Zach Ancona
Zach Ancona is a Physical Scientist with the Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Integrating land use land cover change into future scenarios of electricity systems - Data Release
Modeled projections for deep decarbonization require large amounts of solar energy, which may compete with other land uses such as agriculture, urbanization, and conservation of natural lands. Existing capacity expansion models do not integrate land use land cover change (LULC) dynamics into projections. We explored the interaction between projected LULC and solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment by i
Digital Data for Land and climate change in Mexico and Texas reveals small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, a key region supporting spring and
United States Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (ver. 2.0, August 2024)
Over 4,400 large scale commercial solar facilities are in operation in the United States as of December, 2021, representing over 60 gigawatts of electric power capacity; of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted with capacities of 1MW or more, specified as large scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities. LSPV ground-mounted installations continue to grow, with over 400 projects coming online in 202
Wind turbine wakes can impact down-wind vegetation greenness
Global wind energy has expanded 5-fold since 2010 and is predicted to expand another 8�10-fold over the next 30 years. Wakes generated by wind turbines can alter downwind microclimates and potentially downwind vegetation. However, the design of past studies has made it difficult to isolate the impact of wake effects on vegetation from land cover change. We used hourly wind data to model wake and n
Urban landcover differentially drives day and nighttime air temperature across a semi-arid city
Semi-arid urban environments are undergoing an increase in air temperatures, both in average temperatures and in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. Within cities, different varieties of urban landcovers (ULC) and their densities influence local air temperatures, either mitigating or increasing heat. Currently, understanding how various combinations of ULCs influence air temperatur
Spatial social value distributions for multiple user groups in a coastal national park
Public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) is increasingly used in coastal settings to inform natural resource management and spatial planning. Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), a PPGIS tool that systematizes the mapping and modeling of social values and cultural ecosystem services, is promising for use in coastal settings but has seen relatively limited applications
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Predicted Wind Take Allocated To Hibernacula Each Year Under Current and Future Scenarios
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' (USFWS) Species Status Assessment ('SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call,
Data release for Accounting for Land in the United States: Integrating Physical Land Cover, Land Use, and Monetary Valuation
Land plays a critical role in both economic and environmental accounting. As an asset, it occupies a unique position at the intersection of the System of National Accounts (SNA), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Central Framework (SEEA-CF), and (as a spatial unit) SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA), making land a natural starting point for developing natural capital a
Data release for Integrating physical and economic data into experimental water accounts for the United States: lessons and opportunities
Water provides society with economic benefits that increasingly involve tradeoffs, making accounting for water quality, quantity, and their corresponding economic productivity more relevant in our interconnected world. In the past, physical and economic data about water have been fragmented, but integration is becoming more widely adopted internationally through application of the System of Enviro
Data Release for Testing ecosystem accounting in the United States: A case study for the Southeast
Ecosystems benefit people in many ways, but these contributions do not appear in traditional national or corporate accounts so are often left out of policy- and decision-making. Ecosystem accounts, as formalized by the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA EEA), track the extent and condition of ecosystem assets and the flows of ecosystem services they p
Data Release for Toward ecosystem accounts for Rwanda: Tracking 25 years of change in ecosystem service potential and flows
Ecosystem accounts link national-scale environmental and economic trends, offering an internationally standardized approach to tracking sustainability. We compile ecosystem accounts for Rwanda over a 25-year period, and demonstrate that despite strong economic growth, social development, and high-level commitment to environmental goals, ecosystem services fundamental to Rwanda's well-being have de
Data release for Using social-context matching to improve transfer performance for cultural ecosystem service models
