State-and-Transition Simulation Models, parameters, input data, and simulation results
Dates
Publication Date
2023-06-30
Start Date
2018
End Date
2068
Citation
Orning, E.K., Heinrichs, J.A., Pyke, D.A., Coates, P.S., and Aldridge, C.L., 2023, State-and-Transition Simulation Models of sagebrush-steppe vegetation to explore potential post-fire greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat restoration in three Priority Areas for Conservation, USA (2018-2068): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PYHZF7.
Summary
This is a spatially-explicit state-and-transition simulation model (STSM) of sagebrush-steppe vegetation dynamics for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) in the Great Basin. The STSM was built using the ST-Sim platform and uses an integrated stock-flow submodel (STSM-SF) to simulate and track continuous vegetation component cover changes caused by annual growth, natural regeneration, and post-fire sagebrush seeding and planting restoration. Spatially explicit models were built for three sage-grouse PACs (Klamath Oregon/California [KLAM], NW Interior Nevada [NWINV], Strawberry Utah [STRAW]) that differed in historic wildfire patterns and the amounts of various component vegetation cover [...]
Summary
This is a spatially-explicit state-and-transition simulation model (STSM) of sagebrush-steppe vegetation dynamics for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) in the Great Basin. The STSM was built using the ST-Sim platform and uses an integrated stock-flow submodel (STSM-SF) to simulate and track continuous vegetation component cover changes caused by annual growth, natural regeneration, and post-fire sagebrush seeding and planting restoration. Spatially explicit models were built for three sage-grouse PACs (Klamath Oregon/California [KLAM], NW Interior Nevada [NWINV], Strawberry Utah [STRAW]) that differed in historic wildfire patterns and the amounts of various component vegetation cover present (sagebrush, annual grass, pinyon-juniper percent cover), and represented a range of possible variation in annual area burned (fire size, frequency), annual grass invasion, conifer encroachment and simulated potential for habitat restoration. Thirteen restoration scenarios representing a combination of three revegetation alternatives (no restoration, seeding, planting) under three effort levels (post-fire treatment area), and two durations (single-year, multi-year) were simulated for each PAC landscape. Seeding and planting effort levels were based on historic treatment area polygon data (median size) for sagebrush seeding (6 km2) and planting (4 km2). Planting scenarios represented the sagebrush cover gains of planting 4 plants/m2 (low-density; LD planting) and 8 plants/m2 (high-density; HD planting). A combination seeding-planting scenario representing single-year gains from seeding and multi-year gains from HD planting was also simulated to compare with single- and multi-year seeding or planting scenarios.
Click on title to download individual files attached to this item.
54.9 GB
application/x-zip-compressed
SagebrushSteppeRestoration_ssim_Metadata.xml Original FGDC Metadata
View
69.43 KB
application/fgdc+xml
Purpose
This ST-Sim library database contains several model scenarios and their associated outputs, and this particular database includes scenarios for the three study site PACs in the Great Basin. The selected PAC study sites represented the range of fire dynamics, vegetation composition, and dynamics present in sagebrush-steppe systems of the hydrographic Great Basin. These study sites ranged in size (658 km2 – 1,504 km2) and contained variable amounts of annual grass and pinyon-juniper cover that exemplified degraded sagebrush shrubland (KLAM), at-risk of annual-grass invasion (NWINV), and at-risk of juniper encroachment (STRAW) landscapes. Models were developed and designed to help managers gauge the potential for habitat restoration for the species and to support post-fire restoration planning. The model can be applied to new model extents under the caveat spatially explicit model initialization inputs (strata, vegetation state, component cover) and conditions (fire size, frequency distributions) corresponding to new areas are added in place of conditions parameterized for the three PACs in this study; computing limitations may apply as model extents increase in size. The model outputs are intended for use in combination with sage-grouse habitat designations as well as local knowledge and expertise to inform strategic decision-making but do not represent predictions of expected future habitat.
