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Smart Conservation™: Automating a Conservation Value Assessment Model

Learn about Smart Conservation™, a method for identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing landscape resources for their conservation value. This model uses publicly available data to generate comparable scores for arbitrary parcels of land in Southeast Pennsylvania.

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Smart Conservation™: Automating a Conservation Value Assessment Model

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  1. Notice: The views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scientists in EPA have prepared the EPA sections, and those sections have been reviewed in accordance with EPA’s peer and administrative review policies and approved for presentation and publication. The EPA contributed funding to the construction of this website but is not responsible for it's contents. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Robert Cheetham

  2. Smart Conservation™: Automating a Conservation Value Assessment Model Robert Cheetham Avencia Inc. Clare Billett Natural Lands Trust Funding provided by William Penn Foundation PA DCNR PA DEP Robert Cheetham

  3. What is Smart Conservation? TM • A method of identifying, evaluating and prioritizing landscape resources for their potential habitat health and viability. • A weighted hierarchical model for evaluating arbitrary parcels of land in Southeast Pennsylvania for their conservation value. Robert Cheetham

  4. Objectives • Score any arbitrary polygon in Piedmont region • Use publicly available data (mostly) • Generate Comparable Scores • Make all assessments available to all users • Integrate data with processes and make available to organizations that don’t have access to analysis tools. Robert Cheetham

  5. Partner Relationships - Manage the Project - Convene Science Forum committees - Develop methodologies - Acquire data sets Science Forum NLT - Assess data sets - Develop assessment methodologies - Approve methodologies and weights - Host web site and data - Primary Data Provider - Develop Software Components - Develop Algorithms - Collaborate w/ NLT on methodologies - Install and maintain software Avencia PASDA Robert Cheetham

