Abstract
 An Approach to Regional Habitat Connectivity--Fragmentation Analysis and Reporting Track: Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Bruce Durtsche, D. McCluskey, Christopher Benson The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking ways to maintain and conserve existing habitat connections and restore severed connections between habitat patches. BLM is developing and testing a raster-based approach to describe and report the location and extent of terrestrial habitat connectivity and fragmentation over large regional landscapes using a 30-meter minimum mapping unit. This analysis is spatially explicit and repeatable, thus allowing for monitoring and reporting of changes in landscape conditions in broad regions over time. GIS technology is used to link regional habitat (land cover) data with land-use activities, disturbances, and associated management actions. This methodology is being applied in the prairie-grassland region, rangewide sagebrush/greater sage-grouse region, and other large regions of the western United States in support of the BLM assessment-inventory-monitoring, greater sage-grouse, land-use planning-NEPA, and vegetation management national strategies. Bruce Durtsche U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wildlife DFC, BLDG 50 DENVER , CO 80225 US Phone: 303-236-6310 Fax: 303 236-3508 E-mail: bruce_durtsche@blm.gov D. McCluskey USDI Bureau of Land Management Washington Office 1387 S. Vinnell Way Boise , ID 83709 US Phone: (208) 373-4042 Fax: (208) 373-4050 E-mail: cal_mccluskey@blm.gov Christopher Benson USDI Bureau of Land Management National Science and Technology Center Bldg 50, Denver Federal Center PO Box 25047 Denver , CO 80225-0047 US Phone: 303 236-0719 Fax: 303 236-3508 E-mail: christopher_benson@blm.gov |
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