Nebraska's Biologically Unique Landscapes

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Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska
Publication_Date: 20110810
Title: Nebraska's Biologically Unique Landscapes
Edition: 2011
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Lincoln, Nebraska
Publisher: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Other_Citation_Details:
Following is the citation for the Natural Legacy Plan, in which the preceding version of these data were presented in map form:
Schneider, R., M. Humpert, K. Stoner, G. Steinauer. 2005. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project: A Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE. 245 pp.
Online_Linkage: <http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us>
Online_Linkage: <http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/programs/legacy/>
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Publication_Information:
Description:
Abstract:
This metadata record describes a shapefile depicting Nebraska's Biologically Unique Landscapes (BULs) as identified in conjunction with the development of a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan (Schneider et al 2005, aka the Natural Legacy Plan, and its subsequent revision in 2010/2011) for the state. The following summary of how BULs were defined is copied directly from Chapter 3, page 15 of that Schneider et al 2005: "One of the goals of the Natural Legacy Project is to identify a set of priority landscapes that, if properly managed, would conserve the majority of Nebraska's biological diversity. These landscapes, which we are calling Biologically Unique Landscapes, were selected based on known occurrences of at-risk species and ecological communities. In addition to at-risk species, these landscapes support a broad array of common species. The following sections describe the approach we used to identify the at-risk species, ecological communities and biologically unique landscapes."
Initial efforts to implement the Natural Legacy Plan focused on nine Biologically Unique Landscapes (BULs) that had 'Flagship Initiatives' underway. Flagship Initiatives are coordinated efforts that include conservation actions on private and public lands, education and outreach, and monitoring and research.
As part of the revision of the Natural Legacy Plan in 2010, six boundaries were modified. The changes were approved in 2011.
Purpose:
The purpose of the data set is to provide the public with information about areas in Nebraska which offer some of the best opportunities for conserving its full array of biological diversity.
Supplemental_Information:
Acknowledgement of the Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20110810
Currentness_Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Unknown
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -104.217614
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -95.091587
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.112439
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.904566
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: biodiversity
Theme_Keyword: conservation
Theme_Keyword: landscape analysis
Theme_Keyword: hotspot analysis
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Nebraska
Place_Keyword: Great Plains
Access_Constraints:
None. However, we encourage those interested in using the data to contact NGPC directly rather than obtaining the data from a third party. This is to ensure that users obtain the most current version of the data/metadata.
Use_Constraints:
These data are a very rough approximation of reality and are designed for visualization rather than analysis. The data are not intended for use at scales larger than originally created. The original scale at which these maps were produced was no better than 1:3,000,000.
Acknowledgement of the Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
The data remain the property of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
The data are provided for research, educational, and outreach purposes only.
This data set is not designed for use as a regulatory tool in permitting or citing decisions.
This is public information and may be interpreted by organizations, agencies, units of government, or others based on needs; however, they are responsible for the appropriate application. Federal, State, or local regulatory bodies are not to reassign to the NGPC any authority for the decisions that they make. The NGPC will not perform any evaluations of these maps for purposes related solely to State or local regulatory programs.
Digital data files are periodically updated. Data users are responsible for obtaining the latest version of the data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Contact_Person: Rick Schneider
Contact_Position: Natural Heritage Program Director
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 2200 N. 33rd street
City: Lincoln
State_or_Province: Nebraska
Postal_Code: 68503-0370
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 402-471-5569
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 402-471-4992
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: rick.schneider@nebraska.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST Monday-Friday
Data_Set_Credit:
Aditya Peri, Data Manager for the Nebraska Natural Heritage Program (NNHP) at the time of the shapefiles' creation, did the editing to create the 2005 version of the data.
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 3; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.3000
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report: Attributes are believed to be accurate.
Logical_Consistency_Report: These data are believed to be logically consistent.
Completeness_Report:
Understand that although the Natural Heritage Program maintains high standards of data quality control, it makes no warranty as to the fitness of the data for any purpose nor that the data is necessarily accurate and complete.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
No guarantees are made as to the horizontal accuracy of these data. The data are a very rough approximation of reality and are designed for visualization rather than analysis. The data are not intended for use at scales larger than originally created. The original scale at which these maps were produced was no better than 1:3,000,000.
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The following is copied directly from Schneider et al 2005 (Chapter 3, pp 21-22). Additional details can be found in that document.
Selecting Biologically Unique Landscapes
The goal of this process was to identify a set of landscapes that offer some of the best opportunities for conserving the full array of biological diversity in Nebraska. Landscapes were selected based on known occurrences of ecological communities and at-risk species and were selected to meet the goals we had set for each community type and Tier I species.
We conducted two different analyses (SPOT and Heritage Hotspots) of data in the Natural Heritage database. Results of these analyses were used in conjunction with other spatial data layers to help delineate the boundaries of the landscapes.
SPOT (Spatial Portfolio Optimization Tool, see Appendix 5) is a computer algorithm that selects areas based on the goals, set by the user, for the number of occurrences of communities and species that are to be conserved. The program identifies a set of areas that meet identified goals in the least amount of total area with the least amount of fragmentation (most clustering of species and communities). In this analysis we used data in the Heritage database for all terrestrial communities and the Tier 1 at-risk species. To help ensure that the best examples were selected, we used only those occurrences with an EORank of A or B, (for those occurrences that were ranked). The areas identified by this process can be viewed as the minimum area needed to meet the goals. The results can be displayed as a GIS layer or map.
The Heritage Hotspots layer was developed using the Section (square mile) grid of Nebraska (see Appendix 6). Each Section was given a score based on the number and conservation ranks of species and communities found within them. Sections were classified by score range (1-5, 6-10, etc) and the classes were portrayed in different colors to allow us to visually identify hotpots of natural community and at-risk species diversity. Data from all Heritage tracked species (Tier I and II) were used as well as the community data.
