Metadata for Sage Grouse Habitat/Current Distribution

• Identification Information
• Data Quality Information
• Spatial Data Organization Information
• Spatial Reference Information
• Entity and Attribute Information
• Distribution Information
• Metadata Reference Information

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Publication date: 08/10/2001

Title: Sage Grouse Habitat/Current Distribution

Publication place: Helena, MT

Publisher: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Online linkage: http://fwp.mt.gov/gisData/shapefiles/distributionSageGrouse.zip

Browse graphic file name: http://fwp.mt.gov/gisData/imageFiles/distributionSageGrouse.jpg

Browse graphic file description: Map of Montana Sage Grouse Distribution

Browse graphic file type: JPEG

Abstract:

Sage grouse habitat, current distribution, and early nesting/brood rearing areas in Montana. Broad habitat conditions are indicated for areas of occupied and unoccupied habitat. Areas of occupied habitat include a data quality rating based on biologist survey efforts. Current sage grouse distribution was originally mapped in 1999 by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) wildlife biologists at 1:100,000. Active leks (generated at 1:100,000 or larger in 2001) were buffered to delineate nesting/early brood rearing areas. The 1:100,000 current distribution and nesting/brood rearing areas were then displayed by FWP administrative regions (scales ranging from 1:345,000 to 1:680,000) with vegetation/land cover types from the Montana GAP analysis database for biologist review and incorporation of habitat and nesting/brood rearing information between February 2001 and July 2001. Edits and additions to the layer were digitized at the regional review scales.

Purpose:

The data are intended to provide a broad landscape perspective of sage grouse habitat and distribution in Montana. The data are intended for initial resource review, conservation planning, current distribution display, habitat display, and broad scale landscape analyses of distribution and/or habitat. The data are not recommended for use in evaluating site specific applications. For evaluating or reviewing site specific applications Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) recommends contacting the appropriate FWP Regional office.

Time period of content:

Calendar date: 08/10/2001

Currentness reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance and update frequency: As needed

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

The data are intended for initial resource review, conservation planning, current distribution display, habitat display, and broad based landscape analyses of distribution and/or habitat. The data are not recommended for use in evaluating site specific applications. For evaluating or reviewing site specific applications Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) recommends contacting the appropriate Regional office.

Point of contact:

Lydia Bailey

GIS Manager

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

1420 East 6th Ave

Helena, MT 59620-0701

Telephone: 406-444-5365

E-Mail: lbailey@mt.gov

Cross Reference:

Publication place: Kalispell, MT

Publisher: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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Data Quality Information:

Attribute accuracy report:

Excellent. The attribute data are based on FWP and BLM biologist review between Feb 2001 and June 2001.

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report:

The original distribution data was digitized at 1:100,000 in 1999. The data were enhanced/reviewed to include habitat and nesting/brood rearing information between February 2001 and July 2001 at the FWP administrative regional scale. Edits were digitized at regional scales ranging from 1:345,000 and 1:680,000.

Lineage:

Source information:

Source scale denominator: 100,000

Type of source media:

Paper. ArcInfo generated maps of 1:100,000 scale quadrangles.

Source contribution:

These maps were used by FWP and BLM biologists for delineating current sage grouse distribution. The maps included public land ownership, sagebrush distribution (from MT GAP Analysis Land Cover dataset), predicted sage grouse habitat (from MT GAP Analysis Predicted Animal Distributions dataset), hydrography, highways, counties, and FWP wildlife administrative regions. Sage grouse distribution areas were delineated by BLM and FWP biologists on these maps.

Beginning date: 8/19/1999

Ending date: 19/99/9/9/

Source information:

Source scale denominator: 345,000 to 680,000

Type of source media:

Paper. ArcInfo generated maps of FWP seven wildlife administrative regions.

Source contribution:

These maps were used by FWP and BLM biologists to delineate sage grouse habitat, nesting/brood rearing areas, and to review accuracy of current distribution. The maps displayed current sage grouse distribution (digitized at 1:100,000), MT GAP Analysis Land Cover types (classified into 16 general cover types), hydrography, highways, cities/towns, counties, FWP wildlife administrative regions.

Beginning date: 1/18/2001

Ending date: 3/22/2001

Source information:

Source scale denominator: 1:345,000 to 1:680,000

Type of source media:

Paper. ArcInfo generated maps of FWP wildlife administrative regions.

Source contribution:

These maps were reviewed by FWP and BLM biologists for accuracy of line work and attributes. The maps displayed current sage grouse distribution, nesting/brood rearing areas, sage grouse habitat (occupied, unoccupied, unknown), data quality rating for occupied areas, habitat condition, MT GAP analysis landcover types, hydrography, highways, cities/towns, counties, FWP wildlife administrative regions.

Beginning date: 2/28/2001

Ending date: 7/20/2001

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Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

ESRI feature type: Polygon

ESRI feature count: 269

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Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Projected coordinate system name: NAD_1983_StatePlane_Montana_FIPS_2500

Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System

SPCS zone identifier: 2500

Lambert conformal conic:

Standard parallel: 45.000000

Standard parallel: 49.000000

Longitude of central meridian: -109.500000

Latitude of projection origin: 44.250000

False easting: 600000.000000

False northing: 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

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Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: sageGrouseDistribution

Entity count: 269

Attribute label: FID

Attribute definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute label: Shape

Attribute definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute label: OBJECTID

Attribute label: HABITAT

Attribute definition:

Areas containing the requirements, such as food, water, and shelter that are essential for the development and sustained existence of sage grouse.

