BLM REA COP 2010 Potential Sources of Dust

This dataset shows potential sources of dust, which may contribute to accelerated snow melt in the ecoregion. In particular, this dataset shows the number of factors that may contribute to dust production at a location. These factors include: 1) Areas around mines and oil/gas wells. 2) Low vegetation cover or invasive annual vegetation 3) Recent disturbances (since 2005) 4) Unpaved roads 5) Soils with high potential for wind erosion (low available water capacity or highly wind-erodible) The roads dataset used for this analysis does not fully support distinction of paved versus unpaved roads. Many unpaved roads could not be included in this dataset, and there is a chance that some paved roads are included. This factor should be treated with the least certainty. Note: the combination of factors at a location may produce a non-linear response with respect to dust production. Each factor alone may have varying magnitude depedent on location, local wind and landscape characteristics, degree of use (for unpaved roads). Factors may combine such that the net affect is far greater than the sum of the factors indepedently.