Managing Western Rangelands with GIS and Remote Sensing Keith T. Weber GIS Director Idaho State University.

Managing Western Managing Western Rangelands with GIS and Rangelands with GIS and

Remote SensingRemote Sensing

Managing Western Managing Western Rangelands with GIS and Rangelands with GIS and

Remote SensingRemote SensingKeith T. WeberGIS Director

Idaho State University

Research TeamResearch TeamResearch TeamResearch Team

• Sudhanshu Panda, Nancy Glenn, Matthew Germino, Scott Hughes, and Richard Inouye (ISU)

• Steven Seefeldt and Bret Taylor (USSES)

• Numerous grad students

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

• NASA• USDA ARS- USSES• USDI BLM

What are Rangelands?What are Rangelands?What are Rangelands?What are Rangelands?

• Typically semi-arid (brittle)

• Grass and shrub dominated

• Not cultivated, irrigated, or fertilized

• Occupies 44% of Idaho

Our Study AreaOur Study AreaOur Study AreaOur Study Area

A Brief History…A Brief History…A Brief History…A Brief History…

• Land cover change study• Explore the primary agents of

change– Weeds– Fire– Urbanization

IssuesIssuesIssuesIssues

• Invasive weeds• Wildfires• Desertification

Our Role to ManagersOur Role to ManagersOur Role to ManagersOur Role to Managers

• Decision support tools– Predictive models

• Public outreach to decision makers– Increase understanding

Issue #1- Target Weed Issue #1- Target Weed SpeciesSpecies

Issue #1- Target Weed Issue #1- Target Weed SpeciesSpecies

• Cheatgrass– Interesting species– Brief life history

• Leafy Spurge

Current resultsCurrent resultsCurrent resultsCurrent results

• Cheatgrass is difficult to detect reliably– Detection threshold– Patchy target– Similar to non-target features

• We have used Landsat, SPOT, and Quickbird imagery.

Patchy TargetPatchy TargetPatchy TargetPatchy Target

Spectral SimilaritySpectral SimilaritySpectral SimilaritySpectral Similarity

Issue #2, WildfireIssue #2, WildfireIssue #2, WildfireIssue #2, Wildfire

• Reliable fuel load modeling• Current rangeland fire severity

modeling

Issue #3, Issue #3, DesertificationDesertification

Issue #3, Issue #3, DesertificationDesertification

• For land managers and land stewards…– Bio-diversity issue– Why is this weed here?– What are we to do about high fuel

loads?– What can we do about the exposed

soils?

Holistic IntegrationHolistic IntegrationHolistic IntegrationHolistic Integration

• Symptoms of degraded rangeland health– Loss of bio-diversity– Weeds– Bare ground– Ineffective water cycles with

exacerbated drought effects• We have studied the symptoms…

now let’s move to the cause.

Why are the Rangelands Why are the Rangelands Degraded?Degraded?

Why are the Rangelands Why are the Rangelands Degraded?Degraded?

• It appears to be…– Years of over-rest– Following years of over-grazing of plants

• Why?– Grasses evolved with grazing

• Grazed once in a season….not numerous times

– Animal impact is important• Hoof action

– Look at corral areas in the study area

Quantifying Rangeland Quantifying Rangeland Health: ModelingHealth: Modeling

Quantifying Rangeland Quantifying Rangeland Health: ModelingHealth: Modeling

Importance of Rangeland Importance of Rangeland Health Modeling and Health Modeling and

ForecastingForecasting

Importance of Rangeland Importance of Rangeland Health Modeling and Health Modeling and

ForecastingForecasting• Big picture• Addresses end-user core concerns • Reliable models possible

Thank YouThank YouThank YouThank You

• For more information visit our Internet Map Server at:– http://giscenter-ims.isu.edu/

website/rangelands/viewer.htm– Or visit our home page

http://giscenter.isu.edu