resource managers. Drought can affect the functional, physAuthorsTimothy J. Assal, Patrick J. Anderson, Jason SiboldMapping forest functional type in a forest-shrubland ecotone using SPOT imagery and predictive habitat distribution modelling
The availability of land cover data at local scales is an important component in forest management and monitoring efforts. Regional land cover data seldom provide detailed information needed to support local management needs. Here we present a transferable framework to model forest cover by major plant functional type using aerial photos, multi-date Système Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) imAuthorsTimothy J. Assal, Patrick J. Anderson, Jason SiboldU.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2014 annual report
This is the seventh report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual activities conducted by the USGS for addressing specific management needs identified by WLCI partners. In FY2014, there were 26 projects, including a new one that was completed, two others that were also completed, and several that entered new phases orAuthorsZachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Timothy T. Bartos, Laura R Biewick, Gregory K. Boughton, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Marie K. Dematatis, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, Collin G. Homer, Christopher Huber, Matthew J. Kauffman, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Cynthia P. Melcher, Alexander Miller, Kirk A. Miller, Edward M. Olexa, Spencer Schell, Annika W. Walters, Anna B. Wilson, Teal B. WyckoffForecasting sagebrush ecosystem components and greater sage-grouse habitat for 2050: learning from past climate patterns and Landsat imagery to predict the future
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems constitute the largest single North American shrub ecosystem and provide vital ecological, hydrological, biological, agricultural, and recreational ecosystem services. Disturbances have altered and reduced this ecosystem historically, but climate change may ultimately represent the greatest future risk. Improved ways to quantify, monitor, and predict climate-dAuthorsCollin G. Homer, George Z. Xian, Cameron L. Aldridge, Debra K. Meyer, Thomas R. Loveland, Michael S. O'Donnell - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.