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IDENTIFYING SAGE GROUSE LEK & PRAIRIE DOG HABITAT ON WYOMING’S

THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND

Steve Storie

The Pennsylvania State UniversityMaster Geographical Information Systems Program

Geography 596ACapstone Project Proposal Presentation

April 1, 2010

Douglas Miller, Advisor

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Overview

• Study Area• Project Objectives• Data• Methods• Timeline• Anticipated

Results

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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HYDROLOGY & CLIMATE

• Drainage east to Cheyenne and Missouri Rivers.

• Hot summers and cold winters.

• 12.5 inches of precipitation.

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

Cheyenne River Bridge

Study Area in Summer

Study Area in Winter

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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

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POINT & LINE DATA

Description

Source Comments

Sage grouse leks

Wyoming Game and Fish

In hand

Streams USGS National Hydrography Dataset

In hand

Roads Census Bureau Tiger Line Data

In hand

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

Sage Grouse Leks and Drainages

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POLYGON DATADescription

Source Comments

Water bodies

USGS National Hydrography Dataset

In hand

NRCS soil ecological sites

Natural Resource Conservation Service

In hand

Vegetation map

Unknown In hand

Prairie dog towns

Wyoming Game and Fish

Partially in hand

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

0 10 205Kilometers

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NRCS ECOLOGICAL SITES

CLAYEY

CLAYEY OVERFLOW

GULLIED LAND

LOAMY

LOWLAND

MINES/PITS/DUMPS

OVERFLOW

SALINE LOWLAND

SALINE UPLAND

SANDS/SANDY

SHALLOW CLAYEY

SHALLOW HILLY

SHALLOW LOAMY

SHALLOW SANDY

SUBIRRIGATED

URBAN LAND

VERY SHALLOW

WATER

THUNDER BASIN GRASSLAND PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEM ASSOCIATIONNRCS ECOLOGICAL SITES

Study area is in red.

WYOMING

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RASTER DATA

Description Source Comments

Vegetation cover

TBGPEA In hand

Elevation USGS In hand

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

Elevation Raster Data

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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

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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

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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

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METHODS- FLOW CHART

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

Obtain Point Data Obtain Line Data Obtain Polygon Data Obtain 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

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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

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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

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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

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SCHEDULE

TASK DEADLINE

Locate prairie dog town data

April 2010

Perform data analysis May 2010

Complete final paper June 2010

Complete final presentation

June 2010

Give final presentation

July-Oct 2010

Study Area Objectives Data Methods Anticipated Results Schedule

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QUESTIONS ???