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Stephen P Boyte


Email: sboyte@usgs.gov
Office Phone: 605-594-6171
ORCID: 0000-0002-5462-3225
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This dataset provides early estimates of 2021 exotic annual grasses (EAG) fractional cover predicted on May 3rd. We develop and release EAG fractional cover map with an emphasis on cheatgrass (Bromus tectrorum) but it also includes number of other species, i.e., Bromus arvensis L., Bromus briziformis, Bromus catharticus Vahl, Bromus commutatus, Bromus diandrus, Bromus hordeaceus L., Bromus japonicus, Bromus madritensis L., Bromus racemosus, Bromus rubens L., Bromus secalinus L., Bromus texensis (Shear) Hitchc., and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae. The dataset was generated leveraging field observations from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring data (AIM) plots; Harmonized...
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These datasets provide early estimates of 2022 fractional cover for exotic annual grass (EAG) species and one native perennial grass species on a bi-weekly basis from May to early July. The EAG estimates are developed within one week of the latest satellite observation used for that version. Each bi-weekly release contains four fractional cover maps along with their corresponding confidence maps for: 1) a group of 16 species of EAGs, 2) cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum); 3) medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae); and 4) Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda). These datasets were generated leveraging field observations from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) data plots; Harmonized Landsat...
Exotic annual grasses [EAG] are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America. Despite numerous environmental and societal impacts associated with EAG there remains a need to enhance regional monitoring capabilities to better guide management and conservation efforts. Here we provide estimates of historic and potential future trends in EAG abundance that were developed using linear trend analysis and machine learning techniques at a 30-m spatial resolution. Specifically, these data represent historic (1985 to 2019) and potential future (2025-2040) rates of exotic annual grass change as estimated using Theil-Sen regression and a process-constrained, random forest model assuming only changes...
Exotic annual grasses are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America and increase the susceptibility of landscapes to wildfire occurrence. Here we couple estimates of long-term rangeland component fractions (e.g. exotic annual grasses) with remote sensing, climate data, and machine learning techniques to estimate the long-term (1985 to 2019) probability of wildfire occurrence (30-m spatial resolution) in sagebrush-dominated landscapes of the western United States.
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Cheatgrass began invading the Great Basin about 100 years ago, changing large parts of the landscape from a rich, diverse ecosystem to one where a single invasive species dominates. Cheatgrass dominated areas experience more fires that burn more land than in native ecosystems, resulting in economic and resource losses. Therefore, the reduced production, or absence, of cheatgrass in previously invaded areas during years of adequate precipitation could be seen as a windfall. However, this cheatgrass dieoff phenomenon creates other problems for land managers like accelerated soil erosion, loss of early spring food supply for livestock and wildlife, and unknown recovery pathways. We used satellite data and scientific...
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