The Environmental Conservation Online System (<a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/">ECOS</a>) is a web-based information portal used by USFWS to communicate, among other things, species information for federally threatened and endangered species. An important component is the current range map depicting expected occurrence and suitable habitat for a species. Ecological Services in Headquarters with partners, is leading the Species Range Project to help improve, standardize, and streamline species range map delineation using advanced and widely accepted ecological methods, data science, and species distribution modeling (SDM) techniques. Occurrence data points, from USFWS and other data sources, are used in conjunction with appropriate biotic and abiotic covariates to build an inductive model to delineate ranges. The Species Range Project has developed a nationwide species distribution modelling platform specific to aquatic species using a variety of stream network, and both catchment- and watershed-level abiotic landscape metrics. Specifically, we used elevation-based catchment areas from <a href="https://nhdplus.com/NHDPlus/NHDPlusV2_home.php">NHDPlus Version 2</a> to obtain stream and stream network associated environmental covariates, such as mean annual precipitation, Strahler stream order, and flow accumulation. Further, we have incorporated the EPA’s <a href="https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/streamcat-dataset-0">StreamCat</a> dataset to include additional abiotic landscape metrics, totaling 89 possible covariates. Together these are used in the R package BIOMOD to model species current ranges within larger HUC boundaries allowing us to develop aquatics-based species distribution models for any area within the lower 48 states. To date, we have modeled several mussel species, and plan to use the platform for additional aquatic species such as fish and other invertebrate species and are open to running models to assist in other efforts (SSA’s, recovery plans, 5-year reviews, etc.).
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<b>Presenter Bios:
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Zach Cravens</b>
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Zach Cravens works as a Data Manager for the Southeast Region Inventory and Monitoring Branch for the National Wildlife Refuge System and is located at Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee NWR in Brooksville, MS. Zach’s professional interests lie in applying best practices for data management in support of wildlife and habitat conservation. With the mantra ‘We could automate that…’ he provides regional and local support for wildlife refuges in all aspects of the data life cycle and focuses on streamlining survey data collection methods, annual reporting and data archiving. Originally from the Midwest, Zach, his two daughters, Juniper and Rosalie, and wife Katie enjoy exploring southern culture as well as the year-round hiking and backpacking opportunities.
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<b>Mark Endries</b>
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Mark Endries’ professional interests lie in applying the tools of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assist with and improve habitat protection planning and wildlife conservation. Mark spent the first ten years of his professional career as a GIS Analyst and Program Coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). While employed by the FWC, Mark authored a report entitled Wildlife Habitat Conservation Needs in Florida, which recommends and maps needed conservation lands called Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas throughout the state. For the last ten years, Mark has been employed with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Asheville, NC. For the USFWS Mark has developed distribution models for over 250 aquatic species, as well as applied GIS to a variety of listed species conservation efforts