10/30/20151 Determining rangeland suitability for cattle grazing based on distance-to-water, terrain, and soils MGIS Capstone Project - Peer Review July 8, 2008 Dennis Oberlie, Wyoming Game & Fish Dept. Academic Advisor: Joseph A. Bishop, Ph.D., Penn State University, Department of Geography

Goal Develop a user-friendly GIS model using ESRI software to determine rangeland grazing suitability for cattle 10/30/20152

Presentation Outline Where? Who? Why? What? How? 10/30/20153 Example How to Improve Objectives Issues Procedures Future Applications Questions

10/30/20154 –Wyoming –Bureau of Land Management (BLM) –Lander Field Office Where

10/30/20155 Who Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

10/30/20156 –Grazing major use of public rangelands –Determine lands available for grazing –Determine appropriate numbers of livestock –Manage for uniform grazing to prevent land degradation Why

10/30/20157 Factors used to determine grazing suitability Terrain and slope Distance-to-Water What

What Terrain –0 to 10% Slope Suitable –30% Slope 50% Suitable –Over 60% Slope Unsuitable 10/30/20158

9 Distance-to-Water 0 – 1 mile 100% use miles 50% use Over 2 miles No use What

10/30/ How Two Current Methodologies 1. Holechek (1988, 1998) –developed during the “infancy” of GIS –4 reduction categories –determine percent reduction of area available for grazing –most existing determinations use this method

10/30/ How 2. Guenther et al. (2000) –Uses GIS (IDRISI software from Clark Labs) –5 suitability categories –determine % of area suitable for grazing (Inverse of Holechek)

10/30/ Sweetwater Canyon Example

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10/30/ How to Improve Current Methods Develop systematic computer-based methodology Create a barrier-to-movement layer Consider vegetation capability of soils

10/30/ Barrier-to-Movement Use slope > 60% to create barrier layer Calculate shortest distance to water around barrier

10/30/ Soils Suitable for vegetation Rock outcrops

10/30/ Project Goal Develop a user-friendly GIS model using ESRI software to determine rangeland grazing suitability in the Lander Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management

10/30/ Project Objectives Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create an automatic process with minimal user inputs

10/30/ Project Objectives Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create automatic process with minimal user inputs Compare GIS based analysis with existing (paper map) calculations and to verify modifications with local rangeland experts

10/30/ Project Objectives Develop a GIS Grazing Suitability Model using ESRI Tools to create automatic process with minimal user inputs Compare GIS based analysis with existing (paper map) calculations to verify modifications with local rangeland experts Develop summary to explain methodology and data

10/30/ Data Availability Issues Water sources layer –Seasonal water sources –Man-made sources not consistently mapped Fences –Incomplete and out-of-date Soil mapping –Detail of mapping units

10/30/ Procedures Clip all layers to Pasture Bdry Elevation Rivers Pond/ Lakes Water Wells Soils Calculate Slope Classify by Slope Create Slope Barrier Layer Merge Water Sources Update Water Sources Classify by Distance-To-Water Around Barrier Layer Classify by soil suitability Sum Slope and D-T- W Classification for Total Suitability Union Suitable Soils with Total Suitability Calculate Acres and % Suitable

10/30/ Schedule July 08 AugSepOctNovDecJan 09 FebMarAprMay Finish Class Develop Model & Update Present to WySRM

Future Applications Use model for a Decision Support System –New water sources –Additional fencing –Monitoring plans 10/30/201526

Future Applications Use model for a Decision Support System –New water sources –Additional fencing –Monitoring plans Other factors to include in model –Vegetation –Conflicting land uses 10/30/201527

10/30/ Thanks Wyoming Game and Fish Department Staff of the Bureau of Land Management - Lander Field Office Joe Bishop Doug Miller Beth King And most importantly –My Wife

How to test the model Validate the success and utility of this project Your Questions/Input Contact Dennis Oberlie :