Exposure, sensitivity, and vulnerability to drivers of ecological change for Ecological Site Groups of southeastern Utah, USA

These data were compiled to estimate vulnerability to multiple drivers of ecological change at the landscape scale in southeastern Utah based on sensitivity to state change and spatial exposure of Ecological Site Groups (ESGs) developed by Nauman et al. (2022). The objectives of our study were to: (1) estimate sensitivity of ESGs to aridification, livestock grazing, invasive species, surface disturbance, and fire from systematic classifications of the states and transitions described in Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Ecological Site Description (ESD) State and Transition Models (STMs) produced by Duniway et al. (2026); (2) map spatial exposure to these drivers of change using nationally available spatial datasets; and, (3) synthesize sensitivity and exposure for ESGs to estimate landscape-scale vulnerability to each driver. These data (.tif and tif.aux files contained within .zip files) represent digital maps of sensitivity and vulnerability for the study area. An associated data table (.csv file) summarizes for each ESG the percent area exposed, sensitivity, and a hexadecimal color code representing vulnerability that can be used to generate vulnerability maps like those in Stegner et al. (2026). The spatial extent of these data is delineated by the Bureau of Land Management Canyon Country District Office in southeastern Utah and includes all surface management jurisdictions within those bounds and within the distribution of ESGs. These data were created by the U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center. These data can be used to assess exposure, sensitivity, and vulnerability to drivers of ecological change and to inform management actions in southeastern Utah.