Integrated Spatial Models of Non-Native Plant Invasion, Fire Risk, and Wildlife Habitat to Support Conservation on Military Lands in the Arid Southwest
RC-1722
Objective
Non-native invasive plants alter ecosystem function and threaten vulnerable species and their habitats globally. In the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, interactions between plant invasion and increases in fire frequency and magnitude are a growing concern. The individual and synergistic impacts of invasive plants, fire, and global change on native habitat are likely to affect the endangered Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) and other threatened, sensitive, or at-risk species in complex ways. Spatially extensive models of current and future ecological conditions are needed to evaluate these impacts and inform appropriate land management strategies.
The objective of this project is to integrate empirically based models of non-native plant invasion, fire, and sensitive wildlife habitat in a spatially explicit decision-support package that informs sustainable resource management and recovery of native habitats and species in the face of ongoing global change.
Technical Approach
The research involves extensive field sampling efforts to train and test regional- and landscape-scale models of non-native invasive plant distribution and biomass. Species-specific models will incorporate novel remote sensing techniques that discriminate invasive species based on both phenological and spectral differences using satellite platforms of differing spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions. Researchers will model the distribution, biomass, invasion risk, and fire risk associated with the following problematic species: African buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare), red brome (Bromus rubens), Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), Mediterranean grass (Schismus spp.), and arugula (Eruca vesicaria sativa) on the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range, Kofa and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuges, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Species distribution maps at landscape and regional scales will be used to assess biogeographical relationships of invasive plants to land use and climate, and to model changing invasion risk with global change. Biomass maps will be used to model fuel loads and to predict areas of high fire risk, hazard, and behavior. Scenario-based invasion and fire risk predictions will be integrated with models of resource use and habitat connectivity for sensitive wildlife species, including the Sonoran pronghorn. Results will be embedded into a highly flexible, spatial decision-support package to guide management on Department of Defense (DoD) and surrounding lands.
Benefits
This project will develop cutting-edge techniques to generate new models and maps of fundamental ecological changes related to invasive species, fire, and global change. The spatial scales of research are practical and relevant to management on DoD lands and across the surrounding Sonoran Desert. Importantly, approaches will be designed to leverage multiple new and freely available information sources, so that the methods developed will be easily transferrable and repeatable. The assessment of landscape- and regional-scale ecological risk in a spatial management framework will enable DoD to integrate environmental objectives with training needs and provide leadership on feasible management responses to global change. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2014)
Symposium & Workshop
FY 2013 New Start Project Selections
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Dr. Brett Dickson
Northern Arizona University
Phone: 928-523-3592
Program Manager
Resource Conservation and Climate Change
SERDP and ESTCP
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.