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MGIS Capstone Project - Peer Review July 8, 2008 Dennis Oberlie, Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.

D etermining rangeland suitability for cattle grazing based on d istance-to-water, terrain, and soils. MGIS Capstone Project - Peer Review July 8, 2008 Dennis Oberlie, Wyoming Game & Fish Dept. Academic Advisor: Joseph A. Bishop, Ph.D., Penn State University, Department of Geography.

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MGIS Capstone Project - Peer Review July 8, 2008 Dennis Oberlie, Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.

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  1. Determining rangeland suitability for cattle grazing based on distance-to-water, terrain, and soils MGIS Capstone Project - Peer Review July 8, 2008 Dennis Oberlie, Wyoming Game & Fish Dept. Academic Advisor: Joseph A. Bishop, Ph.D., Penn State University, Department of Geography

  2. Goal • Develop a user-friendly GIS model using ESRI software to determine rangeland grazing suitability for cattle

  3. Presentation Outline • Where? • Who? • Why? • What? • How? • Example • How to Improve • Objectives • Issues • Procedures • Future Applications • Questions

  4. Where • Wyoming • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) • Lander Field Office

  5. Who Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

  6. Why • Grazing major use of public rangelands • Determine lands available for grazing • Determine appropriate numbers of livestock • Manage for uniform grazing to prevent land degradation

  7. What • Factors used to determine grazing suitability Terrain and slope Distance-to-Water

  8. What Terrain • 0 to 10% Slope Suitable • 30% Slope 50% Suitable • Over 60% Slope Unsuitable

  9. What Distance-to-Water 0 – 1 mile 100% use 1 - 2 miles 50% use Over 2 miles No use

  10. How • Two Current Methodologies • Holechek (1988, 1998) • developed during the “infancy” of GIS • 4 reduction categories • determine percent reduction of area available for grazing • most existing determinations use this method

  11. How • Guenther et al. (2000) • Uses GIS (IDRISI software from Clark Labs) • 5 suitability categories • determine % of area suitable for grazing (Inverse of Holechek)

  12. Sweetwater Canyon Example

  13. How to Improve Current Methods • Develop systematic computer-based methodology • Create a barrier-to-movement layer • Consider vegetation capability of soils

  14. Barrier-to-Movement • Use slope > 60% to create barrier layer • Calculate shortest distance to water around barrier

  15. Soils • Suitable for vegetation • Rock outcrops

  16. Project Goal • Develop a user-friendly GIS model using ESRI software to determine rangeland grazing suitability in the Lander Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management

  17. Project Objectives • Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create an automatic process with minimal user inputs

  18. Project Objectives • Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create automatic process with minimal user inputs • Compare GIS based analysis with existing (paper map) calculations and to verify modifications with local rangeland experts

  19. Project Objectives • Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create automatic process with minimal user inputs • Compare GIS based analysis with existing (paper map) calculations to verify modifications with local rangeland experts • Develop summary to explain methodology and data

  20. Data Availability Issues • Water sources layer • Seasonal water sources • Man-made sources not consistently mapped • Fences • Incomplete and out-of-date • Soil mapping • Detail of mapping units

  21. Procedures Clip all layers to Pasture Bdry Classify by Slope Sum Slope and D-T-W Classification for Total Suitability Calculate Slope Elevation Create Slope Barrier Layer Rivers Merge Water Sources Calculate Acres and % Suitable Update Water Sources Classify by Distance-To-Water Around Barrier Layer Pond/ Lakes Water Wells Union Suitable Soils with Total Suitability Classify by soil suitability Soils

  22. Finish Class Develop Model & Update Present to WySRM July 08 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 09 Feb Mar Apr May Schedule

  23. Future Applications • Use model for a Decision Support System • New water sources • Additional fencing • Monitoring plans

  24. Future Applications • Use model for a Decision Support System • New water sources • Additional fencing • Monitoring plans • Other factors to include in model • Vegetation • Conflicting land uses

  25. Thanks • Wyoming Game and Fish Department • Staff of the Bureau of Land Management - Lander Field Office • Joe Bishop • Doug Miller • Beth King • And most importantly • My Wife

  26. How to test the model • Validate the success and utility of this project Your Questions/Input Contact Dennis Oberlie : duo105@psu.edu

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