PROJECTS
Low-tech, process-based restoration (LTPBR) site prioritization along the Smith Fork of the Gunnison River
About This Project
Degraded streams and riparian corridors across the western United States damage ecosystems, increase flow rates and decrease base flows in river and stream beds. Beaver dam analogs have been shown to slow and retain water, effectively reconnecting the stream to the water table. We use a variety of parameters (stream network, relative elevation model, Lidar vegetation map, valley width, stream gradient, channel incision) to prioritize locations for LTPBR implementation.
Mapping culturally and ecologically important berries from space
About This Project
Berries are a crucial fall resource for a multitude of wildlife species including migratory birds, threatened grizzly bears, black bears, and a variety of small mammals. Berries are also an important socioeconomic and cultural resource for local communities and indigenous populations. We leverage satellite and aerial imagery data within a machine learning framework to develop species-specific maps of shrub distributions along the biologically diverse Rocky Mountain Front.
What is the significance of this project?
Species-specific food source maps are an integral part of any wildlife study. Current best practice assigns food source importance in an ambiguous way, often assigning food source importance based on rough differences in growth form, e.g. grasses vs. trees. Wildlife choose habitat and food in a much more specific way. Dispersing grizzly bears do not view a patch of stunted quaking aspen in the same way they view a patch of huckleberries, serviceberries, or chokecherries. Similarly, in the autumn, migratory waxwings find large caloric differences between juniper berries and the grasses this unique shrub may be labeled as in current landcover maps. The micro-placement of these shrubs on the landscape influences day-to-day wildlife movements perhaps more than any other single variable.
Whitebark pine ghost forests, the polar bear of the American west
About This Project
Whitebark pine trees are a keystone species in alpine ecosystems across the American west. They have been a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act since 2011. Their seeds’ high caloric content sustain grizzly bears and Clark’s nutcrackers, and the trees modify snowmelt patterns in arid, high-alpine ecosystems. We will map live whitebark pines in Glacier National Park to serve as a baseline for analyzing change over time of “ghost forests”.
What is the significance of this project?
Whitebark pines are a keystone species threatened with extinction and a bellwether for climate change, making them arguably one of the most important species to monitor during our lifetimes. Their remoteness makes monitoring difficult, leaving behind ghost forests with untold stories. Additionally, baseline whitebark pine maps are integral to research on sensitive wildlife species, like grizzly bears and Clark’s nutcrackers, and can help inform rehabilitation efforts. While current grizzly bear and Clark’s nutcracker (although variable) research emphasizes the plasticity of species' diets in response to declining whitebark pine populations, fine-scale mapping of this critical habitat and food source is necessary to fully comprehend the role whitebark pine plays.
Mapping snagfall in the Chilcotin, BC Canada
About This Project
Down trees (snagfall) due to beetle kill affect stand microclimate, hydrological cycles, erosion, fire ecology and wildlife use. Baseline maps of snagfall across the region are lacking, primarily due to the difficulty in accessing vast tracts of remote land. Here, we assess the potential for using remotely sensed data and imagery to create a map of snagfall within the range of three caribou herds in the Chilcotin, BC.
What is the significance of this Project?
A mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) epidemic beginning in the 1990s and strengthening in the early-to-mid 2000s, affected approximately 18.1 million ha of forest in central British Columbia (Rex et al. 2013). Tree mortality rates vary ranging from no impact to complete stand mortality. Snagfall can have a significant effect on the movement of woodland caribou, forcing them to travel in open, unprotected areas frequented by predators such as wolves.
Sage in the Dakotas
About This Project
Whitebark pine trees are a keystone species in alpine ecosystems across the American west. They have been a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act since 2011. Their seeds’ high caloric content sustain grizzly bears and Clark’s nutcrackers, and the trees modify snowmelt patterns in arid, high-alpine ecosystems. We will map live whitebark pines in Glacier National Park to serve as a baseline for analyzing change over time of “ghost forests”.
What is the significance of this Project?
Whitebark pine trees are a keystone species in alpine ecosystems across the American west. They have been a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act since 2011. Their seeds’ high caloric content sustain grizzly bears and Clark’s nutcrackers, and the trees modify snowmelt patterns in arid, high-alpine ecosystems. We will map live whitebark pines in Glacier National Park to serve as a baseline for analyzing change over time of “ghost forests”.