Habitat loss and degradation due to urban expansion and other human activities have raised concerns for the Western Gulf Coast Mottled Duck population. This species relies on tidal, palustrine, and agricultural wetlands as well as grasslands for all of its life cycle needs. The disappearance of suitable nesting and brood-rearing habitat is believed to be the primary factor associated with long-term population decline of the mottled duck.
Resources
LCCs have produced a wealth of informational documents, reports, fact sheets, webinars and more to help support resource managers in designing and delivering conservation at landscape scales.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Loss and fragmentation of grassland habitat can influence populations of the animal communities dependent upon this ecosystem. Grassland birds have faced notable declines in some areas of their range, potentially a result of changes to suitable habitat. Managing populations of grassland birds requires an understanding of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation at a local and regional scale.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The dataset includes Land Use/Land Cover types throughout the Chenier Eco-Region in Southwest Louisiana. Using the 2015 National Aerial Imagery Program (NAIP) dataset (1m) as the basemap, E-Cognition image objects were derived from the multiresolution segmentation algorithm at 75 and 250 segments. Attempts to refine the data training methods using E-cognition, to extrapolate automating categories of this information to the entire map resulted with exceedingly low accuracy.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Conserving migratory or wide-ranging species presents considerable challenges, as these individuals move across disparate jurisdictions often crossing international borders among crucial stages of their annual cycle. Within North America, Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs) have established successful partnerships to coordinate the planning and delivery of conservation actions within key regions to benefit migratory bird populations.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Gulf Coast Prairie LCC Conservation Planning Atlas is a platform that allows users to discover, access and integrate existing spatial data layers and maps for use in analysis and conservation planning.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Red River Stakeholder Engagement project’s primary objective was to uncover areas of concern for stakeholders who live, work, and play along the Red River Basin. It examined the complexity of the cultural-geographic landscape across the Red River Basin. By focusing on both the geographic and the cultural, we gain a better understanding of how individuals, communities, and organizations interact with the basin and with one another, how they are
currently experiencing changes, and what they perceive a changing climate means for them.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Comprehensive Habitat Type Dataset was developed by merging NOAA Benthic Habitat Atlas (BHA), Ecological Mapping Systems of Texas (aka Texas Ecological Systems Database, TESD), and National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data within the study area for the ICF 2012 project (CGP LCC 2012-002 Employing the Conservation Design Approach on Sea-Level Rise Impacts on Coastal Avian Habitats along the Central Texas Coast). BHA data was used to depict mangroves, oysters, and patchy, continuous, and discontinuous seagrass beds where BHA existed within the study area.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The online tool is a web-based tool allowing users to find relevant information for conservation planning and about BMP. The tool has two components, one for conservation planning by conservation organizations and one for implementation of BMP by landowners and land managers (described in the BMP section below). The conservation planning tool operates at the broad spatial scale of recovery regions and at a landscape scale, whereas the BMP are for a smaller spatial scale, particularly a specific property.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The dataset includes Land Use/Land Cover types throughout the Chenier Eco-Region in Southwest Louisiana. Using the 2015 NAIP dataset (1m) as the basemap, E-Cognition image objects were derived from the multiresolution segmentation algorithm at 75 and 250 segments. Attempts to refine the data training methods using E-cognition, to extrapolate automating categories of this information to the entire map resulted with exceedingly low accuracy. Therefore, a raster was produced by piecing together several data resources, which provide reliable data for specific LULC categories.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP) of the University of Missouri, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Biological Survey of the University of Oklahoma, produced a vegetation and landcover GIS data layer for the eastern portions of Oklahoma. This effort was accomplished with direction and funding from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and state and federal partners (particularly the Gulf Coast Prairie and Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperatives of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative partners are undertaking numerous efforts to conserve and restore coastal resources, many of which are sensitive to the effects of climate change. Natural resource managers need improved computer modeling tools to effectively evaluate possible sea level rise scenarios along the Gulf of Mexico Coast to better predict the effects on valuable habitats and wildlife.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Blueprint analysis, maps, and data on this site represent the level of value – high or medium – of healthy natural resources and their potential to benefit fish, wildlife and plants. It is part of our effort to reach beyond our Region’s conservation community’s to begin talking with a range of groups about areas that have value for conservation. This information is crafted to help us get a glimpse of the of the Region as we think about emerging trends, better planning and better conversations with everyone who has a stake in what the Southeast Region might look like in 2060.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Final Report WaterSMART Agreement No. R13AP80033
Introduction: Sky Island Alliance is a non‐governmental organization that works to protect and restore the rich natural heritage of native species and habitats in the Sky Island Region. We work with volunteers, scientists, land‐owners, public officials, and government agencies to establish protected areas, restore healthy landscapes, and promote public appreciation of the region's unique biological diversity.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The four primary objectives of this project were to: (1) compile a dataset of fish occurrence records for the entirety of the Rio Grande drainage in the US and Mexico; (2) improve that dataset by reformatting dates, synonymizing species names to a modern taxonomy, georeferencing localities, and flagging geographic outliers; (3) for those species with sufficient data for modeling, create species distribution models (SDMs); (4) use the environmental conditions determined via those models to project the species distributions into the future under two climate scenarios.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
In response to the rapid and dramatic hydroecological deterioration of the Rio Grande through Big Bend, the Big Bend Conservation Cooperative (BBCC), a multi-disciplinary group of natural resource agencies, research institutions, and conservation organizations have been organizing and implementing a wide range of river rehabilitation, scientific research activities and climate change initiatives.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Sky Island Alliance (SIA) is a non-governmental organizational that works to protect and restore the rich natural heritage of native species and habitats in the Sky Island Region. We work with volunteers, scientists, land-owners, public officials, and government agencies to establish protected areas, restore healthy landscapes, and promote public appreciation of the region's unique biological diversity. Because of our long-standing collaborative relationships with land managers and our large corps of skilled volunteers, we were in a unique position to spearhead this project.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
In practice, there are a number of challenges associated with formal consideration of the environment in water planning in large parts of the Desert LCC region. In Arizona, for example, there is no legal requirement to include the environment in water management or planning efforts (Megdal et al. 201 0). Therefore, there is little incentive to develop the additional tools and resources required to include the environment as a water demand sector.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
University of California Riverside’s Center for Conservation Biology will create a sustainable resource monitoring framework that will provide empirical data identifying if and how climate change is changing the composition and vitality of Joshua Tree National Park. These data will then help focus the Park’s resource management programs to help ensure the Park’s rich biodiversity can be sustained to the extent possible.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Desert Flows Database is a compilation of over 400 peer-reviewed articles, reports, and book chapters from across the watersheds that touch the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave Deserts.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
In February 2014, taking action to implement a 2012 U.S.-Mexico agreement on the Colorado River known as Minute 319, International Boundary and Water Commissioners (IBWC) Edward Drusina and Roberto Fernando Salmon Castelo announced plans to move forward with a one-time pulse flow (a release of water into the Colorado River channel below the last dam on the River) as well as a five-year commitment by a coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations to deliver base flow water.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox is a prototype decision aid designed to help communities in the Southwest US understand the role water harvesting can play in meeting water resource challenges while providing multiple additional benefits. It also introduces water harvesting techniques and suggests ways to implement locally appropriate water harvesting efforts. The Toolbox is intended for a wide range of users.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Through the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, conservation partners in the southwestern US and northern Mexico identified the need to create an inventory of case studies on management actions, partnership and collaboration, monitoring, and adaptive management. Sharing lessons learned through case studies can inform management practices by facilitating communication and learning in the conservation community.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Topock Marsh is a large wetland adjacent to the Colorado River and main feature of Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Havasu NWR) in southern Arizona. In 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation began a project to improve water management capabilities at Topock Marsh and protect habitats and species. Initial construction required a drawdown, which caused below-average inflows and water depths in 2010-2011. Co-applicants Daniels and Haegele of FORT monitored Topock Marsh during the drawdown and immediately after, thus obtained information on immediate effects.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct forest restoration treatments through the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) on hundreds of thousands of acres of ponderosa pine forest along the Mogollon Rim of Arizona over the next 20 years with the goals of reducing wildfire hazard and improving forest health.