While the Heritage Database represents the most comprehensive, statewide data on at-risk species and ecological communities in the state, inventory work is far from complete in Nebraska. Supplemental expert information was used to help delineate the landscapes. In addition to the above spatial data, we developed a GIS layer in which the Commission's District field staff had delineated areas that contain relatively intact and high quality habitat. We also conducted a series of workshops with species experts (fish, birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians). Participants in these workshops delineated areas in the state with high concentrations of at-risk species. In the case of the fish experts workshop, they also identified areas with high quality streams with a good overall diversity of species. And finally, we utilized the National Land Cover Data (1993) to help identify relatively intact landscapes.
The results from the SPOT analysis were used to identify the nuclei of the landscapes. The additional layers were used to expand the boundaries of the landscapes so that they were clusters of community and at-risk species occurrences within a relatively intact landscape.
In certain landscapes there were obvious concentrations of natural community and at-risk species occurrences. These were delineated as "core" areas and could be considered as higher priority within the landscape. There was no prioritization among landscapes, each contains a somewhat different assemblage of communities and species and therefore each is needed to complete the conservation on Nebraska's biological diversity."
Process_Date: 20050801
Process_Step:
Process_Description: Metadata were written.
Process_Date: 20081001
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Contact_Organization: Nebraska Natural Heritage Program
Contact_Position: Natural Heritage Data Manager
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 402-471-5427
Process_Step:
Process_Description: Metadata imported.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
E:\GISData\BULs\packaged BUL data\Nebraska Non Riverine BULs 2005.shp.xml
Process_Date: 20110224
Process_Time: 10214600
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The data published 2005-08-01 were revised in 2010 (with changes approved in early 2011) as part of the revision of the Natural Legacy Plan. Proposals for BUL boundary changes were submitted to and reviewed by the Natural Legacy Science Team. Recommendations to the Steering Committee were made, which made final decisions regarding the changes. Changes were made to the Central Loess Hills, Saline Wetlands, Verdigre-Bazile, Southeast Prairies, and Middle Niobrara. In the case of the Middle Niobrara, adjustments to the boundaries of the adjacent Upper Niobrara and Lower Niobrara were made concomitantly. Finally, the Rainwater Basins boundary was changed and the type changed from BUL to Migratory Bird Landscape.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: Biologically Unique Landscapes Version 1 20050801
Process_Date: 20110201
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
In addition to the actual boundary changes, several changes were made to the structure of the data set. The main changes were that the data sets for riverine and terrestrial BULs were merged to improve ease of use of the data and attributes useful for labeling were incorporated. An effort to ensure that the names match those that will be published in the revised Legacy Plan is underway.
Process_Date: Not complete
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Name of Lower Loup River changed to Lower Loup Rivers to reflect the fact that lower portions of two rivers are included.
Process_Date: 20110527
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Dataset copied. Name changed to Nebraska_BULs_2011 and references in attribute table to Migratory Bird Landscape were changed back to Biologically Unique Landscape per directive of Legacy Partnership Team.
Process_Date: 20110810
Process_Time: 11471300
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 39
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Grid_Coordinate_System:
Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
UTM_Zone_Number: 14
Transverse_Mercator:
Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -99.000000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000
False_Easting: 500000.000000
False_Northing: 0.000000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000000
Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000000
Planar_Distance_Units: meters
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Contact_Position: Heritage Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 2200 N 33rd Street
City: Lincoln
State_or_Province: Nebraska
Postal_Code: 68503-0370
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 402-471-5427
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 402-471-4992
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: rachel.simpson@nebraska.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:30am to 5:30pm CST Mon.-Fri
Resource_Description:
The resource may be provided in two ways: 1) as maps showing various aspects of Nebraska's natural environment or conservation efforts or 2) as a shapefiles with Biologically Unique Landscapes represented as individual polygons.
Distribution_Liability:
No Warranty: These data are provided as is, without any warranty whatsoever, including but not limited to any warranty as to their performance or fitness for any particular purpose.
Liability: The entire risk as to the results of the use of these data is assumed by the user. NGPC is not responsible for any interpretation or conclusions based on these data made by those who acquire or use it. NGPC shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, compensatory or consequential damages or third party claims resulting from the use of these data, even if NGPC has been advised of the possibility of such potential loss or damage. In States that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, you may not use these data.
Redistribution Conditions: In obtaining these data from NGPC, it is understood that you and/or your organization have the right to use them for any internal purpose. If you modify them, you should document those changes in a metadata record that should accompany all redistributed data. If you transmit or provide these data in any form to another user, the data MUST be accompanied by a copy of this disclaimer and all documentation provided with the original data set including the full metadata record.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Transfer_Size: 0.101
Custom_Order_Process:
The NNHP produces custom data sets following discussion with those interested in use of the data. Charges may apply.
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20110810
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Contact_Person: Rachel Simpson
Contact_Position: Heritage Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 2200 N 33rd Street
City: Lincoln
State_or_Province: Nebraska
Postal_Code: 68503-0370
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 402-471-5427
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 402-471-4992
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: rachel.simpson@nebraska.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:30am to 5:30pm CST Mon.-Fri
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Metadata_Access_Constraints: None
Metadata_Use_Constraints:
Redistribution Conditions: In obtaining these data from NGPC, it is understood that you and/or your organization have the right to use them for any internal purpose. If you modify them, you should document those changes in a metadata record that should accompany all redistributed data. If you transmit or provide these data in any form to another user, the data MUST be accompanied by a copy of this disclaimer and all documentation provided with the original data set including the full metadata record.
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>
Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile
Generated by mp version 2.9.6 on Wed Aug 10 11:59:40 2011