Get reliable rangeland science

USING DISTURBANCE RESPONSE GROUPS AND ECOSITES TO DELINEATE SAMPLING UNITS WITHIN NEVADA';S CONSERVATION CREDIT SYSTEM
Author
Andrle, Katie
Petter, Kathleen
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2018
Body

Nevada is diverse in its ecosystems and industries. Mining, ranching and agriculture, energy development and manufacturing are all vital to Nevada�s economy, but we also need to protect our heritage, natural landscapes, and wildlife that make Nevada unique. With this in mind, Nevada�s Sagebrush Ecosystem Program has developed the Conservation Credit System (CCS), a new approach to compensatory mitigation that allows anthropogenic impacts such as mines, roads, energy development and transmission lines to be developed within greater sage-grouse (GRSG) habitats while ensuring that those impacts are mitigated to achieve an overall conservation gain for GRSG habitats. The CCS uses science-based, quantitative assessments to calculate direct and indirect impacts to GRSG habitats (debits). Credits are quantified using a similar process as that used to determine debits, and are generated through habitat preservation, enhancement, and restoration. Vegetative sampling is an essential component in determining habitat quality for GRSG and quantifying credit obligation and credit generation; however, it can be challenging to define seemingly homogeneous areas of vegetation to adequately capture cover, forbs, and invasive grasses, among others, on projects of varying sizes across the state. Ultimately, Disturbance Response Groups (DRGs) and Ecological sites have helped solve this dilemma by serving as the starting point for map unit delineation by vegetation, precipitation, and soil types. Careful evaluation from other sources including aerial imagery is still recommended in order to capture additional variables prior to map unit finalization, and ultimately, on-the-ground sampling. �DRGs serve as the desired tool to anchor map unit formation and ensure the level of consistency necessary for the system to allow for better outcomes for CCS users and ultimately, the GRSG and its habitat.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Reno, NV
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts