Center for Applied Spatial Ecology (CASE)

Research Endeavors

Past and current projects have focused on a variety of spatial and ecological scales  including investigations on specific species, populations, communities, and ecosystem-level biodiversity. Examples of these projects are discussed below.

Biodiversity

The foundation for CASE began during the original New Mexico Gap Analysis Project (NM-GAP) funded by U.S. Geological Survey, National GAP Program.  This was the first statewide attempt to map land cover, habitat, and conservation stewardship (Thompson et al. 1996).  The NM-GAP vegetation map identified 42 land cover types throughout New Mexico that were used to predict potential habitat for 584 vertebrate species.  Spatial analysis of biodiversity provided land managers and planners with landscape level data to support conservation planning.

Involvement of the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in the original NM-GAP effort prompted the selection of the laboratory to participate in the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SWReGAP) which is an update of the gap analysis effort in the Southwest.  This is a multi-state, multi-agency effort with cooperating projects in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico.  The goals of this research are to map the natural vegetation of the 5 southwestern states; 2) model habitat for vertebrate species occurring within those states; 3) map stewardship and management categories; 4) conduct spatial analysis; and 5) provide information for land managers to use in conservation planning.  CASE serves as regional habitat modeling and regional land stewardship laboratory and is responsible for completing a land cover map at the ecological system level for New Mexico and parts of Arizona and Colorado.  CASE is facilitating the habitat modeling of 833 vertebrate species within the regional project by providing a regional habitat protocol, facilitating regional modeling through standardized methodology, and modeling.  The laboratory is also responsible for creating the land stewardship coverage for use in gap analysis, data analysis, report writing, and overall project finalization.

CASE has also integrated spatial analysis and habitat modeling to incorporate ecological context into conservation planning for Fort Bliss Military Reservation (Hamazaki et al. 2001).  Ecological context provides a decision system for land managers to conserve ecological features that are abundant on, represent, and/or are unique to Fort Bliss, rather than features which are scarce on Fort Bliss but are contextually more conservable elsewhere.  The objectives of this research were to 1) specify an ecological context area encompassing Fort Bliss; 2) identify and determine unique or sensitive vegetation and animal communities on Fort Bliss, and create GIS layers to indicate areas of the unique or sensitive vegetation and animal communities in Fort Bliss; and 3) to use information to characterize the ecological context of Fort Bliss.  This project identified conservation foci for Fort Bliss and demonstrated how to incorporate information about ecological context in conservation planning (Hamazaki et al. 2003).  This work demonstrated how consideration of such context can help to identify possible adjustments to conservation priorities to reflect the position of a jurisdiction on the landscape.  This approach provided insight for supplementing conservation planning for locally scarce (e.g., rare or endangered) but ecological contextually abundant ecological features.  In addition, this project synthesized knowledge about conservation and facilitated greater cooperation among landholders and created effective and consistent region-wide conservation strategies.

Research on Species and Habitat

            CASE has participated in specific species or species habitat research on a wide variety of scales.  This includes research on aplomado falcon habitat, ungulate migration, habitat modeling and risk assessment of 13 differing taxa.

CASE cooperated in a multi-agency, multi-country research project on aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis).  Falcon habitat was modeled in the northern Chihuahua Desert to enhance the understanding of aplomado falcon natural history and to predict areas of potential habitat in southern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Chihuahua.  A unique modeling approach was taken where a spectrally driven predictive habitat suitability model was created for aplomado falcons based on Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery (Young et al. 2002).  The predictive model was based on landscape configuration and composition of falcon sites located during ground surveys conducted in 1998-1999 in northern Chihuahua.  Spectral land cover properties were used in combination with Digital Elevation Models to characterize falcon use areas in Chihuahua and identify areas with similar spectral composition and configuration in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.  Image analyses and GIS modeling were conducted at CASE.  The predictive model for suitable aplomado falcon habitat serves as an effective tool for identifying areas similar to falcon use areas in Chihuahua.  The predictive model and validation protocol has assisted land managers in prioritizing areas for conservation, management, and restoration of aplomado falcons.  Users include the Bureau of Land Management, White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss Military Reservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and numerous private groups.

