Conservation GIS that matches the scale of Alaska E. Jamie Trammell Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Acknowledgements Bureau of Land Management • Scott Guyer • Aliza Segal • Karen Kelleher • Jason Taylor • Travis Haby • Tim Hammond • Cindy Hamfler Assessment Management Team • • • • • • • • • • Bureau of Land Management Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Alaska Department of National Resources Alaska Department of Fish and Game US Geological Survey North Slope Science Initiative North Slope Borough North Star Borough Northwest Arctic Borough Acknowledgements AKNHP  Monica McTeague (Ecologist)  Keith Boggs (Ecologist)  Matt Carlson (Botanist)  Timm Nawrocki (GIS)  Megumi Aisu (GIS)  Tracey Gotthardt (Zoology)  Marcus Geist (GIS)  Becky Shaftel (Aquatics)  Leah Kenney (Aquatics) Institute for Social Economic Research (ISER)  Diwakar Vadapalli (Sociologist)  Stephanie Martin (Policy Specialist) Scenario Network for Arctic and Alaska Planning (SNAP)  Nancy Fresco (Climate Scientist)  Angie Floyd (Spatial Analyst) What is a Rapid Ecoregional Assessment? Determine ecological values, conditions, and trends within large, regionally connected areas that have similar environmental characteristics Identify important resource values and patterns of environmental change that may not be evident on smaller scales Gauge the potential of these species and habitats to be affected by change agents Rapid Ecoregional Assessments • First step in Landscape Approach headed by the BLM Rapid Ecoregional Assessments Monitoring for Adaptive Management Science Integration Field Implementation Ecoregional Direction REAs AKNHP REAs http://aknhp.uaa.alaska.edu/landscape-ecology/ Conservation Elements Regionally important terrestrial ecological features, functions, or services Regionally important aquatic ecological features, functions, or services Native fish, wildlife, or plants of regional concern Change Agents Climate Change Permafrost Fire Invasive Species Anthropogenic Uses Integrated Analyses Assess status of key ecological values Forecast trends Identify management opportunities Identify data gaps and science needs Provide information and tools… but do not make decisions or allocate resources Key Outcomes of REA • Baseline conservation data synthesis • Distribution models for key ecosystem resources – Conceptual model of how the ecosystem works – Following coarse-filter fine-filter approach • Distribution models for major agents of change – Climate, wildfire, invasive species, human development and permafrost • Intersection of two to show current and future (2025 & 2060) condition of ecological resources Terrestrial Conservation Elements Coarse-Filter: CoarseCoarse Filter: Habitat Fine--Filter: Species Fine Terrestrial Coarse-Filter Coarse CoarseCEs Tina Boucher, Vegetation Ecologist Email: [email protected] Phone: 907.786.6384 Terrestrial Coarse-Filter Coarse CoarseCEs Tidal marsh Marine beach Rare ecosystem with high bird use Unique vegetation for the North Slope and separate shallow lagoons Coastal plain wetland Coastal plain moist tundra Coastal plain matrix forming habitat supporting many species Coastal plain matrix forming habitat supporting many species Sand Sheet Sources: NSSI landcover and Northern Alaska Subsections (Jorgenson and Grunblatt 2013) Terrestrial Fine-Filter Fine FineCEs Terrestrial Fine-Filter Fine FineCEs Important as consumers but also as prey (including carcasses) for the large and medium-sized predators. Important subsistence resources.