Spatial planning is becoming an increasingly important component of managing natural resources in the face of growing demands upon and threats to our public lands. Efforts to model and map the goods and services derived from ecosystems provide important information to planning efforts, permitting the analysis of tradeoffs or costs and benefits associated with management alternatives. Much progress
Filter Total Items: 20
The interplay of future solar energy, land cover change, and their projected impacts on natural lands and croplands in the US
Projections for deep decarbonization require large amounts of solar energy, which may compete with other land uses such as agriculture, urbanization, and conservation of natural lands. Existing capacity expansion models do not integrate land use land cover change (LULC) dynamics into projections. We explored the interaction between projected LULC, solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment, and solar impa
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Brian Sergi, Anthony Lopez, Travis Williams, Michael Gleason, Zachary H. Ancona, Wesely Cole
Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~ 30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, U.S. This regio
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Francisco Botello, Mark A. Drummond, Zachary H. Ancona, Lucila Marie Corro, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Peter Christian Ibsen, Rafael Moreno-Sanchez, Laura Lukens, Victor Sanchez-Cordero
Georectified polygon database of ground-mounted large-scale solar photovoltaic sites in the United States
Over 4,400 large-scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities operate in the United States as of December 2021, representing more than 60 gigawatts of electric energy capacity. Of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted LSPV facilities with capacities of 1 MWdc or more. Ground mounted LSPV installations continue increasing, with more than 400 projects appearing online in 2021 alone; however, a comprehe
Authors
Sydny K. Fujita, Zachary H. Ancona, Louisa Kramer, Mary Straka, Tandie E. Gautreau, Dana Robson, Christopher P. Garrity, Ben Hoen, James E. Diffendorfer
Wind turbine wakes can impact down-wind vegetation greenness
Global wind energy has expanded 5-fold since 2010 and is predicted to expand another 8–10-fold over the next 30 years. Wakes generated by wind turbines can alter downwind microclimates and potentially downwind vegetation. However, the design of past studies has made it difficult to isolate the impact of wake effects on vegetation from land cover change. We used hourly wind data to model wake and n
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Zachary H. Ancona
Spatial social value distributions for multiple user groups in a coastal national park
Managing public lands to maximize societal benefits requires spatially explicit understanding of societal valuation, and public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) are increasingly used in coastal settings to accomplish this task. Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), a PPGIS tool that systematizes the mapping and modeling of social values and cultural ecosystem services,
Authors
Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Lena Le, Darius J. Semmens, Benson C. Sherrouse, Grant Murray, Philip S. Cook, Eva DiDonato
Estimating the pelagic ocean’s benefits to humanity can enhance ocean governance
The human footprint on the global ocean is ever-increasing, particularly with new ways to grow food in the ocean, new technologies in marine energy production as a way to resolve climate change, and transport and commerce expanding across the ocean. Yet, human activities in the ocean have long been managed using a sectoral approach (e.g., fisheries, biodiversity protection, energy production, ship
Authors
Lida Teneva, Aaron L. Strong, Vera Agostini, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Evangelina G Drakou, Zachary H. Ancona, Kristina Gjerde, Andrew C Hume, Nicholas Jickling
Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES): Open-source spatial modeling of cultural services
Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) version 4.0 is a fully open-source, GIS-based tool designed to aid in the creation of quantitative, spatially explicit models of the nonmonetary values attributed to cultural ecosystem services, such as aesthetics and recreation, specifically to facilitate their incorporation into larger ecosystem service assessments. Newly redeveloped for QGIS, SolVES
Authors
Benson C. Sherrouse, Darius J. Semmens, Zachary H. Ancona
Accounting for land in the United States: Integrating physical land cover, land use, and monetary valuation
Land plays a critical role in both economic and environmental accounting. As an asset, it occupies a unique position at the intersection of the System of National Accounts (SNA), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Central Framework (SEEA-CF), and (as a spatial unit) SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA), making land a natural starting point for developing natural capital a
Authors
Scott A. Wentland, Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, James W. Boyd, Julie L. Hass, Marina Gindelsky, Jeremy G. Moulton
Integrating physical and economic data into experimental water accounts for the United States: Lessons and opportunities
