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Initial conceptual models were developed to organize and document current knowledge about key ecosystems in Southwest Wyoming. The goal of this work was to provide a scientific means for identifying potential indicators of ecosystem change to be used in a long-term monitoring program. Models pertain to the atmospheric systems and human systems, and the focal ecosystems identified by WLCI partners: aspen foothill woodlands, mixed mountain shrubs, sagebrush steppe, riparian, and aquatic. Additional models were developed to illustrate the effects of disturbances on wildlife habitat and populations. A hierarchy of models was used to illustrate key components and processes of native systems and how systems respond to...
The mixed mountain shrub community is one of the WLCI priority habitat types and is associated with numerous WLCI conservation priority areas and habitat projects. The current extent and condition of mountain shrub patches is unknown in most of the WLCI region; thus, trends in their condition and mechanisms driving those conditions are also unknown. Ongoing monitoring data from selected stands indicate an overall decline in this community type. Hypotheses as to what is causing the decline range from persistent drought to herbivory and, possibly, factors associated with increased energy development. Our long-term objectives are to measure and map the current conditions and distribution of mixed mountain shrub communities...
To evaluate habitat conditions and trends, land management agencies in the WLCI region require objective, detailed information describing the characteristics of vegetation dynamics, such as changes in biomass, species composition, or the timing of green-up. Assessing the efficacy of management activities and the duration of their effectiveness has been problematic due to the lack of high-resolution spatial and temporal satellite imagery capable of revealing patterns in vegetation responses and changes in forage production. Vegetation indices, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery, can be used to monitor seasonal and interannual changes in plant phenology and biomass...
Salinity is the sum of dissolved salts in water and can have major effects on surface-water quality in semi-arid regions such as southwestern Wyoming. High levels of salinity can make water unsuitable for wildlife or irrigation. A wide variety of processes influence the salinity of surface waters, including mobilization of salts or concentration of salts already in the water. Disturbance of soils that contain natural salts below the surface can lead to salt mobilization as the exposed salts come into increased contact with water from rain, snowmelt, or streamflow. Because soil disturbance is inevitable with energy development, increased stream salinity is a potential concern in developed watersheds. In 2005, energy...
Consistent with the National Park Service’s philosophy, Fossil Butte National Monument is managed to protect the Monument’s resources and provide opportunities for public enjoyment. Fossil Butte National Monument was created primarily to protect paleontological resources; however, the mandate of the agency’s enabling legislation “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein…” also recognizes the importance of natural process, native wildlife species, and the habitats on which they depend. Sizeable herds of elk spend part of the fall and winter within the Monument’s boundaries and provide numerous viewing opportunities for visitors. Collaboration among the USGS, the National...
Many mineral deposits (excluding coal and other energy minerals, with the exception of uranium) are located within the WLCI area. The mineral extraction industry is yet another factor to be considered in the development of southwestern Wyoming. Although Wyoming has had a rich mining history, with a few notable exceptions, currently the industry is mostly dormant in the WLCI study area and has been for the study’s duration. Despite hundreds of open claims and leases, there are only a few exploration projects and even fewer active mining operations; a major exception, however, is the increased demand for uranium by in situ recovery, which is imposing new demands on the landscape. Understanding the extent of mineralization...
Addressing concerns about the types and development of energy and a secure energy future is a high priority for the current United States administration, the Department of the Interior (DOI) in particular. The BLM and other land management agencies within the DOI are charged with balancing energy development with other land uses and values. Decision-making about land uses is often controversial and complex; this necessitates easy access to useful data, literature, and other informative resources that facilitate a better understanding of how energy development affects natural resources, ecosystems, economics, and society. Although there are several valuable on-line resources that provide information about energy...
The severe disturbance that surface mining often causes has the potential to drastically alter a soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties (Insam and Domsch, 1988). In particular, metals associated with mining deposits present obstacles to ecosystem recovery (Nielsen and Winding, 2002), as their residence time in soils can be quite extensive (Brookes, 1995). Quantifying soil quality can be useful for evaluating the impact of such disturbances and can improve the understanding of the mechanisms behind ecosystem processes. Definitions of soil quality generally involve soil function [for example, a soil’s ability to support vegetative diversity and biomass or to sustain itself through nutrient cycling (Doran...
The spread of cheatgrass was identified by the WLCI LPDTs as a serious threat to maintaining important wildlife habitat. Team members also expressed interest in knowing whether past habitat treatments (prescribed burns, mowing, herbicide applications) resist or promote the spread of cheatgrass and other invasive plant species. Other questions address whether or not soil biological crusts can resist the spread of cheatgrass. Since 1990, numerous habitat-restoration and enhancement projects have been implemented in the Little Mountain Ecosystem (LME), many of which entailed prescribed burns. To evaluate annual variation of cheatgrass density on treated and untreated plots and to determine the ability of soil biological...
Weather and climate influence plant productivity, which in turn influences wildlife habitats and behaviors (Monteith and others, 2011). Monitoring plant phenology (such as the timing of green-up, flowering, or senescence) reveals patterns that can serve as indicators of habitat condition and quality. Climate change may alter phenology patterns and plant species composition, which could affect the availability and quality of forage and cover for WLCI species of concern, such as elk, mule deer, pronghorn, greater sage-grouse, and livestock. This project entails monitoring plant phenology to address the WLCI management need for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of habitat-management activities. Our work also...
