Resources

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Management Opportunity action map for the Tidal Marsh habitat system ranks pixels (10-m) for 3 general classes of conservation actions. Maintenance pixels (values 7-9) are currently estimated to meet the site condition Endpoints in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4).

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. It represents a relative ranking of HUC12 watersheds according to the quantity and quality of habitat as described in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). Watersheds (HUC12) were ranked by calculating the length-weighted average Management Opportunity scores within them.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Condition Index ranks pixels (250-m) according to how well they meet the Desired State for the Forested Wetland habitat system, which is described qualitatively and quantitatively in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). Higher values indicate sites closer to the Desired State. Value of 1 indicates areas appropriate for restoration but currently under an alternative land use (i.e.

Collection of 4 assessments for Med/Low-gradient Streams and Rivers. The Condition Index ranks stream segments according to how well they meet the Desired State described qualitatively and quantitatively in the draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). From the Condition Index, 3 assessments are derived that rank opportunities for management and restoration of conditions included in the Condition Index – Watershed Land Use, Riparian Cover, and Stream Meander. Watershed Land Use management opportunities are based on the proportion of undisturbed land in the contributing (i.e.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Protection Opportunity action map for the Grasslands habitat system ranks pixels (250-m) based primarily on the Grasslands Condition Index such that unprotected sites within healthy landscapes are ranked higher than those in very fragmented landscapes. Ranks are increased by information on existing partner interest (i.e.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Protection Opportunity action map for the Tidal Marsh habitat system ranks pixels (10-m) based primarily on the Tidal Marsh Condition Index such that unprotected sites within healthy landscapes are ranked higher than those in very fragmented landscapes. Ranks are increased by information on existing partner interest (i.e.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative.It represents a relative ranking of HUC12 watersheds according to the quantity and quality of habitat as described in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). Watersheds (HUC12) were ranked by the presence, quantity and quality of the Forested Wetland habitat system (includes bottomland hardwoods, swamps and wet riparian forests) within the 5 sub-geographies of the GCPO LCC region.

We developed a composite land cover approach for use in the GCPO LCC ecological assessment of upland hardwood woodlands and forests. These datasets reflect the upland hardwood “mask” that represents the composite of 3 or 4 datasets, from which the remaining landscape endpoints defined in the LCC Integrated Science Agenda will be evaluated. The mask indicates where on the landscape we estimate upland hardwood woodlands and forests to be found in any condition.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Management Opportunity action map for the Upland Hardwoods (Forest) habitat system ranks pixels (250-m) for 3 general classes of conservation actions. Maintenance pixels (values 7-9) are currently estimated to meet the site condition Endpoints in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4).

The vision of success for the Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative is “to ensure natural and cultural landscapes capable of sustaining healthy ecosystems, clean water, fish, wildlife, and human communities in the region through the 21st century.” The mission of the GCPO is to define a shared vision for sustainable resources in the face of change, design strategies to achieve the shared vision, and deliver results on the ground through leadership, partnership, contributed resources, evaluation and refinement over time.

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The Condition Index ranks pixels (250-m) according to how well they meet the Desired State for the Open Pine habitat system, which is described qualitatively and quantitatively in the GCPO LCC's draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). Higher values indicate sites closer to the Desired State. Value of 1 indicates areas appropriate for restoration but currently under an alternative land use (i.e.

Basal area is a measure of the cross-sectional area of trees calculated by multiplying the foresters’ constant (0.005454) by the squared diameter of each tree to determine a measure of tree area (ft2 or m2) per unit area (acre or ha). Similar to an assessment of forest canopy cover, basal area provides a measure of horizontal structure, and is closely associated with measures of vertical structure.

These data layers identify and map ecosystem services that might be enhanced or reduced by conserving, altering management, and restoring habitats in the three selected subgographies of the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative

This project will evaluate the extent to which planted pine can provide Desired Ecological States for wildlife species using literature review and meta-analyses. Based on this review, harvest scheduling software (HabPlan) will be used to simulate a variety of management options across a 50-year time span to quantify the availability of Desired Ecological States over the course of each simulation and to identify options for providing open pine conditions in managed forests of theGulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks region.

Long-term trend monitoring efforts for bats on National Wildlife Refuges have been prompted by a paucity of significant population information and precipitous declines in many bat species across the eastern United States. Acoustical detection of search-phase echolocations of bats provides an efficient means to identify bats to species without capture.

This report is one in a series developed in a collaboration between Mississippi State University and Duke University to identify opportunities to engage private landowners in the GCPOLCC in conservation and restoration activities by focusing on ecosystem service outcomes that are important to them.

This project integrates a reforestation decision support model for priority forest breeding birds and a restoration decision support tool for the federally-threatened Louisiana Black Bear. It was developed specifically to focus habitat restoration projects on frequently flooded agricultural lands within priority portions of the delta of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which were funded primarily by the Walton Family Foundation in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

This data represents an assessment of forest patch size used in the ecological assessment of upland hardwood systems by the GCPO LCC. We used a combination of remote sensing products including 2011 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) forest classes and the 2011 MAV forest classification layer produced by the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture to delineate patches of all forest types in the GCPO LCC.

Ecological conditions within forest stands are also important indicators of ecosystem integrity. Priority wildlife species are frequently shown to exhibit preference for a specific range of conditions of canopy cover and basal area, tree diameter, midstory cover, and other forest characteristics within a stand. The ISA recommends a range of overstory canopy cover between 20-80% for upland hardwood woodlands and >80% for upland hardwood forests in the Ozark Highlands subgeography. We used the 2011 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) U.S.

This research will (1) develop a multi-model application to simulate streamflow using a monthly water balance model and daily time step hydrologic models (physical-process based and statistical) for all watersheds of the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative and (2) provide products from these models (flow characteristics - magnitude, timing, duration, rate of change, and frequency) for a range of configurations (current and future climate and landscape) through a web interface which can be used to inform management decisions.

The Adaptation Science Management Team adopted the broadly defined habitat type of “medium-low gradient rivers and streams,” as a priority habitat within the GCPO geography.  The desired landscape endpoint for these rivers and streams should characterize a natural system in a least impacted condition – systems in this condition should be targets for protection and the goal of restoration activities in degraded systems.  Landscape endpoints specified in the GCPO Integrated Science Agenda (ISA) are intended to more narrowly describe localized stream amount, configuration and condition.  In th

High gradient streams and rivers of the Ozark Highlands were selected by the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks (GCPO) Adaptation Science Management Team (ASMT) as a priority habitat system.  The goal of this document discover and apply geospatial data and analysis to estimate the amount, configuration and condition of key habitat features of high gradient streams and rivers of the GCPO.  

This project links downscaled climate data to an ecosystem model (LINKAGES) to a landscape simulator (LANDIS) to wildlife models (HSI).  Collectively, these models offer a means to assess the response of wildlife to climate change - mediated through habitat.

A short overview of the Ecological Assessment of Grassland-Prairie-Savanna Priority System