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The climate data were collected between 1988 and 1995 and include portions of 25 volumes of fan-fold line-printer computer printouts, with 10 columns of variables per page. The legacy weather data was entered into Excel spreadsheets and delivered to the Arizona State Climate Office, Navajo Nation, and the Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs. This project was completed by the USGS Arizona Water Science Center in cooperation with the Navajo Nation.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Final Report - Executive Summary: This final project report is prepared to summarize the research project titled “Assessing evapotranspiration rate changes for proposed restoration of the forested uplands of the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCC)” for the Desert LCC of the Bureau of Reclamation as a requirement for closing out the project. This report includes the scope of work, summary of research project, results, and conclusions.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Pilot areas A and B produced in site selection process and analysis was centered on input criteria from DLCC stakeholders for the best representation of the desert land cover and priority habitats. The input from the DLCC stakeholders was compiled into a Weighted Matrix. The Weighted Matrix was ranked (with values assigned between 1 and 10) based on the level of importance held by the criteria and based on the datasets used for analysis.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
There are few resources that provide managers cross-scale information for planning climate adaptation strategies for species and taxa at risk. Appropriate allocation of resources requires an understanding of mechanisms influencing a species’ risk to global change. Dr. Griffis-Kyle will produce a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication and create content for web pages that can be included on the Desert LCC website that provide modules on amphibian climate adaptation strategies.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
University of Arizona will conduct an ecosystem conservation assessment for the lower San Pedro (LSP) watershed. The assessment will provide a science-based strategic design for prioritizing where conservation efforts are most needed for high-value biodiversity conservation at the landscape-level and offer insights on conservation actions practical for implementation. The assessment will include an evaluation of high-value biodiversity, hydro-ecological processes, protected areas, landscape connectivity, and climate change adaptation.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Executive Summary: Portions of broad-scale ecoregions of the Great Plains, and Southern Semiarid Highlands were generally projected as mostly suitable for large fires of low severity within 31 years. Under a 2070 future climate scenario of high CO2 emission (HadGEM2-ES RCP8.5) a significant increase in suitability for large low severity wildfires was seen in Wyoming and Montana, which was accompanied by a decrease in suitability for the Madrean Archipelago and portions of central and west Texas.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) is a partnership formed and directed by resource management entities as well as interested public and private entities in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Desert and montane sky island regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Desert LCC science depends on access to transboundary base datasets. Given the importance of vegetation such as grasslands and riparian vegetation in conservation science, a bi-national, landscape-scale vegetation data layer with classes relevant to Desert LCC research is crucial.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Executive summary: Tamarisk control and removal has become a priority of riparian ecosystem management, due in part to its potential negative impacts on stream flow and groundwater recharge. Among the most controversial, and potentially most effective tamarisk control approaches is the introduction of the tamarisk leaf beetle, Diorhabda carinulata.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
**Executive Summary: **The Big Bend reach of the Rio Grande is an important region for binational collaboration on ecosystem management and restoration. The river is well protected from further development as a national wild and scenic river and by national and state parks on both sides of the border, but has been degraded over time primarily by altered hydrology, water quality degradation, and non-native species impacts. The success of future restoration and management efforts depend on a fuller understanding of the linkages between physical and chemical processes and biotic communities.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Introduction: Tamarisk (Tamarix spp., also saltcedar) is a non-native tree introduced to the United States during the 19th century as an ornamental species and solution to erosion in the American West (Robinson 1965). Tamarisk can form dense monotypic stands, which have been linked to a decline in richness and diversity of native plants (Engel-Wilson & Ohmart 1978; Lovich et al. 1994) and wildlife (Anderson et al. 1977; Durst et al. 2008) in riparian areas.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) have been linked to specific microhabitat characteristics, microclimates, and water resources in riparian forests. Our objective was to relate variation in herpetofauna abundance to changes in habitat caused by a beetle used for Tamarix biocontrol (Diorhabda carinulata; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and riparian restoration.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Final Report Abstract: More than half of the world’s population relies upon monsoonal rainfall that supports agriculture. While in many locations climate change is resulting in less moisture from fewer winter storms and more intense summer precipitation events, rural working landscapes (agricultural managed systems) are struggling to recover from increasingly extreme droughts and floods.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies will use, combine and optimize an array of remote sensing techniques to identify the most efficient process that characterizes grasslands and level of shrub component in those grasslands. The project will classify a pilot area, the Janos Grassland Priority Conservation Area, which contains the majority of the Janos Biosphere Reserve, using a variety of remote sensing approaches.