JV Breeding BCNH (Pxl)

Joint Ventures (JVs) are bird conservation partnerships, established to achieve the goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). There are 22 bird habitat JVs in North America, and our JV, the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (UMGL JV) is located in the Midwest, in a pivotal location in the Mississippi Flyway, for people involved in migratory bird conservation. We are a collaborative, regional group of government agencies, tribes, nonprofit organizations, corporations, universities, and individuals that conserve habitat for the benefit of migratory birds, other wildlife, and people. Our landscape includes eastern Minnesota; all of Wisconsin and Michigan; eastern Nebraska and Kansas; western, southern and eastern Iowa; northern Missouri, Illinois and Indiana; and northwestern Ohio. Targeting conservation to achieve biological objectives for Waterbirds and social objectives for People is a priority for JVs. Black-crowned Night Heron (BCNH; Nycticorax nycticorax) is one of UMGL JV"s focal waterbird species. We produced a spatial model (this raster dataset) of Predicted Habitat Suitability for BCNH in the JV region and surrounding areas during the breeding period to help achieve this goal. We published its map in the JV Waterbird Habitat Conservation Strategy – 2018 Revision (Appendix A). In this model, we used occurrence data from various sources collected over multiple years during the months June and July: Breeding Bird Survey (2007–2016), eBird (2007–2016), Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program (2005–2016), and the Great Lakes Colonial Waterbird Survey (2007–2010). Land cover type attributes associated with BCNH were categorized using the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) spatial data from areas surrounding (≤200 m) occurrence points recorded during the breeding period. Spatial data were considered at the NWI System, Class, Subclass, and Modifier levels but were eventually compressed and simplified to wetland system and class. Habitat suitability for waterbirds relates to key cover types and their juxtaposition. A Landscape Suitability Index (LSI) was established based on results of the NWI analysis for occurrence locations, species-specific habitat literature, and expert opinion. Habitat within the LSI is weighted from 1 (most suitable) to 0.2 (least suitable). Wetlands with predicted highest suitability for breeding (top two habitat categories in the LSI table) and within areas known to have breeding colonies of BCNH were extracted from the NWI. Using kernel density analysis, relative density and distribution of the most suitable habitats for BCNH during the breeding peroid were depicted across the JV region and surrounding areas. Finally, we converted kernel density raster dataset to TIFF format (this product) to improve data visualization, assessment, and interactivity online. This raster showed the distribution and relative density (scale of 0 – 1; values of low – high) of the most valuable areas (pixel neighborhoods) across the JV region, to acquire or manage whatever the required action at the local scale is (i.e., retention, protection, and or restoration). Aggregate-priority-areas were predicted to produce the most value for the decision makers. These hotspots were mainly prioritized using relative density of breeding habitats for BCNH. Areas other than the hotspots represents lower breeding habitat occurrence densities. For more details, please see BCNH account in Appendix A of the 2018 JV Waterbird Habitat Conservation Strategy. We designed a flexible and adaptable analysis framework, and