Objective 1 Obtain expanded data on native vegetation before the introduction of livestock in the study area. Investigators will sample pollen preserved in lake/marsh deposits to gain perspective on plant life and climatic conditions before the introduction of domestic livestock. The existing pollen data for the study area is patchy (Bright 1966, Mehringer et al 1977, Beiswenger 1991, Whitlock 1993). Investigators will extract a number of sediment cores from at least 3 different locations, and analyze them for pollen. These data will be integrated with GIS to estimate the impact of the introduction of livestock grazing on the region. The resulting environmental reconstruction will then be compared with satellite data, allowing quantification of landscape change and assessment of human impact.

Objective 2 Develop and test a modeling tool for predicting wildfire fuel loading, using GIS and remote sensing data. Fire suppression efforts over the past 100 years have resulted in tremendous fuel accumulation in many areas of the Intermountain west. As evidenced by the wildfire season of 2000, fire suppression is not sustainable. In the present situation, under the correct climatic conditions, fires will ignite and burn the accumulated fuel load at a severity and intensity perhaps never before witnessed in this region. The effect of this type of major wildfire is substantial, and may include sterilization or mineralization of soil, or the elimination of native plant communities and their seed bank. As a result, livestock grazing may be adversely impacted for long periods of time.Identifying areas most at risk to wildfire is a critical first step in attempts to manage this problem.

Objective 3 Develop and test a modeling tool for predicting post-fire effects on landslide risk and stream sediment loading, using GIS and remote sensing technologies. The investigators will use remote sensing to develop a tool for predicting landslide potential and quantifying sediment loss after wildfires. The Summer 2000 Flossie and Diamond Complex Fires in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River watershed (Custer and Valley counties, Idaho) have provided an ideal testing ground for integrating state-of-the-art technology with long-term management of grazing, forest, and wildlife habitat resources. The removal of vegetation, along with runoff and other surface disturbances, increase the potential for erosion and slope instability. Evaluating these processes as controlled by bedrock type, slope-angle, and slope-aspect will lead to more accurate estimations of post-fire rangeland health/productivity and wildlife habitat effects. In recent years, advances in the geotechnologies have provided tools to range, land, and wildlife managers for long-term sustainability considerations. The investigators will integrate techniques with biological, geological, and topographical ground-truthing.

Objective 4 Develop and test a modeling tool for predicting wildfire and grazing effects on riparian areas, using GIS and remote sensing technologies. Investigators will use high spatial resolution (5m) hyperspectral imagery and field studies to link watershed condition to stream channel morphology, sediment transport, and biotic condition. Field studies will include determination of the spectral quality of representative rock, soil, and plant materials (both burned and unburned); calibration of burn intensity/severity; ground-truthing of site locations and interfaces between different-aged stands; measurement of stream-channel morphology and substratum; and location of sediment deposition areas. Investigators will identify and describe various cover types in summer 2001. From fall 2001 through spring 2002 they will combine the field data and hyperspectral imagery to train the computer to identify and map potential cover types. They will also develop cover type maps by combining spectral signatures measured in the field with hyperspectral imagery. They will then ground truth predictive cover type maps during summer 2002. The hypothesis is that there will be a direct relationship between the age and area of a wildfire and the degree of change in stream channel condition, biotic composition, and sediment transport. The investigators also predict that changes/differences in the amount and species composition of riparian vegetation will affect algal, macro-invertebrate, and vertebrate abundance and composition.

Objective 5 Promote and disseminate holistically integrated research findings to the regional community, land managers, land stewards, and policy makers. Frequently, one shortcoming of GIS and remote sensing research is the lack of clear communication of results. Decision-makers, land managers, ranchers, and farmers are tasked with the stewardship and conservation of our resources; yet the information required to make sound decisions is often not available or available only as "raw" data. These data may be meaningful to the analyst but are normally meaningless to the decision-maker. The investigators will address this problem by making the results of the research and interpretations of these results freely available via the Internet and other publications (e.g., pamphlets, brochures, and posters) that are part of our community outreach effort. The PI has a successful track record and broad experience in community outreach that includes hosting/organizing GIS Day events, hosting/organizing research planning and data dissemination workshops, speaking/consulting and interacting with city councils, K-12 teachers, wildlife and range managers, and area weed specialists.