The WLCI has supported numerous aspen habitat treatments in the Sierra Madre Range of south-central Wyoming to reduce conifer cover, increase aspen densities, and diversify stand dynamics. WLCI partners are seeking information on how aspen and under-canopy vegetation have responded to those treatments, the relationship between soil chemistry and mechanical removal of conifers, and the response of invasive species to soil and litter disturbance associated with mechanical removal. To address these and similar questions, in FY2008 the USGS developed a study in the Sierra Madre Range to investigate aspen regeneration, herbivory, and growth rate, and to document interactions between soil disturbance and under-canopy...
The Little Mountain Ecosystem in southwestern Wyoming has been identified as a priority area for conservation by the BLM and the WGFD. The woodlands of the Little Mountain Ecosystem have been affected by multiple disturbance types over the last 20 years. Active management of these ecologically important woodlands has sought to rejuvenate decadent aspen stands and reduce conifer expansion in successional aspen stands through prescribed fire and mechanical thinning. The area also experienced wildfires and multiple drought years over the last decade. The BLM Rock Springs Field Office asked the USGS to conduct research that provides baseline information on the Little Mountain Ecosystem woodlands. This project is designed...
A wide variety of human activities has the potential to contaminate groundwater. In addition, naturally occurring constituents in groundwater can limit the suitability of that water for some uses. Baseline groundwater-quality data can be used to facilitate analysis of water-quality trends over time and to understand the effects of human activities. Such information is an important tool for protecting groundwater resources that are crucial for drinking water and other uses. The USGS is working in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality on the Wyoming Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network, the goal of which is to collect water-quality samples at 20-30 wells within each of 33 priority areas...
Persistence of the greater sage-grouse depends on the quantity, quality, and distribution of habitat within its range and prioritizing their habitats for protection and long-term viability of their populations is a high priority for managers. In previous years, Fedy and Aldridge (2011) conducted a long-term analysis of sage-grouse population trends across the WLCI area and all of Wyoming, identifying fluctuations and quantitatively addressing many concerns associated with analyzing large time-series databases. Subsequently, Fedy and others (2014) completed a large habitat-selection modeling effort using resource selection functions to predict the probability of habitat use across Wyoming. In FY2014, we expanded...
Understanding the socio-political and economic context of energy development is crucial for an accurate portrayal of the true tradeoffs of energy development. In addition to the bio-physical effects, development of oil and gas has an effect on and is affected by the surrounding communities and the region as a whole. Synthetic literature reviews can elucidate what is already known about these effects, create a common understanding of the social and economic context for energy development and habitat conservation, and provide a basis for dialogue with the public through the entire adaptive management process. For this task, literature produced prior to and during the current energy-development booms in Southwest Wyoming...
The Green River Formation that characterizes much of the Green River Basin hosts thick sequences of organic carbon-rich shale (oil shale), extractable pockets of natural gas, and bedded trona (Na3[CO3][HCO3] × 2H2O), the extraction or mining of which can mobilize elements that could potentially affect the function and health of ecosystems in the basin. In an ongoing effort to develop methods for assessing element mobility in the basin, the USGS has sampled soils from the three main members of the Green River Formation (Laney Shale, Wilkins Peak, and Tipton Shale), and contracted with XRAL Laboratory, Canada, to conduct mass spectrometry analyses of the soils for bulk and trace elements. Soils were extracted by using...
Regional curves are statistical models (one-variable, ordinary least-squares regressions) that relate bankfull discharge, bankfull cross-sectional area, bankfull width, and bankfull mean depth of streams to drainage area in settings that are expected to have similar runoff characteristics. Equations describing the regional curves can be used to estimate the discharge and dimensions of the bankfull channel when the drainage area of the watershed is known. These equations are useful for identifying the bankfull channel in areas with similar runoff characteristics. Regional curves also are used to determine channel departure from reference conditions and to plan stream restoration when using Natural Channel Design...
Each year the USGS Science Team produces publications reporting data and findings collected in the WLCI region. The WLCI partners and decision-makers expressed a need to access more comprehensive views of scientific information resulting from WLCI science and habitat projects. To promote use of and accessibility to data and other information associated with published scientific reports, in prior years we developed user-friendly tools for mapping geospatial data in an interactive environment, accessing data documentation (metadata), and downloading data. This exposes a wider audience to WLCI data and other information than previous tools did. We also improved the integration of those data with other scientific data....
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WLCI Data Management
As extensive energy development continues throughout Wyoming, extraction of natural gas and development of wind turbine farms are increasing the footprint of energy development on the native landscape. This development has the potential to impact numerous species designated as Wyoming’s SGCN (Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 2010). This study, completed in FY2012, was established to help prioritize the management, monitoring, and research of Wyoming’s SGCN relative to energy development across the WLCI landscape. The primary goal of this work is to focus conservation attention on SGCN that are most likely to be impacted before the species actually become imperiled. This was accomplished by first making geospatial...
Climate change has the potential to affect ecosystems across the WLCI region. Future changes in seasonal temperatures, and the timing and amount of rain and snowfall, may result in significant ecosystem shifts that affect wildlife species. Information on the magnitude and rate of potential changes in climate are needed for understanding and developing responses to the potential future impacts of these changes. For example, Wyoming land managers require future climate information to inform the development of adaptive management plans for the species and ecosystems they manage. The goal of this project is to develop datasets of potential future climate and vegetation changes for southwestern Wyoming that can help...
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