Water management increasingly involves tradeoffs, making its accounting highly relevant in our interconnected world. Physical and economic data about water in many nations are becoming more widely integrated through application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-Water), which enables the tracking of linkages between water and the economy. We present the first national
Authors
Kenneth J. Bagstad, Zachary H. Ancona, Julie L. Hass, Pierre D. Glynn, Scott Wentland, Michael Vardon, John P. Fay
Reducing water scarcity by improving water productivity in the United States
Nearly one-sixth of U.S. river basins are unable to consistently meet societal water demands while also providing sufficient water for the environment. Water scarcity is expected to intensify and spread as populations increase, new water demands emerge, and climate changes. Improving water productivity by meeting realistic benchmarks for all water users could allow U.S. communities to expand econo
Authors
Landon Marston, Gambhir Lamsal, Zachary H. Ancona, Peter V Caldwell, Brian Richter, Benjamin Ruddell, Richard Rushforth, Kyle F. Davis
A rasterized building footprint dataset for the United States
Microsoft released a U.S.-wide vector building dataset in 2018. Although the vector building layers provide relatively accurate geometries, their use in large-extent geospatial analysis comes at a high computational cost. We used High-Performance Computing (HPC) to develop an algorithm that calculates six summary values for each cell in a raster representation of each U.S. state, excluding Alaska
Authors
Mehdi Pourpeikari Heris, Nathan Leon Foks, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Austin Troy, Zachary H. Ancona
Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative summary report
Federal agencies need credible scientific information to determine the production and value of ecosystem services in an efficient and timely manner. The U.S. Geological Survey addresses this scientific information need through the Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative project. The project has relied on U.S. Geological Survey expertise related to water, fisheries, advanced modeling, and econo
Authors
Christopher Huber, James Meldrum, Rudy Schuster, Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Scott M. Beck, Daren Carlisle, Peter R. Claggett, Fabiano Franco, Heather S. Galbraith, Michelle Haefele, Kristin R Hoelting, Dianna M. Hogan, Kristina G. Hopkins, Tim Kern, Collin B. Lawrence, Stacy Lischka, John B. Loomis, Julie M. Mueller, Gregory Noe, Emily Pindilli, Brian Quay, Darius J. Semmens, Wilson Sinclair, Daniel E. Spooner, Brian Voigt, Barabara St. John White
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Integrating land use land cover change into future scenarios of electricity systems - Data Release
Modeled projections for deep decarbonization require large amounts of solar energy, which may compete with other land uses such as agriculture, urbanization, and conservation of natural lands. Existing capacity expansion models do not integrate land use land cover change (LULC) dynamics into projections. We explored the interaction between projected LULC and solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment by i
Digital Data for Land and climate change in Mexico and Texas reveals small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, a key region supporting spring and
United States Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (ver. 2.0, August 2024)
Over 4,400 large scale commercial solar facilities are in operation in the United States as of December, 2021, representing over 60 gigawatts of electric power capacity; of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted with capacities of 1MW or more, specified as large scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities. LSPV ground-mounted installations continue to grow, with over 400 projects coming online in 202
Wind turbine wakes can impact down-wind vegetation greenness
Global wind energy has expanded 5-fold since 2010 and is predicted to expand another 8�10-fold over the next 30 years. Wakes generated by wind turbines can alter downwind microclimates and potentially downwind vegetation. However, the design of past studies has made it difficult to isolate the impact of wake effects on vegetation from land cover change. We used hourly wind data to model wake and n
Urban landcover differentially drives day and nighttime air temperature across a semi-arid city
Semi-arid urban environments are undergoing an increase in air temperatures, both in average temperatures and in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. Within cities, different varieties of urban landcovers (ULC) and their densities influence local air temperatures, either mitigating or increasing heat. Currently, understanding how various combinations of ULCs influence air temperatur
Spatial social value distributions for multiple user groups in a coastal national park
Public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) is increasingly used in coastal settings to inform natural resource management and spatial planning. Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), a PPGIS tool that systematizes the mapping and modeling of social values and cultural ecosystem services, is promising for use in coastal settings but has seen relatively limited applications