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
**Executive Summary**: Fisheries data compilation efforts for this project fell within two large watersheds in Arizona; the Verde River watershed (Desert LCC) and the Little Colorado River watershed (Southern Rockies LCC). We divided the project into two phases; 1) data compilation for the Arizona Game and Fish Fisheries Information Systems (FINS) and 2) a demonstration of FINS through model development and species distribution data.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Abstract: Climate change predictions include warming and drying trends, which are expected to be particularly pronounced in the southwestern United States. In this region, grassland dynamics are tightly linked to available moisture, yet it has proven difficult to resolve what aspects of climate drive vegetation change. In part, this is because it is unclear how heterogeneity in soils affects plant responses to climate.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Executive summary: The avifauna within the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona includes species found nowhere else in the U.S. Thus, birdwatchers from across the globe visit the region, providing a vibrant state and local ecotourism industry. RMRS scientists initiated a study in the 1990s on avian distribution and habitat associations within the Sky Islands. Since then, the region has been under increased stress from ongoing droughts and wildfires, likely associated with climate change.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Description: The upper Gila River in New Mexico is one of the few unobstructed rivers in the Colorado River Basin with largely intact native fish populations, including four federally listed and one state listed species.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Executive Summary
Date posted: June 23, 2018
ABSTRACT: The Lower Colorado River and Rio Grande Basins are home to many riparian vertebrate species with different degrees of rarity. In our study, we focused on two species of birds and two species of gartersnakes that are associated with riparian areas: the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia), the Northern Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) and the Narrow-headed Gartersnake (T. rufipunctatus).
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Native Nations face unique challenges related to climate change, many of which are detailed in recent reports as part of the U.S. National Climate Assessment (Bennett et al. 2014; Hiza Redsteer et al. 2013). Native Americans have a deep connection to the natural environment within which their livelihoods, cultural identity, and spiritual practices are rooted. Changes to hydrologic regimes, landscapes, and ecosystems, in combination with socio-economic and political factors, amplify tribal vulnerabilities to climate change.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Description: Invasive saltcedar is the third most abundant tree in Southwestern riparian systems. Resource managers must often balance the goals of protecting native wildlife species and habitats with the control of non-native and invasive plants. This project examined the impact of the tamarisk leaf beetle (a biocontrol agent) on amphibian and reptile (herpetofauna) and bird populations and communities along the Virgin River in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Overview: This project represented a partnership between US Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (on behalf of the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative (DLCC)), and the Center for Geographical Studies (CGS) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Successful implementation of environmental flow projects depends on land and water managers having clear objectives and access to reliable data. This guidebook provides information on a variety of methods that can be utilized under different fiscal or temporal constraints to determine and implement appropriate environmental flow targets. Based on evidence from cases focused in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico, steps are suggested to help ensure maintenance of flows under uncertain future natural and socioeconomic conditions.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
Final Report Executive Summary: The Nature Conservancy and a team of 14 academic partners (the project team) received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program and the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative in 2012 to conduct this Gila River Flow Needs Assessment. The assessment describes the existing condition of the Gila River in the Cliff-Gila Valley and examines the potential impacts of CUFA diversion and climate change on the riparian and aquatic ecosystem.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
REPORT PROJECT BACKGROUND: Golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) is a harmful algal species that is primarily found in marine ecosystems but is also present and invasive in brackish inland waters. The first documented bloom of golden alga in the United States occurred in the Pecos River in 1985. This species has since invaded other water bodies in the Pecos River basin (e.g. sinkhole habitats, reservoirs) and has been reported in at least 23 U.S. states. Toxins produced by golden alga can be lethal to fishes, bivalves, crayfish, and gilled amphibians.
Date posted: June 23, 2018
**Executive Summary:** Evolution of policies that guide operation of individual reservoir systems begins with a relative flurry of activity associated with building of dams. Over perhaps a ten year period, operations are proposed in anticipation of construction, implemented when a dam is complete, and then modified as the effects, capabilities, and limitations of the project become better understood. After these initial adjustments, the policy process slowly begins to simmer. Operational changes are the driven by short-term influences that are largely episodic (e.g.
Date posted: June 23, 2018