CASE supported a Research Unit project focusing on San Antonio Mountain in northcentral New Mexico.  This is important winter habitat for an interstate elk (Cervus elaphus) population that moves between Colorado and New Mexico.  Little was known about herd demographic, temporospatial distribution, and extent elk contributed to resource conflicts.  Research was conducted to: 1) estimate demographic attributes of the San Antonio Mountain winter range (SAW) elk population, 2) characterize temporospatial dynamics of SAW elk among seasonal ranges, and 3) evaluate resource conflicts in relation to timing and extent of SAW elk movements as they contact various land ownership properties (Kantar 2002, Smallidge et al. 2003).  Population estimates (Gould et al 2004) and herd composition counts relied on spatial data to develop and implement appropriate sampling protocol.  Demographic field data were processed using spatial analysis software to support population parameter estimation.  Classification and analysis of the temporospatial distribution of elk was heavily dependent on spatial data and spatial analysis at each step of the evaluation.  Migration timing and routes, seasonal elk distributions, and herd temporospatial distributions were estimated, classified, and evaluated using spatial analysis software.  Spatial information was further employed in developing sampling protocol for resource conflict evaluation involving SAW elk.  Research supported a Doctoral student, Master’s student, and 1 research technician.  Research results of demographics, temporospatial distribution, and resource conflicts of San Antonio Mountain wintering elk were delivered to New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation with the intent to support various management decision making processes.

CASE examined how the Species At Risk (SAR) concept could be extended to evaluate potential of a sensitive species to impact military missions and the ability for that species to be managed in such a manner as to preclude federal listing in the future (Boykin et al. 2001).  This study identified species for assessment, prepared habitat models for species assessment and conducted field surveys for reconnaissance, testing, and validation of modeling, and evaluated prospective existing risk assessment models for application to SAR evaluation.  Using a structured and documented review protocol, a list of >300 taxa considered sensitive by various public and private conservation agencies and organizations was condensed to fewer than 30 demonstrably at-risk species.  These at-risk species included the black-tailed prairie dog, Colorado chipmunk, ferruginous hawk, Baird’s sparrow, a land snail complex, and the night-blooming cereus.  Through habitat modeling (Bak et al. 2001, Kroll et al. 2003, Rivieccio et al. 2003) and an integrated risk assessment (Andersen et al. In Press) we produced a landscape perspective useful to military installations and others in relation to conservation responsibility.  Management of listed species consumes large amounts of time and money and can interfere with the military mission.  This proactive management approach can be a major benefit to the Army's future ability to test and train on its installations.

Research on Community Ecology

            CASE conducted a fire ecology study on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR).  The study provided a historical perspective on the role of fire on the range, analyzed existing vegetation data, and conducted spatial analysis to derive a three tiered management stratification of WSMR for fire management (Boykin 2000).  The study provided needed ecological background for WSMR to complete a range-wide fire management plan.  Using this hierarchy, a large-scale vegetation map and GIS, we created simplistic risk models based on fuel models, topography, and sites of concern for natural resource managers.  The resulting maps provided a landscape view of the fire risk to natural and human resources and allowed land managers to take a landscape approach in fire management.

Working with Big Bend National Park, CASE conducted a spatial analysis of vegetation change in the Chisos Mountains (Ernst et al. 2003).  Historical aerial photography and multi-temporal satellite images were used to investigate change occurring in the Chisos Mountain woodlands.  Historic aerial photographs, MSS satellite images, and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) imagery were classified and analyzed to detect the change in the extent and cover of vegetation communities.  Over time, the proportion of area occupied by individual land cover classes remained relatively consistent.  This study is providing managers a historical perspective on the change in woody species composition and the role of fire within the system.