DMP Section Type:
Data Input - New Collection
Description:
To further distinguish scenarios, we incorporated future conservation scenarios into our land-use change modeling. By means of “conservation masks” we can compare and contrast the effects of land use change on rangeland ecosystem services, and we can de-couple climate effects from land use impacts. For the B1 scenario, we created a map of one million acres of presently unprotected land located in high priority conservation areas near other protected lands within the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition boundary. In this conservation mask, no land use change occurs in the model, but climate effects will still occur. (This acreage was determined based on existing conservation goals and historical trends of conservation land protection.) In the A1B scenario, we masked 500,000 acres of land from land use change in high or medium priority conservation areas near urban centers, and in the A2 scenario, we did not identify any land explicitly for future conservation.
Collection Protocols:
Historical rates of land protection were determined by quantifying private fee title land acquisition and easement acquisition in the California Protected Areas Database (http://www.calands.org/) and the National Conservation Easement Database (http://conservationeasement.us/). Future land conservation goals were determined by interviewing land trusts that focus on rangeland conservation. Units of land conservation were set at approximately 1000 hectares, to represent the typical size of an easement acquisition. For each conservation mask, the number of conservation units were selected for an overall conservation mask based on a rule set determined for each scenario. For the A1B scenario, units were selected that were in high or medium conservation areas, not currently protected and near to urban centers, while in the B1 scenario, units were selected that were in high conservation areas, not currently protected and near existing protected areas.
Processing & Workflow:
Land use-land cover change maps and downscaled global climate model outputs were compared across scenarios to determine how conservation mask areas would otherwise be converted under different scenarios, what change in climate would be expected in these areas.
Quality Checks:
Masks were visually inspected to ensure that final products conformed to assigned rule sets.
Backup & Storage:
external hard drive located at USGS Menlo Park office
Restrictions:
Sensitive data, not available for download
