Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming Forest Mapping, 2013-2017

This data collection is associated with the project: “Status and Trends of Deciduous Communities in the Bighorn Mountains”. It contains the project study area, model evaluation data, model input data, and model output data in the form of probability of occurrence rasters for deciduous and coniferous species, as well as a synthesis map. The aim of the study is to assess the current trends of deciduous communities in the Bighorn National Forest in north-central Wyoming. The data here represents phase I of the project, completed in FY2017. The USGS created a synthesis map of coniferous and deciduous communities in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming using a species distribution modeling approach developed in the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) (Assal et al. 2015). The modeling framework utilized a number of topographic covariates and temporal remote sensing data from the early, mid and late growing season to capitalize on phenological differences in vegetation types. We used the program RandomForest in the R statistical program to generate probability of occurrence models for deciduous and coniferous vegetation. The binary maps were combined into a synthesis map using the procedure from Assal et al. 2015. In Phase II of this project (to be completed in FY2018 and 2019), the USGS will conduct a preliminary assessment on the baseline condition of riparian deciduous communities. This will be a proof-of-concept study where the USGS will apply a framework used in prior research in upland aspen and sagebrush communities to detect trends in riparian vegetation condition from the mid-1980s to present. Literature Cited Assal et al. 2015: https://doi.org/10.1080/2150704X.2015.1072289