Riparian areas have high biodiversity and contribute�important habitat for plants and animals.�Riparian areas are a very small percentage (<1%)�of the Forest Service�landscape,�yet these areas provide numerous ecosystem services including contributions toward clean water.�Geology,�landscape,�soils�and vegetation�are controls of�riparian area responses to�land management activities and uses, and responses to climate related events.��The first step to studying these systems is�to create a base map that is accurate and consistent�across the landscape.�Two national Forest Service staff areas have�collaborated on a�project to map all riparian areas,�assess riparian areas within�rangelands, and to create a tool to assist the field with focusing�management. A unique approach to mapping, using ArcGIS and�freely available information, provides the base�map.�Ancillary data, such as land cover type, tree canopy and land use are investigated in these areas and within the surrounding landscape analysis units.�Potential uses for the model, map and�information include�prioritizing�landscape or smaller scale restoration needs,�supporting Forest planning processes and�allotment management plans,�assessing change,�and improving our understanding of riparian area�responses to land management.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.