 Habitat
Assessment & Mapping
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Wetlands & Watersheds
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Yellowstone River Wetland/Riparian Change Detection
(Partner: Custer County Conservation Dist)
Objective: Conduct a pilot study to evaluate wetland/riparian
change detection techniques and the suitability of available
aerial imagery. The report makes recommendations for the
techniques and materials that could best be used to assess
wetland/riparian change along the entire Yellowstone River
Corridor. Report completed (see below); implementation project
under consideration.
Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program: Biological
Assessment Criteria for Vegetation
(Partners: DEQ, EPA)
Objective: Partner with DEQ’s Wetland Work Group to
develop a monitoring and assessment program for the state’s
wetlands and riparian areas. Our role focuses on vegetation
and rapid assessment evaluations, and analysis of data to
assess watershed health.
Watershed Assessments: Lewistown, Powder River &
Cottonwood Watersheds
(Partner: BLM)
Objective: Refine watershed assessment tools to inform watershed
conservation, planning and management through a multi-year
project focusing on priority planning watersheds for BLM.
GIS and field inventory are used to assess and characterize
landscape conditions within 5th code HUC sub-watersheds.
Completed reports are available for two prairie pothole
4th code HUC watersheds and a Powder River watershed. A
Lewistown area watershed report is scheduled for May, 2007.
Wetland Change Detection
(Partner: DEQ)
Objective: Track landscape level wetland change over time
for the DEQ Wetlands Demonstration Pilot Program, focusing
on the Bitterroot, Flathead and Gallatin Valleys. Wetland
type change, creation and destruction will be linked to
natural or human causes.
Enhancement of National Wetlands Inventory Classification
and Mapping
(Partner: DEQ)
Objective: The Montana Wetland Council has identified statewide
mapping of wetlands using the National Wetland Inventory
(NWI) system as a high priority. We will develop an association
of NWI types with other classification systems and field
test the association so that future NWI mapping can provide
greater ancillary information and be of more value to users.
Information is now available on our website with more to
come.
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Sagebrush & Grassland Habitats
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Sagebrush Succession in Southwest Montana
(Partner:
BLM)
Objective: Document how sagebrush communities develop after
fire and evaluate the effects of fire on the extent and quality
of sagebrush habitat. Produce information to help BLM develop
management plans use prescribed fire, livestock grazing and
herbicide application to create a mosaic that will meet management
needs for conservation as well as livestock production. A
report was completed for southwest Montana and a report focusing
on southeast Montana is scheduled for late 2007.
Status and Distribution of Small Mammals Associated
with Sagebrush
(Partner: FWP)
Objective: Document the distribution and define the range
and status of small mammal species associated with sagebrush
in Montana. Relate distribution and relative abundance to
vegetation structure and dominant plant species of sagebrush
communities, and use establish a network of point count sampling
stations to facilitate future monitoring of sagebrush animal
communities. Grassland Bird Response to Grazing
and Cropland Practices in Northeastern Montana
(Partner: BLM)
Objective: Determine breeding-season grassland bird use
of rangelands subjected to prevalent grazing practices,
as well as their use of non-irrigated cropland and converted/fallow
cropland (= CRP), and the effects of “patch size”
on patterns of grassland bird presence and relative abundance.
Will evaluate management issues and provide recommendations
to improve habitat through best-management practices.
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Aquatic Ecosystems |
Surveys for Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Species of Concern Surveys
in Elkhorn Creek, Gallatin Co., MT
(Partner
funding: USFS)
Objective: Survey aquatic macroinvertebrates to identify any
Species of Concern that could be affected by the reintroduction
of westslope cutthroat trout in Elkhorn Creek, a fishless
stream that MFWP and the USFS are planning to stock.
Measuring Freshwater Conservation Effectiveness
(Partner funding: The Nature Conservancy)
Objective: Apply the NHP’s Missouri River watershed
stream classification and data to evaluate the extent to
which prairie stream habitat and species diversity are represented
through existing ecoregional plans. This GIS analysis incorporates
data on landscape stewardship, viable stream communities
and watershed-scale threats.
General Vegetation Mapping
Accuracy Assessment of Vegetation Mapping for Glacier
National Park
(Partner: NatureServe)
MTNHP and NatureServe are providing support to Glacier NP
on the classification and mapping of vegetation communities.
We will provide an independent analysis of mapping accuracy
and support on vegetation community classification as needed.
Technical Support for Vegetation Mapping in Montana
(Partner: USGS)
The National Gap program is developing land cover maps for
Montana and the entire United States. Montana maps will
be completed by the end of 2007. The MTNHP will provide
technical support on vegetation classification (mapping
types), field crew training, and map accuracy evaluation
so that the best possible maps will be available for Montana.
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General Vegetation Mapping
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Accuracy Assessment
of Vegetation Mapping for Glacier National Park
(Partner: NatureServe)
MTNHP and NatureServe are providing support to Glacier NP
on the classification and mapping of vegetation communities.
We will provide an independent analysis of mapping accuracy
and support on vegetation community classification as needed.
Technical Support for Vegetation Mapping in Montana
(Partner: USGS)
The National Gap program is developing land cover maps for
Montana and the entire United States. Montana maps will be
completed by the end of 2007. The MTNHP will provide technical
support on vegetation classification (mapping types), field
crew training, and map accuracy evaluation so that the best
possible maps will be available for Montana.
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Priority
Animal Species: Status & Ecology |
Riparian Bat Surveys in Eastern Montana
(Partner:
BLM)
This project will determine the presence and distribution
of bat species in the Cottonwood forests of eastern Montana
relative to prevailing vegetation structure and composition.
It will also establish a network of sampling stations and
baseline data for future monitoring of riparian bats.
