JV Breeding COTE (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. Common Tern (COTE; Sterna hirundo) is one of UMGL JV's focal waterbird species. We produced a spatial model (this raster dataset) of Predicted Habitat Suitability for COTE 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 of June and July: Breeding Bird Survey (2007–2016), eBird (2007–2016), Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP; 2005–2016), and Great Lakes Colonial Waterbird Survey (GLCWS; 2007–2010). Records from the GLCWS and MMP identify breeding colonies. Point locations of eBird reflect birder observations during the breeding period but some were likely migrating birds, therefore most observations in BCR 22 within our JV were not used. Land cover type attributes associated with COTE 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) were extracted from the NWI. Using kernel density analysis, relative density and distribution of the most suitable habitats for COTE 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 COTE. Areas other than the hotspots represents lower breeding habitat occurrence densities. For more details, please see COTE 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 BLTE 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) Cote_AgsJvwBbsRt0716SumSumEbd0716Mnth5to7SumMmp0516SumSumGlCws0710NestCount_Bfr660ft_WbdHu10_Nwi16L12UBallRptsWthn10kmBrdLf16CoteBrdYsKd1Km19KmR01 = albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE. (ii) albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE → converted to TIFF and projected on-the-fly to WGS84 → renamed to Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE_R. For internal use of USFWS staff: Data Management Plan (DMP) ID = 730; Title: UMGL JV - Common Tern - Predicted Breeding Habitat Suitability.联合保护项目（Joint Ventures, JVs）是鸟类保护合作伙伴关系，旨在达成北美水禽管理计划（North American Waterfowl Management Plan, NAWMP）的既定目标。北美地区共设有22个鸟类栖息地联合保护项目，本次涉及的上密西西比河/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，地处密西西比候鸟迁徙通道的关键节点，在候鸟保护领域具有重要战略地位。本团队由政府机构、原住民部落、非营利组织、企业、高校及个人共同协作组成，为区域性合作群体，旨在通过栖息地保护，为候鸟、其他野生动物及人类社会提供综合福祉。其覆盖的地理范围包括：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、爱荷华州西部、南部及东部区域、密苏里州北部、伊利诺伊州与印第安纳州，以及俄亥俄州西北部区域。 将保护工作聚焦于实现水鸟的生物学保护目标与人类的社会发展目标，是联合保护项目的核心优先事项。普通燕鸥（Common Tern, COTE; Sterna hirundo）是UMGL JV的重点关注水鸟物种之一。为达成该保护目标，我们针对项目区域及周边区域的繁殖期普通燕鸥栖息地适宜性构建了空间模型（即本次发布的栅格数据集）。相关成果地图已刊载于《2018年修订版联合保护项目水鸟栖息地保护战略》的附录A中。 本模型采用了多年采集于6月至7月的多源物种出现记录数据：包括2007-2016年的繁殖鸟类调查（Breeding Bird Survey, BBS）、2007-2016年的eBird观鸟记录平台数据、2005-2016年的五大湖湿地监测项目（Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program, MMP），以及2007-2010年的五大湖集群水鸟调查（Great Lakes Colonial Waterbird Survey, GLCWS）。其中GLCWS与MMP的记录可明确识别繁殖种群栖息地，而eBird的点位记录虽反映了繁殖期观鸟者的观测结果，但其中部分记录可能来自迁徙个体，因此本项目未使用鸟类保护区域22（BCR 22）内的多数观测数据。 与普通燕鸥相关的土地覆盖类型属性，通过繁殖期出现点位周边（≤200米范围）的国家湿地名录（National Wetland Inventory, NWI）空间数据进行分类。初期空间数据涵盖NWI的系统、类别、亚类及修饰符层级，但最终经压缩简化为湿地系统与类别两个层级。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。本研究基于NWI分析的出现点位结果、物种专属栖息地文献及专家意见，构建了景观适宜性指数（Landscape Suitability Index, LSI），其权重取值范围为1（最适宜）至0.2（最不适宜）。我们从NWI数据中提取了LSI表中排名前两位的最高适宜繁殖的湿地类型。 通过核密度分析，我们描绘了项目区域及周边区域内繁殖期普通燕鸥最适宜栖息地的相对密度与分布格局。最终将核密度栅格数据集转换为TIFF格式（即本次发布的成果数据），以提升数据可视化、评估及在线交互性。该栅格数据展示了项目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，数值从低到高对应保护价值递增），可为本地尺度的保护行动（如栖息地留存、保护及修复）提供决策依据。 经预测，聚集优先区域可为主管决策者带来最高的保护效益。这些热点区域主要基于普通燕鸥繁殖栖息地的相对密度进行优先级排序，而非热点区域则代表较低的繁殖栖息地出现密度。如需了解更多细节，请参阅《2018年联合保护项目水鸟栖息地保护战略》附录A中的普通燕鸥相关章节。 本研究设计了灵活可扩展的分析框架，所有重点物种的模型（包括本次的普通燕鸥模型）均可进行尺度缩减（例如缩小至州、流域、县域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事项等本地数据，以生成定制化的输出地图，用于识别最佳的BLTE栖息地修复、留存与提升区域。如需了解更多细节，请参阅联合保护项目官网及相关出版物。 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科学库（ScienceBase）中UMGL JV的在线文件夹。查看并探索本TIFF数据集及相关数据，请访问UMGL JV决策支持工具的在线体验平台。 供UMGL JV内部员工使用的模型代码及最终步骤：(i) Cote_AgsJvwBbsRt0716SumSumEbd0716Mnth5to7SumMmp0516SumSumGlCws0710NestCount_Bfr660ft_WbdHu10_Nwi16L12UBallRptsWthn10kmBrdLf16CoteBrdYsKd1Km19KmR01 = albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE。(ii) albers_Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE → 转换为TIFF格式并实时投影至WGS84坐标系 → 重命名为Jv18BrdYsPrdct_COTE_R。供美国鱼类和野生动物管理局（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=730；标题：UMGL JV - 普通燕鸥 - 预测繁殖栖息地适宜性。