  6. Plant Criteria

  7. Weighted Hierarchical Model <?xml version="1.0"?> <!--Generated by Natural Lands Trust Smart Conservation Model version 1.0, Avencia Incorporated, 2001--> <model> <user id=""/> <site id="26"/> <components> <component id="FinalScore" label="Final Score" weight="1" score="4.32248001008288" display="true"> <component id="Mammals" label="Mammals" weight="15" score="4.39732593215804" display="true"> <component id="MPotentialHabitatSize" label="Potential Habitat Size" weight="17" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="MPotentialHabitatShape" label="Potential Habitat Shape" weight="13" score="0.587051895130942" display="true"/> <component id="MSpecialHabitat" label="Special Habitat" weight="13" score="7" display="true"/> <component id="MLandscapeMatrix" label="Landscape Matrix" weight="23.5" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="MInterestLevel" label="Interest Level" weight="10" score="7" display="true"/> <component id="MPotentialSpeciesRichness" label="Potential Species Richness" weight="13.5" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> <component id="MPotentialConservationValue" label="Potential Conservation Value" weight="10" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> </component> <component id="Plants" label="Plants" weight="20" score="6.70319445153518" display="true"> <component id="PNonDisturbance" label="Non-disturbance" weight="17.2" score="10" display="true"> <component id="PNDHuman" label="Human" weight="33.3" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="PNDInvasivePlant" label="Invasive Plant" weight="33.3" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="PNDDeer" label="Deer" weight="33.3" score="10" display="true"/> </component> <component id="PCommunityDiversity" label="Community Diversity" weight="10.3" score="5" display="true"/> <component id="PPotentialHabitatSize" label="Potential Habitat Size" weight="12.1" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="PPotentialHabitatShape" label="Potential Habitat Shape" weight="3.5" score="0.587186612676846" display="true"/> <component id="PLandscapeMatrix" label="Landscape Matrix" weight="8.6" score="0" display="true"/> </component> <component id="Birds" label="Birds" weight="15" score="4.65108337402344" display="true"> <component id="BLandscapeMatrix" label="Landscape Matrix" weight="25" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="BPotentialHabitatSize" label="Potential Habitat Size" weight="25" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="BPotentialSpeciesRichness" label="Potential Species Richness" weight="25" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> <component id="BPotentialConservationValue" label="Potential Conservation Value" weight="25" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> </component> <component id="Aquatics" label="Aquatics" weight="15" score="4.62908699362623" display="true"> <component id="AquRiparianCorridorCover" label="Riparian Corridor Cover" weight="10" score="6.25" display="true"> <component id="AquRCC1_2" label="1st and 2nd Order" weight="62.5" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="AquRCC3_4_5" label="3rd, 4th and 5th Order" weight="31.25" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="AquRCC6_" label="6th+ Order" weight="6.25" score="0" display="true"/> </component> <component id="AquRiparianCorridorFragmentation" label="Riparian Corridor Fragmentation" weight="10" score="6.25" display="true"> <component id="AquRCFrag1_2" label="1st and 2nd Order" weight="62.5" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="AquRCFrag3_4_5" label="3rd, 4th and 5th Order" weight="31.25" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="AquRCFrag6_" label="6th+ Order" weight="6.25" score="0" display="true"/> </component> <component id="AquWatershedLandUse" label="Watershed Land Use" weight="10" score="8.34398746490479" display="true"/> <component id="AquCommunityHealth" label="Aquatic Community Health" weight="10" score="10" display="true"/> <component id="AquLocationSiteWatershed" label="Location of Site in Watershed" weight="10" score="0.837754829584176" display="true"/> <component id="AquPotentialSpeciesRichness" label="Potential Species Richness" weight="10" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> <component id="AquPotentialConservationValue" label="Potential Conservation Value" weight="10" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> <component id="AquWetlandInventory" label="Wetland Inventory" weight="10" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="AquFloodplains" label="Floodplains" weight="10" score="0" display="true"/> <component id="AquForestedWaterQuality" label="Forested Water Quality" weight="10" score="6.00479414567964" display="true"/> </component> <component id="ReptilesAmphibians" label="Reptiles and Amphibians" weight="10" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"> <component id="HerpPotentialSpeciesRichness" label="Potential Species Richness" weight="50" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> <component id="HerpPotentialConservationValue" label="Potential Conservation Value" weight="50" score="4.30216674804687" display="true"/> </component> <component id="LandscapeEcology" label="Landscape Ecology" weight="10" score="5" display="true"> <component id="StewardshipLandDistance" label="Stewardship Land Distance" weight="50" score="5" display="true"/> <component id="StewardshipLandDensity" label="Stewardship Land Density" weight="50" score="5" display="true"/> </component> <component id="Rarity" label="Rarity" weight="15" score="0" display="true"> <component id="RareAnimals" label="Rare Animals" weight="40" score="0" display="false"> <component id="RAOnsite" label="Rare Animal Species Onsite" weight="67" score="0" display="false"/> <component id="RAOffsite" label="Rare Animal Species Offsite" weight="33" score="0" display="false"/> </component> <component id="RarePlants" label="Rare Plant Species" weight="40" score="0" display="false"> <component id="RPOnsite" label="Onsite" weight="67" score="0" display="false"/> <component id="RPOffsite" label="Offsite" weight="33" score="0" display="false"/> </component> <component id="RarePlantCommunities" label="Rare Plant Communities" weight="20" score="0" display="false"> <component id="RPCOnsite" label="Onsite" weight="67" score="0" display="false"/> <component id="RPCOffsite" label="Offsite" weight="33" score="0" display="false"/> </component> </component> </component> </components> </model> Source: Microsoft Robert Cheetham

  8. Presentation How the web-based tool is used Technology Architecture Robert Cheetham

  9. Register as a New User Robert Cheetham

  10. Grant Access Robert Cheetham

  11. Using the Tool Robert Cheetham

  12. Login Robert Cheetham

  13. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary • Available for a 15 county area. Robert Cheetham

  14. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary • Zoom to a County scale and choose a municipality. Robert Cheetham

  15. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary • USGS Quad maps, aerial photography, species richness and other layers available as user zooms in. Robert Cheetham

  16. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary Robert Cheetham

  17. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary • Use simple polygon digitizing tools to outline site boundary. Robert Cheetham

