Vegetative versus Wildlife Habitat Classifications

1. Vegetative versus Wildlife Habitat Classifications How stuff works

2. Vegetation Classes aim to reflect differences in vegetation patterns caused by time, climate, soils, topography, and human influences. • Plant classes, like plant species are hierarchically nested to describe a vegetative community in the appropriate level of detail. • A. PHYSIOGNOMY • System: Terrestrial/Aquatic - (hydrological regime) • Class: Woodland - (spacing & height of dominant form) • Subclass: Evergreen Woodland - (morphological & phenological similarity) • Group: Temperate Evergreen Needle-leaved - (climate latitude, growth form, leaf form) • Formation: Evergreen needle-leaved forest with conical crowns (mappable units) - Vegetative Classifications

3. B. FLORISTICSAlliance (or cover type): Abies lasiocarpa Forest - (dominant species) Association (or community): Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium [Subalpine fir/Grouseberry] - (subdominant or associated species with similar ecological processes) Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium scoparium forest Subalpine fir/Grouseberry forest • Plant Alliances and associations are the finest level of detail, going beyond the dominant structural species to describe subdominant species often found together. *USGS – 1997 National Vegetation Classification system

4. Regional Classifications • Numerous vegetation classification systems exist, many of which focus on a specific region. • This increases their ability to describe local variation and specific plant communities but reduces their relevance to other broad scale systems. • The result is national vegetation classification systems which broadly describe plant associations and local systems that must be cross walked to other systems for many applications.

5. Wildlife Habitat Classifications Most all so-called wildlife habitat are actually Vegetation classes determined by individuals or small groups and then assigned wildlife species to them. Habitat is mostly implied as componentsto support wildlife but seldom defined.

6. “Stop thinking like a plant ” because………. based on a review of about 100,000 literature citationswildlife information is not collected uniformly Wildlife Habitat Types are determined based on the similarity of wildlife species that interact or are associated with different vegetation groups

7. Animals select habitat in a hierarchical manner: • first level is determined by the species. geographic range; • second level is where a species conducts its daily/seasonal activities (i.e., home range); • third level is for habitat components that are local or site-specific within their home ranges per Hutto (1985).

8. “Stop calling everything Habitat” Hall et al.1997because………. the term needs to be redefined by recognizing the interrelationships of wildlife with different vegetation types. Further, as Hall et al. stated, there is also a need to standardize terminology

9. Peer Reviewed Panels tied species to habitat types, structural conditions and Key Environmental Correlates, and Key Ecological Functions mostly ecology 101 stuff Wildlife Habitat Types Role -up Vegetation Classifications

10. Vegetative versus Wildlife Habitat Classifications Our ability to identify floristic types is greater than our ability to identify associated fauna. Therefore, each identifiable vegetation type probably does not represent a unique wildlife-habitat.

11. Pacific Northwest Habitat Classification Systems Segue way into description of habitat crosswalking systems- <http://icontoo.com/PHaCS/ComplemetarySystems.aspx>

12. IBIS Proposal

13. The primary goal: • enhancing access to habitat and biodiversity information, • updating and refining wildlife habitat mapping at multiple scales, • developing GIS repository an decision support tools, • developing regional coordination, and • conducting outreach and education.

16. Track Change

19. Species Accounts for Monitoring Short-eared Owl

20. VEMA Desktop • - VEMA is a Microsoft Access 2003 based relational database that helps record, calculate • and report vegetation performance based on user determined performance thresholds. • The database allows users to document and record vegetation data at reference sites for the purposes of helping develop vegetation mitigation and restoration plans and subsequent vegetation performance criteria and thresholds. • Uses standardized data collection forms and reports to help streamline the workflow and tracking of projects.

21. Vema Mobile extends field data collection capabilities • using handheld computing devices. • GPS enabled data collection for collecting geographic • and tabular information concurrently. • -Automatically syncs with Desktop VEMA to provide • seamless data transfer between the office and field.

23. Coordinate with State, Federal and Tribal organizations at the subbasin or ecoprovince level to assist with data collection like collecting and verifying focal wildlife and habitat facts and records; collection and reporting inventorying and monitoring information….what else 600% increase - Yikes!!

24. Data Coordination Confirm or validate Wildlife Habitat Relationships… need feedback loop Map focal habitats -for change detection of vegetation type & change total functional diversity Systematically sample wildlife focalpopulations based on statistical design Incorporate Citizen Science As Part of effectiveness monitoring Knowledge and Management sites addressing three underlining themes – species response (both plants and animals), ecological functions, and climate change.

25. Ecosystem Services Priorities Water Land Biota Atmosphere

26. Monitoring • Perspective: • Your River now has 1 million people surrounding it, or • Your Forest is Falling Apart Year - Today Mission: Return Ecosystem Functions

31. High Level Indicators Focal Vegetation types amounts and distribution Change of amount and distribution over time Number of project under, meets, or above goals based on performance objectives