TERRA-1: October 2000 Progress Report

What are the history, status and projected future of terrestrial wildlife habitat types and species in the South?

Dr. Margaret Katherine Trani  (Griep)

October 11-12, 2000, Atlanta, GA

I am at the stage of creating summary maps, figures, and tables from the information compiled over the last several months.  Synthesis will then begin, followed by the writing stage.  Additional information may be collected for selected question sub points.  Selected highlights include:

Evaluate changes in species diversity

Completing tables of listed species by state and beginning associated figures by taxa (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mussels, invertebrates, and plants);

Creating maps of avian species diversity and species hotspots (high levels of imperiled species);

Initiating synthesis of literature on factors that historically (and currently) imperil a variety of southern species.  

 Describe the history and status of wildlife habitat; reference factors influencing those trends

Completed historical trends (1950s to present) in seedling-sapling, poletimber, and sawtimber occurrence in the south; 

Examining changes in forest composition and structure (as measured by FIA variables), and relating these changes to habitat availability for several species of high concern;

Initiating synthesis of terrestrial habitat descriptions;

Continuing analysis of roads and remote areas of forest.

Declines in the hard mast-producing component of southern forests

Examining forest data on oak distribution and abundance and relating these findings with the wildlife species dependent upon hard mast.

Contribution of public lands in providing wildlife habitat

Completed land ownership summaries by state and physiographic province (tables and figures);

Completed figures illustrating the proportion of land in National Forests and other public ownership by state;

Compiled tabular information on U. S. Park Service and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands (location, acreage, species);

Developing maps depicting the distribution of public lands in the south;

Initiating synthesis of habitats and species on those lands.

Implications of forest fragmentation in the south

Dr. Kurt Riitters will conduct the regional forest fragmentation analysis using MRLC land use data at two different spatial scales (e.g., ecological section and county). 

This will include derivation of several metrics including land cover density, landscape pattern types, forest neighborhood probabilities, and land cover diversity (Simpson’s index).

Dave Wear’s station will produce the forest maps.

 

 modified: 20-Oct-2000