Analysis and Assessment of Military and Non-Military Impacts on Biodiversity - Mojave Desert Case Study
RC-1055
Objective
Fort Irwin images from 1984 and 1993 showing changes in spectral imaging that can be related to changes in the ecosystem
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effects of human stressors or impacts (non-military as well as military) on biodiversity and related environmental concerns within the Mojave Desert ecoregion of California both at present and in the year 2020.
This project initiates a regional ecosystem management approach involving investigators from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Research Council, and others. It will provide the military commanders with the tools and techniques necessary to carry out their missions.
Technical Approach
The technical approach consists of four phases. First, the development phase will produce the research plan, initiate a spatially-oriented database management and decision support system, and organize a military and non-military stakeholder group to identify key environmental issues and human valuations of the Mojave region. The data assembly phase will then involve field work conducted throughout the Mojave region, including at military installations, with detailed transects collected at Joshua Tree National Park and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. The analysis and assessments phase will consist of determining and modeling habitat relationships for key species and assessing their management strategies as well as conducting landscape analysis to determine the magnitude of change from 1972 to present. Finally, the modeling and products delivery phase will involve modeling, design, and evaluation of future alternative land use scenarios on stressors, biodiversity, and other related environmental issues.
Results
Digital terrain, biodiversity, and remotely sensed information in addition to geological and geomorphic data constituted the input to the development and assessment of scenario models. The habitat and management strategies of the desert tortoise and other key species were derived and correlated to associated species. Multi-date Landsat and SPOT imagery was used to generate data layers showing land use change, landscape pattern, and data visualization products. Existing land use activities and other stressors on habitat and biodiversity were evaluated. Scenario modeling, which shows the probability that patterns of land use will change on a given parcel, was used to extrapolate alternative future scenarios of land use for the Mojave Desert Region. Fifteen example alternative futures were developed through the modeling process. Three of these are: (1) a depiction of regional "trends" that incorporates population projections; (2) a depiction of total "build-out" of existing land use plans and policies; and (3) a scenario maximizing the conservation of biological diversity
Project Documents
Symposium & Workshop
FY 2013 New Start Project Selections
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Dr. David Mouat
Desert Research Institute
Phone: 775-673-7402
Fax: 702-674-7557
Program Manager
Resource Conservation and Climate Change
SERDP and ESTCP
Project Documents
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.