In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Predicted Wind Take Allocated To Hibernacula Each Year Under Current and Future Scenarios
Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' (USFWS) Species Status Assessment ('SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call,
Data release for Accounting for Land in the United States: Integrating Physical Land Cover, Land Use, and Monetary Valuation
Land plays a critical role in both economic and environmental accounting. As an asset, it occupies a unique position at the intersection of the System of National Accounts (SNA), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Central Framework (SEEA-CF), and (as a spatial unit) SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA), making land a natural starting point for developing natural capital a
Data release for Integrating physical and economic data into experimental water accounts for the United States: lessons and opportunities
Water provides society with economic benefits that increasingly involve tradeoffs, making accounting for water quality, quantity, and their corresponding economic productivity more relevant in our interconnected world. In the past, physical and economic data about water have been fragmented, but integration is becoming more widely adopted internationally through application of the System of Enviro
Data Release for Testing ecosystem accounting in the United States: A case study for the Southeast
Ecosystems benefit people in many ways, but these contributions do not appear in traditional national or corporate accounts so are often left out of policy- and decision-making. Ecosystem accounts, as formalized by the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA EEA), track the extent and condition of ecosystem assets and the flows of ecosystem services they p
Data Release for Toward ecosystem accounts for Rwanda: Tracking 25 years of change in ecosystem service potential and flows
Ecosystem accounts link national-scale environmental and economic trends, offering an internationally standardized approach to tracking sustainability. We compile ecosystem accounts for Rwanda over a 25-year period, and demonstrate that despite strong economic growth, social development, and high-level commitment to environmental goals, ecosystem services fundamental to Rwanda's well-being have de
Data release for Using social-context matching to improve transfer performance for cultural ecosystem service models
Spatial planning is becoming an increasingly important component of managing natural resources in the face of growing demands upon and threats to our public lands. Efforts to model and map the goods and services derived from ecosystems provide important information to planning efforts, permitting the analysis of tradeoffs or costs and benefits associated with management alternatives. Much progress
Filter Total Items: 20
The interplay of future solar energy, land cover change, and their projected impacts on natural lands and croplands in the US
Projections for deep decarbonization require large amounts of solar energy, which may compete with other land uses such as agriculture, urbanization, and conservation of natural lands. Existing capacity expansion models do not integrate land use land cover change (LULC) dynamics into projections. We explored the interaction between projected LULC, solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment, and solar impa
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Brian Sergi, Anthony Lopez, Travis Williams, Michael Gleason, Zachary H. Ancona, Wesely Cole
Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~ 30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, U.S. This regio
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Francisco Botello, Mark A. Drummond, Zachary H. Ancona, Lucila Marie Corro, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Peter Christian Ibsen, Rafael Moreno-Sanchez, Laura Lukens, Victor Sanchez-Cordero
Georectified polygon database of ground-mounted large-scale solar photovoltaic sites in the United States
Over 4,400 large-scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities operate in the United States as of December 2021, representing more than 60 gigawatts of electric energy capacity. Of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted LSPV facilities with capacities of 1 MWdc or more. Ground mounted LSPV installations continue increasing, with more than 400 projects appearing online in 2021 alone; however, a comprehe
Authors
Sydny K. Fujita, Zachary H. Ancona, Louisa Kramer, Mary Straka, Tandie E. Gautreau, Dana Robson, Christopher P. Garrity, Ben Hoen, James E. Diffendorfer
Wind turbine wakes can impact down-wind vegetation greenness
Global wind energy has expanded 5-fold since 2010 and is predicted to expand another 8–10-fold over the next 30 years. Wakes generated by wind turbines can alter downwind microclimates and potentially downwind vegetation. However, the design of past studies has made it difficult to isolate the impact of wake effects on vegetation from land cover change. We used hourly wind data to model wake and n
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Zachary H. Ancona
Spatial social value distributions for multiple user groups in a coastal national park