Inventory Protocols for Bats and Terrestrial
Mollusks
(Partner: USFS Region 1)
Objective: Develop standardized inventory protocols for bats
and for terrestrial mollusks of conservation concern; conduct
initial surveys to test the effectiveness of the terrestrial
mollusk protocols and begin determining the distribution of
priority species.
Amphibian and Aquatic Reptile
Inventory Program
(Partners: FWP, USFS, USGS,
DEQ, EPA)
Objective: Conduct baseline inventory of wetland sites in
southeast and south central Montana for amphibians and aquatic
reptiles in order to make the first quantitative status assessment
of these species in relation to a variety of local and landscape
level variables.
Goshawk Status Assessment
on the Kootenai National Forest
(Partner:
USFS)
Objective: Produce a more accurate estimate of breeding northern
goshawk numbers across the Forest, as well as distribution
and habitat association data to guide future management and
conservation needs.
Harlequin Duck Monitoring
(Partners: Glacier NP, Kootenai NF, FWP)
Objective: Conduct harlequin duck pair and brood surveys and
capture and banding operations to determine nesting success
and trends for this bird in Montana. Focuses on primary streams
in the Kootenai National Forest portion of the Lower Clark
Fork drainage (Marten, Swamp, Rock creeks and Vermilion River)
and Glacier National Park. Data will be analyzed in the context
of long-term data for this and other areas in Montana.
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Plant
Species of Concern: Status and Ecology |
Missoula Plant
Surveys
(Partner: BLM)
Objective: Survey for BLM Sensitive plants and Montana Plant
Species of Concern in the Hoodoo Mountains and Flint Creek
watersheds for the Missoula BLM Field Office.
Water
Howellia and Spaulding’s Catchfly Status Surveys
(Partner: USFWS)
Objective: Conduct surveys to gain more accurate status and
distribution information for Federally listed plants Howellia
aquatilis (water Howellia) and Silene spaldingii (Spaulding’s
catchfly) to support effective management and recovery activities.
Surveys for Plant Species of Concern in Southeastern
and Southcentral Montana
(Partner: BLM)
Objective: Conduct systematic surveys for globally and regionally
significant plant species on BLM lands managed by the Billings
and Miles City Offices. The results will clarify the distribution
and status of globally and regionally significant plant resources
managed by BLM, provide information on habitat and ecological
characteristics, and produce a better knowledge base for the
successful management of those resources.
Predictive
Modeling of Rare Plant Species and Vegetation Types
(Partner: BLM)
Rare species are often restricted to specific habitats, and
relatively few environmental parameters (e.g., climatic and
soil factors, elevation, geologic substrate) may be able to
accurately predict suitable habitat for these species. The
goal of this project is to begin developing predictive occurrence
models for rare vascular plant species or plant communities,
focusing on BLM lands in southwest and southcentral Montana.
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Web
Resources & Data Services |
NatureServe and BLM 14 State Project
(Partner: NatureServe,BLM)
The Montana Natural Heritage Program is working with NatureServe
to provide Species of Concern location information for Montana
to the US BLM national office. The Montana portion of the
project is part of a 14 state regional effort to support data
analysis for the Energy and Policy Conservation Act.
US Fish and Wildlife Service Data Support
(Partner: USFWS)
Objective: For the Montana Office of the USFWS, update existing
information in the NHP databases and GIS coverages for to
candidate, proposed, threatened and endangered species, including
bald eagle nest occurrences.
US Forest Service FAUNA Data Project
(Partner: USFS)
MTNHP is working with the USFS Region 1 Office to improve
the information base on plant and animal species of concern
and other vulnerable or declining species on USFS land by
actively assembling and integrating information from forests
in Montana. In addition, MTNHP is working with USFS to establish
a network of botanists, ecologists and biologists who will
regularly provide and exchange observation and survey data
on plant and animal species of concern and other vulnerable
or declining species on FS lands.
Web-based Access to Element Occurrence Data
(Partners: USFS, BLM, USFWS)
Objective: Provide biologists at USFS, BLM and other partner
agencies with direct access to Element Occurrence data through
a customized web interface, and train agency staff in use
of the application and data.
Proposal Review and Database Support,Noxious Weed Trust Fund
(Partner: DAG)
Provide information on the status and locations of sensitive,
threatened, and endangered species to individuals and organizations
preparing weed management plans and grant applications. The
Heritage Program is referenced as an information source in
the current Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant guidelines, and
grant applicants are required to include info from MTNHP in
their grant application package.
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| Other
Projects Completed Since 2004 All
reports are available on the MTNHP web site |
- Land Cover
Mapping for the Rocky Mountain Front
(Partners: USFWS)
- Silene spaldingii Conservation
Status/Grassland Inventory and Assessment
(Partner:USFWS)
- Cirsium longistylum
Status Assessment
(Partner: Burnett Land Inc.)
- Plant
Communities and Ecological Sites
(Partner: BLM)
- Bat
Use of Highway Bridge Structures
(Partner: MDT)
- Aquatic
Ecosystem Diversity of the Missouri River Drainage
(Partners: BLM & TNC)
- Black-tailed
Prairie Dog Surveys
(Partner: BLM)
- Pygmy
Rabbit Distribution & Status
(Partner: BLM)
- Conservation
Status of Howellia aquatilis, water howellia
(Partner:
USFWS)
- Plant Species of
Concern Surveys on BLM Lands in the Butte Office Area
(Partner: BLM)
- Missouri
Headwaters Wetland Inventory
(Partners: DEQ & EPA)
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The Montana Natural Heritage is
part of the State Library’s Natural Resource Information
System, operated contractually through a partnership with The
University of Montana. For additional information, contact Susan
Crispin, Director at 444-3019 or email scrispin@mt.gov.
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