# Presentation: 887125

## A Network Connecting Science and Conservation

- National Park Service
- Vital Signs Monitoring Meeting
- August 13-16, 2002

## Overview

- The power of the Natural Heritage Network
- NatureServe’s unique approach
- How the National Park Service and NatureServe are working together

##    NatureServe works in partnership with a network of local experts across the Americas to distribute authoritative information that is critical to the conservation of the world’s biological diversity.

**Framework for NatureServe Mission Success**

- Protect
- biodiversity

- Influence
- decisions

- Provide information products & services

- Collect, organize, and analyze data

***MISSION***

***GOAL***

***STRATEGY***

***ACTION***

## We help protect biodiversity by:

- Determining which elements are at risk
- Identifying priority areas for protection and management
- Directing development away from sensitive resources

***Gray Ranch, NM***

## Current NatureServe Members

- <date/time>

**54 US States, Territories, Tribes and DC**
**11 Canadian Provinces and Territories**
**  ****9 Latin American Countries**

- US Virgin Islands

**Notes:**
75 independent centers that collect and manage data about plants, animals, and ecological communities.
From the first Heritage Program in South Carolina in 1974, the Network now reaches across most of the Western Hemisphere. 
Focus on rare species (but not exclusively) 
Employ ecologists, botanists, zoologists, data specialists 
Most programs (78%) are state or provincial agencies; some affiliated with universities; fewer than 5 are still TNC-operated. 

## Power of the Network

- Common goal: document biodiversity
- 25 years of data development
- Information at multiple scales
- Continuously updated
- Common protocols and methods
- More than 800 local experts across U.S., Canada and Latin America
- Central experts integrate local data and evaluate regional/global context

## Confusion:    Arabis perstellataSense of Rollins (1993) & Kartesz (1999)	Rare species of Kentucky & Tenn.	Federally listed, G2 rank	Excludes A. shortiiSense of Fernald (1950)	Widespread  species (G5)	Only some populations federally protected	Includes A. shortii

## Setting PrioritiesGlobal Conservation Status (G) Ranks

- GX — Extinct
- GH — Possibly extinct
- G1 — Critically imperiled
- G2 — Imperiled
- G3 — Vulnerable
- G4 — Uncommon but apparently secure
- G5 — Widespread, abundant and secure

**Notes:**
Data from across the Network is aggregated to determine the global rarity, or G-Rank, for each species. 

Data from within a particular state is used to determine the analogous state rarity, or S-Rank, for each species.  

A species may be rare in Virginia, for example, but secure globally. 

## Comprehensive ListsClassification, state/prov. distributions, global ranksPlants	Vascular Plants	Lichens and Bryophytes (few distributions yet)Animals	Vertebrates (all groups)	Insects & crustaceans (selected groups)	Mollusks (all non-marine groups)	Cave-obligate species (all)

## Distribution status informationRegularly occurring native speciesEstablished alien speciesOther records as desired	Accidentals	Potentially occurring species	Questionable and false reports

## Invasiveness:  Two examples

***Cynoglossum officinale***** (**Hounds Tongue)

***Euphorbia esula***** (**Leafy Spurge)

## Invasiveness:  Cooperative projectNatureServe, TNC, National Park ServiceCoordination with Alien Plant Working Group,Plant Conservation AllianceFunding from Turner Foundation and NFWF;  initial funding from U.S. Air Force

## “NatureServe helped me reconcile the weed lists from the Parks with the standard taxonomic list.  What would have taken me a week took us half an hour.”

- “NatureServe helped me reconcile the weed lists from the Parks with the standard taxonomic list.  What would have taken me a week took us half an hour.”
*      **-**Jil Swearingen, NPS*
*          **National Capitol Region*

- National Vegetation Classification Standard

## Voyageurs National Park, MN

**Notes:**
Vegetation maps -- a basic land management resource.  Being used for:
	prescribed and wildfire planning
	habitat  modeling for rare and common species
	interpretation
	recreation planning
	inventory and monitoring 

In collaboration with agencies, HPs, and academics

Expanding onto lands of other agencies -- USFS, USFWS, DOD, BLM 

## Ecological SystemsCoarser resolution than ecological communitiesClassifications being developedMore practical for general mapping, correlating to species, and broad analysis

## Element Occurrence

- An Element Occurrence (EO) is an area of land and/or water in which a species population or natural community is, or was present.

*Virginia Division of Natural Heritage*

## Shapes of Things to Come

## Predicted Range Mapping

- 1) Georeference known occurrences
- 2) Overlay environmental data
- 3) Develop ecological niche model
- 4) Predict ranges using model
- 5) Expert review to trim edges

**Notes:**
Here’s how the predicted range method works.  First, you gather all of the know localities that a species is know to occur at.  This data base can combine museum, EO, literature, and observational data.