all focal species models (including this one) can be scaled-down (i.e., stepped-down to state, watershed, county, or any smaller target area) and supplemented with additional local data such as soil types, current land use, hydrologic aspects, and other environmental priorities for customized output maps depicting best areas for BCNH habitat restoration vs. retention vs. enhancement. See the JV website and publications for details. Links: To download this TIFF dataset and related data, metadata, and documentation, please browse the UMGL JV online folder in the U.S. Geological Survey's ScienceBase repository. To view and explore this TIFF dataset and related data, please visit the online experience of the UMGL JV Decision Support Tools. References: Model codes and final steps (for internal use of UMGLJV staff): (i) Bcnh_AgsJvw_WbdHu10_Nwi16PEM125allPUSallPSSallPSS1to7allPFOallPFO1to7allRptsWetSzGrt10hKd1Km19KmR_FinalModelV2 = albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH. (ii) albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH → converted to TIFF and projected on-the-fly to WGS84 → renamed to Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH_R. For internal use of USFWS staff: Data Management Plan (DMP) ID = 726; Title: UMGL JV - Black-crowned Night Heron - Predicted Breeding Habitat Suitability.联合保护项目（Joint Ventures, JVs）是旨在实现《北美水禽管理计划（North American Waterfowl Management Plan, NAWMP）》目标的鸟类保护伙伴关系。北美地区共设有22个鸟类栖息地联合保护项目，我们所属的上密西西比河/五大湖地区联合保护项目（Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes Region Joint Venture, UMGL JV）坐落于中西部区域，处于密西西比迁飞区的关键枢纽位置，对从事迁徙鸟类保护工作的人员而言具有重要战略意义。 本团体是由政府机构、原住民部落、非营利组织、企业、高校及个人组成的区域性协作团队，致力于保护栖息地，以惠及迁徙鸟类、其他野生生物及人类群体。我们的研究覆盖范围包括明尼苏达州东部、威斯康星州全境、密歇根州全境、内布拉斯加州东部与堪萨斯州东部、艾奥瓦州西部、南部及东部区域、密苏里州北部、伊利诺伊州、印第安纳州，以及俄亥俄州西北部。 将保护工作靶向聚焦以实现水鸟生物学保护目标与人类社会发展目标，是各联合保护项目的优先事项。黑顶夜鹭（Black-crowned Night Heron, BCNH; Nycticorax nycticorax）是UMGL JV的重点水鸟物种之一。我们构建了该联合保护项目区域及周边区域繁殖期内BCNH的栖息地适宜性预测空间模型（即本栅格数据集），以助力达成上述保护目标。该模型成果已发表于《2018年修订版联合保护项目水鸟栖息地保护策略》的附录A中。 本模型采用了多年来6月至7月期间收集的多源物种出现数据：繁殖鸟类调查（Breeding Bird Survey, 2007–2016）、eBird平台（2007–2016）、五大湖沼泽监测计划（Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program, 2005–2016）以及五大湖集群水鸟调查（Great Lakes Colonial Waterbird Survey, 2007–2010）。与BCNH相关的土地覆盖类型属性，通过对繁殖期记录的物种出现点周边（≤200米）区域的国家湿地清单（National Wetland Inventory, NWI）空间数据进行分类得到。初始空间数据涵盖NWI的系统、类别、亚类及修饰符层级，但最终被压缩简化为湿地系统与类别两级。 水鸟的栖息地适宜性与关键覆盖类型及其空间配置密切相关。基于NWI对物种出现点位的分析结果、物种专属栖息地文献及专家意见，我们构建了景观适宜性指数（Landscape Suitability Index, LSI）。该指数的权重取值范围为1（最适宜栖息地）至0.2（最不适宜栖息地）。我们从NWI数据中提取出两类符合条件的湿地：一是在LSI中被预测为繁殖最适宜的前两类栖息地，二是位于已知BCNH繁殖集群区域内的湿地。通过核密度分析，我们描绘了研究区域及周边区域内BCNH繁殖期最适宜栖息地的相对密度与分布格局。 最终，我们将核密度栅格数据集转换为TIFF格式（即本产品），以提升数据的在线可视化、评估与交互性。该栅格数据展示了研究区域内最具保护价值区域（像元邻域）的分布与相对密度（取值范围0–1，对应密度从低到高），以便在局域尺度开展针对性保护行动（即栖息地保留、保护或修复）。 聚合优先区域被预测可为决策者带来最高的保护价值。这些热点区域主要依据BCNH繁殖栖息地的相对密度进行优先级排序。热点区域之外的区域则代表较低的BCNH繁殖栖息地出现密度。更多细节请参阅《2018年联合保护项目水鸟栖息地保护策略》附录A中的BCNH物种说明文档。 我们设计了灵活可适配的分析框架，所有重点物种的模型（包含本模型）均可进行尺度缩减（即下调至州、流域、县或任意更小的目标区域），并可补充土壤类型、当前土地利用、水文条件及其他环境优先级等本地数据，以生成定制化输出地图，用于标识BCNH栖息地修复、保留与增强的最优区域。更多详细信息请参阅联合保护项目官网及相关出版物。 下载与浏览链接： 1. 如需下载本TIFF数据集及相关数据、元数据与文档，请浏览美国地质调查局ScienceBase知识库中的UMGL JV在线文件夹。 2. 如需查看并探索本TIFF数据集及相关数据，请访问UMGL JV决策支持工具在线平台。 参考文献： 供UMGLJV内部员工使用的模型代码与最终步骤： (i) Bcnh_AgsJvw_WbdHu10_Nwi16PEM125allPUSallPSSallPSS1to7allPFOallPFO1to7allRptsWetSzGrt10hKd1Km19KmR_FinalModelV2 = albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH。 (ii) albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH → 转换为TIFF格式并动态投影至WGS84坐标系 → 重命名为Jv18BrdYsPrdct_BCNH_R。 供美国鱼类及野生动物管理局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS）内部员工使用：数据管理计划（Data Management Plan, DMP）编号=726；标题：UMGL JV - 黑顶夜鹭 - 预测繁殖栖息地适宜性。