JV Non-Breeding Waterbirds (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. To address Waterbird habitat limitation during the non-breeding (migration-staging and winter) periods, we aim to maximize focal species recruitment through conservation of limiting non-breeding habitats. To help achieve this objective, we used county-level eBird and Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring (IWMM; 20 National Wildlife Refuges) data for non-breeding focal species. These regional data sets were limited for several species but provide a basis for assessing distribution of non-breeding waterbirds. We assumed habitat area was more limited for non-breeding waterbirds where counts per wetland were highest. In each county, we appraised average eBird (2007–2016) and IWMM (2010–2017) waterbird counts relative to county size and percent coverage of wetlands important to distinct non-breeding guilds: Emergent, Forested, Aquatic Bed, and Unconsolidated Bottom and Shore (see table 1 in 2018 JV Waterbird strategic plan). Count neighborhoods (from kernel density analysis; see Soulliere and Al-Saffar 2017) were ranked by the density of waterbirds per wetland area, emphasizing non-breeding expanses with highest counts relative to wetland coverage. The resulting model highlighted the areas having the most important waterbird non-breeding habitats for retention and expansion. Finally, we converted the original raster datset of this model to TIFF format (this product) to improve data visualization, assessment, and interactivity online. The raster map was published in the JV Waterbird Habitat Conservation Strategy – 2018 Revision (Figure 10B). This product shows 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 conservation action at the local scale is (i.e., retention, protection, and or restoration). Aggregate-priority-areas, emphasized mostly across Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 22, were predicted to produce the most value for the decision makers. This product can be scaled-down (i.e., stepped-down to state, watershed, county, or any smaller target area) and supplemented with additional local data for customized output maps depicting best areas for Waterbird non-breeding habitat restoration vs. retention vs. enhancement. See the JV website and related step-down publications for details. Links: * Coming Soon: 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) AgsJvw_Hcs17YrSumFor8BrdNoWB_Ebd0716And21NWRs1017Pts_Us1034Cnty19St_1mRpts100mTKd1km31kmR_SumSppAvgsNrm2Times_RevisedV_Ready = albers_Jv18WbBrdNo. (ii) albers_Jv18WbBrdNo → converted to TIFF and projected on-the-fly to WGS84 → renamed to Jv18WbBrdNoR. * Coming Soon: For internal use of USFWS staff: Data Management Plan (DMP) ID = 000; Title: UMGL JV Non-Breeding Waterbird Distribution.