Managing public lands to maximize societal benefits requires spatially explicit understanding of societal valuation, and public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) are increasingly used in coastal settings to accomplish this task. Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), a PPGIS tool that systematizes the mapping and modeling of social values and cultural ecosystem services,
Authors
Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Lena Le, Darius J. Semmens, Benson C. Sherrouse, Grant Murray, Philip S. Cook, Eva DiDonato
Estimating the pelagic ocean’s benefits to humanity can enhance ocean governance
The human footprint on the global ocean is ever-increasing, particularly with new ways to grow food in the ocean, new technologies in marine energy production as a way to resolve climate change, and transport and commerce expanding across the ocean. Yet, human activities in the ocean have long been managed using a sectoral approach (e.g., fisheries, biodiversity protection, energy production, ship
Authors
Lida Teneva, Aaron L. Strong, Vera Agostini, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Evangelina G Drakou, Zachary H. Ancona, Kristina Gjerde, Andrew C Hume, Nicholas Jickling
Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES): Open-source spatial modeling of cultural services
Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) version 4.0 is a fully open-source, GIS-based tool designed to aid in the creation of quantitative, spatially explicit models of the nonmonetary values attributed to cultural ecosystem services, such as aesthetics and recreation, specifically to facilitate their incorporation into larger ecosystem service assessments. Newly redeveloped for QGIS, SolVES
Authors
Benson C. Sherrouse, Darius J. Semmens, Zachary H. Ancona
Accounting for land in the United States: Integrating physical land cover, land use, and monetary valuation
Land plays a critical role in both economic and environmental accounting. As an asset, it occupies a unique position at the intersection of the System of National Accounts (SNA), the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Central Framework (SEEA-CF), and (as a spatial unit) SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA), making land a natural starting point for developing natural capital a
Authors
Scott A. Wentland, Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, James W. Boyd, Julie L. Hass, Marina Gindelsky, Jeremy G. Moulton
Integrating physical and economic data into experimental water accounts for the United States: Lessons and opportunities
Water management increasingly involves tradeoffs, making its accounting highly relevant in our interconnected world. Physical and economic data about water in many nations are becoming more widely integrated through application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounts for Water (SEEA-Water), which enables the tracking of linkages between water and the economy. We present the first national
Authors
Kenneth J. Bagstad, Zachary H. Ancona, Julie L. Hass, Pierre D. Glynn, Scott Wentland, Michael Vardon, John P. Fay
Reducing water scarcity by improving water productivity in the United States
Nearly one-sixth of U.S. river basins are unable to consistently meet societal water demands while also providing sufficient water for the environment. Water scarcity is expected to intensify and spread as populations increase, new water demands emerge, and climate changes. Improving water productivity by meeting realistic benchmarks for all water users could allow U.S. communities to expand econo
Authors
Landon Marston, Gambhir Lamsal, Zachary H. Ancona, Peter V Caldwell, Brian Richter, Benjamin Ruddell, Richard Rushforth, Kyle F. Davis
A rasterized building footprint dataset for the United States
Microsoft released a U.S.-wide vector building dataset in 2018. Although the vector building layers provide relatively accurate geometries, their use in large-extent geospatial analysis comes at a high computational cost. We used High-Performance Computing (HPC) to develop an algorithm that calculates six summary values for each cell in a raster representation of each U.S. state, excluding Alaska
Authors
Mehdi Pourpeikari Heris, Nathan Leon Foks, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Austin Troy, Zachary H. Ancona
Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative summary report
Federal agencies need credible scientific information to determine the production and value of ecosystem services in an efficient and timely manner. The U.S. Geological Survey addresses this scientific information need through the Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative project. The project has relied on U.S. Geological Survey expertise related to water, fisheries, advanced modeling, and econo
Authors
Christopher Huber, James Meldrum, Rudy Schuster, Zachary H. Ancona, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Scott M. Beck, Daren Carlisle, Peter R. Claggett, Fabiano Franco, Heather S. Galbraith, Michelle Haefele, Kristin R Hoelting, Dianna M. Hogan, Kristina G. Hopkins, Tim Kern, Collin B. Lawrence, Stacy Lischka, John B. Loomis, Julie M. Mueller, Gregory Noe, Emily Pindilli, Brian Quay, Darius J. Semmens, Wilson Sinclair, Daniel E. Spooner, Brian Voigt, Barabara St. John White