  18. Step 1: Define the Site Boundary • After polygon is completed, system will determine which geographic areas are encompassed by the site, create reference PDF documents, store the information in a new database entry, and create a set of shapefiles and GRID files for later use. Robert Cheetham

  19. Step 2: Define Site Properties • Fill in address and other notes about the site. Robert Cheetham

  20. Field Survey • Land Cover Adjustments • Assess Deer, Human and Invasive disturbance • Perform Plant Community Health survey Robert Cheetham

  21. Fill out Field Worksheet

  22. Step 3: Land Cover Adjustments • Adjustments can be made to the local land use in order to make the local land survey more accurate. PDF files are made available to generate maps for the site survey. Robert Cheetham

  23. Step 4: Enter Field Data • Field data collection and some subjective criteria are entered manually. Robert Cheetham

  24. Step 5: Plant Community Health Robert Cheetham

  25. Step 6: Aquatic Community Health • Check 303d aquatic community health data. If the 303d data for on-site streams has not been collected, ask to call local DEP office to have stream evaluated. Robert Cheetham

  26. Step 7: Automated Calculations • Perform several automated calculations, each of which produces a score and/or map for one or more taxa groups. Robert Cheetham

  27. Confirm Model Weights Robert Cheetham

  28. Search • Can search full database as well. Robert Cheetham

  29. Presentation How the web-based tool is used Technology Architecture Robert Cheetham

  30. Technology Components Databases MS Access GRID ArcSDE/DB2 Software ESRI ArcGIS ESRI ArcIMS ArcObjects GraphicsServer (chart generation) Windows Server 2000 Internet Information Services (IIS) Visual Basic Robert Cheetham

  31. Technology Architecture Robert Cheetham

  32. Technology Challenges • Web-based system is being accessed by multiple users simultaneously • Limit the Number of Users • Precalculate • Limit Extent • Queue requests for asynchronous calculation Robert Cheetham

  33. Technology Challenges • Software Licensing • Partnering with PASDA • Worked with ESRI for special licensing arrangement Robert Cheetham

  34. Technology Challenges • Changing Requirements – changing data, changing model • Modular • Hierarchical • Use XML • Trained users before system complete • Versioning is still tough. Robert Cheetham

  35. Technology Challenges • Security and Privacy • PNDI data, in particular, was very sensitive • Information security procedures (firewall, intrusion detection, parameter scrubbing) • Password and approval of registration by NLT required. • Open question of the extent to which results should be private. Robert Cheetham

  36. Still to do…. • Smart Conservation Lite – no field survey • Re-test and calibrate model using well-known sites – model has changed a lot in past year and we need to recalibrate weights • Generalize model to other parts of PA – will require re-calibration of some criteria to account for differences in other ecoregions. • Generalize the approach to other domains. Robert Cheetham

  37. Real Estate Explorer (REX) • Re-use components of Smart Conservation in a different domain. Robert Cheetham

  38. Real Estate Explorer (REX) Robert Cheetham

  39. Data Sources Data Sets Ordered Streams Ordered Waterbodies Floodplains Hydric Soils DEM DEM Slopes DEM Flow Accumulation DEM Flow Direction DOQQ MRLC PNDI (TNC Heritage Data Elements) GAP data for Mammals, Fish, Birds – 8 composite data sets Important Bird Areas 303d (‘Aquatic Community Health’) Development Threat Active Railways GDT Streets Interior Forest habitat NWI Surface Geology Conservation Stewardship Lands Forested Watershed Various cosmetic layers Field Survey Plant Community Health Invasive Disturbance Deer Disturbance Human Disturbance Land Cover Adjustments Robert Cheetham

  40. Acknowledgements PASDA Conservation Science Partners PA DEP PA DCNR William Penn Foundation Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Pennsylvania Environmental Council Brandywine Conservancy Robert Cheetham

  41. Smart Conservation Model: Assessing Conservation Value in SE Pennsylvania Robert Cheetham Avencia Inc. Clare Billett Natural Lands Trust Funding provided by William Penn Foundation PA DCNR PA DEP Robert Cheetham

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