Second, overlay environmental data.  Typically, environmental data is available in a grid format, with a value in each grid cells.  Up to 15-20 data sets are now commonly available.  Examples are elevation, annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, mean January temperature, mean July temperature, etc.

Next, you use a computer modeling program to develop an Ecological Niche Model.  This model integrates all of the environmental parameters found at the sites where the species is known to occur.  

Then the computer uses this model to predict the species range based on the overall distribution of the specific environmental values determined in the Niche Model.

Finally, experts review the map to correct errors of overprediction caused by dispersal barriers or biotic interactions. 

## Unique Niche

- On the ground data for entire U.S.
- Local presence with international capability

## Smart Growth and Wildlife

## Index of Watershed Integrity

## Heritage Data Management

- Open Data Model – Posted on the web at
- http://whiteoak.natureserve.org/hdms/HDMS-DataModel.shtml

## Information Sharing

- GIS maps
- Digital data
- Element lists
- Project reports
- Journal papers
- Internet
- Meetings; workshops

## Uses of Network Data

-  Environmental review
-  Environmental Impact Statements
-  Permitting and other regulatory actions

_**Proactive:**_
-  Conservation site selection
-  Ecoregional planning
-  Resource management plans

*TNC Sonoran Ecoregion Plan*

## Decision Support System

- Explore biodiversity in an area
- Develop analyses of land use scenarios
- Data from NatureServe databases will be integrated with other natural resources data
- Natural Heritage Programs
-     will play a key role in user
-     support and training

## Study Plan for Biological Inventory of the Southern Plains Network Parks
Development of Information and Database for T&E Species*
Biological Inventory of Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Biological Inventory of Great Sand Dunes National Park*
Biological Inventory of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument*
Vegetation Mapping and Classification of Rocky Mountain National Park*
Population Status Survey of the Schmoll Milkvetch at Mesa Verde National Park*
							*current project

**Development of Information and Database for T&E Species***
**Biological Inventory of Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site**
**Biological Inventory of Great Sand Dunes National Park***
**Biological Inventory of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument***
**Vegetation Mapping and Classification of Rocky Mountain National Park***
**Population Status Survey of the Schmoll Milkvetch at Mesa Verde National Park***
- 							*current project

**Recent Colorado Projects**

**Notes:**
CNHP has completed project work for the NPS at both the Regional/National Level and at the local Park unit level.  Mostly since about 2000, prior to that we had not done much work with NPS.

Examples of projects at the Regional/National level include:
...the Study Plan for the species inventories in the Southern Plains Network Parks.  Our role on this project was to pull together the Heritage Programs from the states that make up the SPN (CO, KS, NM, OK, TX)  and coordinate the production of the study plan for completing species inventories in each of the parks in the network.
And...
...for the T&E Species database project we created a database on the status of T&E species on NPS units.  Role was to create the  database structure and populate it with data from NS, NPS, and USFWS for use by individual Park resource managers.  In conjunction with this, we have also compiled  information from the species recovery plans, habitat conservation plans, and other data sources into a one to two page summary sheet highlighting the NPS responsibilities and the needs and concerns important for the species survival.  

At the local Park Unit level we have three projects to implement the Park study plan and conduct the Biological Inventory at the individual Park Unit, These include vascular plants and vertebrates at Bent’s fort, and vascular plants only at sand dunes and Florissant. 

...we are currently in the first year of a three year effort to map and classify the vegetation of Rocky Mountain Nat Park.  Our role is the field inventory and classification portions of the project.

...we have completed one year of a two year survey and mapping of populations of the Schmoll Milkvetch at mesa verde.  Due to the drought we were unable to continue that work this year and plan to resume and finish it next year.

## Future Opportunities

- Continue to work in support of the Washington Office staff in Fort Collins
- Develop and implement monitoring and inventory projects for Park units without access to a local Heritage program
- Perform dedicated surveys for plant and animal element occurrences at local Park units

**Notes:**
The relationships we have established with the Washington Office’s located in Fort Collins is valuable and important.  We want to strengthen that relationship and continue to develop the support we provide.  Mapping, inventory, monitoring    (Loyal Mehrhoff and Steve Fancy)
Park units located in States without a Heritage Program, or a program unable to perform the work needed, should have an easy way to contact and contract with a nearby Heritage Program.

Would like to work more closely with the Park units to complete dedicated EO surveys.  Some Parks have been well studied others have not.  Important for the Park to know what imperiled elements are supported there, where the best occurrences are located, and what their status is over time.

## Specific Products of Interest

- Data standards (classification, ranks)
- Monitoring and integrated survey plans
- On-the-ground field studies
- Cooperation in invasive species database
- Vegetation mapping and classification
- Data sharing – both within and outside Parks
- Collaboration on standardizing data sets
- Data analysis tools

## Next Steps

- Draft cooperative agreement
- Data sharing working group
- Inventory and monitoring working group
- Position paper:  cooperating in the “Seamless Network of Parks”
- IPA ?