JV Breeding BWTE Population BCRs1223 (Plgn)

[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. Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs): The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) has classified landscapes based on features important for bird-conservation planning by sub-dividing the continent into Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs; Bird Studies Canada and NABCI 2014). These planning units are characterized by similar bird communities, habitats, and resource management issues. The UMGL JV region is largely covered by BCRs 22 (Eastern Tallgrass Prairie), 23 (Prairie Hardwood Transition), and the U.S. portion of BCR 12 (Boreal Hardwood Transition). Portions of BCR 24 (Central Hardwoods) and 13 (Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain) also occur within the JV boundary. This Model: Targeting conservation to achieve biological objectives for Waterfowl and social objectives for People is a priority for JVs. Blue-winged Teal (BWTE; Spatula discors) is one of UMGL JV's focal waterfowl species. We produced a spatial model (this Polygon dataset) in BCRs 12 and 23 within the JV region to help estimate BWTE population density during the breeding period. We published its map in the JV Waterfowl Habitat Conservation Strategy – 2017 Revision (Appendix A). We started the analyses with BWTE population data from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS, 2005–2014) conducted in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (BCRs 12 and 23). Density estimates from survey segments (400 m wide × 8–48 km long) were calculated, and these estimates were spatially joined to overlapping suitable cover types (potential habitats, extracted from the National Wetland Inventory). Habitat cover types were converted to multiple random points with 100 meter tolerance in-between; these points were then used along with their inherited data from survey segments to conduct kriging interpolation analysis. Portions of BCRs 12 and 23 had no aerial-survey coverage but species distribution was interpolated from neighboring surveyed areas within the BCR. Interpolation was performed while reducing negative effects of spatial auto-correlation, data trends, and directionality. Several models were generated and the best model was selected based on statistical results of cross-validation, such as mean prediction error and standardized root-mean-square of prediction error. This dataset comes with 32 classes of estimated BWTE density and it was summarized in 5 bins for simplicity. For smooth map, it is recommended to visualize using a graduate-color ramp with the 32 classes. For more details, please see BWTE account in Appendix A of the 2017 JV Waterfowl Habitat Conservation Strategy. Links: • On hold / contact us: To download this zipped File Geodatabase of this Polygon Feature Class dataset, related metadata, and documentation, please [browse the UMGL JV online folder in the U.S. Geological Survey's ScienceBase repository]. • To view and explore this Polygon Feature Class 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) Jvw_Bcr1223Cstm_BWTE0514_nozout1_simple_1stT_expSmoothF1_A_stable_smoothF1_KModel_5_predPlgn = albers_Jv17BrdYsPopBcr1223_BWTE. (ii) albers_Jv17BrdYsPopBcr1223_BWTE → imported to new GDB and projected on-the-fly to WGS84 → renamed to Jv17BrdYsPopBcr1223_BWTE. • For internal use of USFWS staff: Data Management Plan (DMP) ID = 739; Title: UMGL JV - Blue-winged Teal - Interpolated Breeding Population Density (BCRs 12 & 23).