Project Number: 5342-12660-005-04
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jan 12, 2012
End Date: Nov 30, 2016

Objective:
Utilize landscape scale models of predicted species habitats and land cover to assess biodiversity at multiple scales. Over finer scales the objective is to quantify the effects of conservation practices on terrestrial vertebrate wildlife resources for a selected set of high-priority species for use in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Approach:
1) Identification of metrics representing biodiversity using species distribution models; 2) Develop a process to identify metrics for a biodiversity assessment in context with ecological surroundings nationally; 3) Identification of species at risk and prioritization of species based on conservation practices of interest; 4) A process to link landscape level assessments to site specific actions using a risk assessment protocol; 5) A prototype spatial analysis tool for selected species habitat models and change to provide support for NRCS planning and field office personnel.