Attribute Value Definition of Attribute Value D Believed to be sage grouse habitat but it is unknown if area is occupied by sage grouse. O Occupied habitat. Area is occupied by sage grouse some time during the year and is considered important for the existence of sage grouse. U Unoccupied habitat. Area is not occupied consistently by sage grouse throughout the year but is believed to be suitable or to have potential as sage grouse habitat. Z Non-habitat for sage grouse. These areas are generally surrounded by occupied and/or unoccupied habitat. These areas were coded as non-habitat for clarity when using the dataset.

Beginning date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Ending date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation: Based on FWP and BLM biologist review of data.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: HAB_CONDIT

Attribute definition: Habitat Condition

Attribute Value Definition of Attribute Value 1 Sagebrush cover and understory in good/excellent condition. 2 Sagebrush cover limited (sage cover is limited/lacking but understory condition is adequate to meet sage grouse needs). 3 Understory limited (understory condition is limited/lacking but sagebrush cover is adequate to meet sage grouse needs). 4 Sagebrush cover and understory limited. 5 Shrub/tree encroachment. 6 Habitat fragmented and/or variable.

Beginning date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Ending date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation: Based on FWP and BLM biologist review/input.

Attribute label: USE

Attribute definition: Sage grouse use of the area (polygon).

Attribute Value Definition of Attribute Value G Overall distribution/year round use. BG Nesting/early brood rearing AND year round/overall distribution. D Unknown if the area (polygon) is consistenly/regularly used by sage grouse. This use classification is used for areas (polygons) where HABITAT = 'D'. Z Not used by sage grouse.

Beginning date of attribute values: 3/6/2000

Ending date of attribute values: 3/6/2000

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation: Based on FWP and BLM wildlife biologist review/input.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: OCC_DQR

Attribute definition: Data quality rating of areas delineated as occupied habitat.

Attribute Value Definition of Attribute Value H High. Annual counts for at least three years on most leks in the area, most leks surveyed on the ground, counts good, probably not any other large leks in the area; or annual seasonal non-lek surveys for the past three years. M Medium. Annual counts for at least three years on some leks in the area; most leks have been surveyed either from the air or on the ground, may be other leks in the area; or periodic non-lek seasonal surveys. L Low. Lek survey efforts have been limited, leks have been located from the air or on the ground a few times over the several years, high probabilities that there are leks in the area that have not been located; or intermittent non-lek observations. VL Very Low. Area not surveyed in recent years or only a portion of the area has been surveyed, suspect that there may be leks in the area; or incidental non-lek observations suggest sage grouse presence.

Beginning date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Ending date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation: Based on FWP and BLM biologist input/review of the dataset.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: BIOS

Attribute definition:

Last name of biologists responsible for review/input of the data for the polygon.

Beginning date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Ending date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

FWP GIS Programmer/Analyst and/or Montana Natural Heritage Program's Zoologist met with regional biologists to review/edit maps. Biologists initialed polygons they reviewed and a list of biologists that attended the review meeting was kept.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: EDIT_DATE

Attribute definition: Date (mm/dd/yyyy) of biologist review/edits.

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

All regional review/edit maps were dated during regional meetings with FWP and BLM wildlife biologists by FWP GIS Programmer/Analyst and/or Montana Natural Heritage Program Zoologist.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: SCALE

Attribute definition: Scale of review/edit map used for reviewing the polygon.

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Good

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

Scale was determined by ArcPlot module of ArcInfo when generating regional review/edit maps. FWP GIS Programmer/Analyst rounded scales up for clarity.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: COMMENT

Attribute definition:

Biologist comments written on map during review/edit process.

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation: Comments were noted exactly as written on review maps.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: REG

Attribute definition: FWP Wildlife Division's Adminsitrative Region

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

Regions are based on existing GIS dataset of FWP wildlife administrative regions.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: ACRES

Attribute definition: Area of polygon in acres.

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent/good

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

Acres were calculated by ArcInfo software. Acres are adequate for broad scaled applications.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: SPECIES

Attribute definition:

Montana Natural Heritage Program's species code for sage grouse.

Beginning date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Ending date of attribute values: 2/28/2001

Attribute value accuracy information:

Attribute value accuracy: Excellent

Attribute value accuracy explanation:

Code based on Montana Natural Heritage Program's species codes.

Attribute measurement frequency: As needed

Attribute label: Shape_Leng

Attribute label: Shape_Area

Attribute definition: Area of feature in internal units squared.

Attribute domain: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.

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Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Lydia Bailey

GIS Manager

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

1420 East 6th Ave

Helena, MT 59620-0701

Telephone: 406-444-5365

E-Mail: lbailey@mt.gov

Resource description: Downloadable Data

Standard order process:

Digital form:

Format name: ESRI Shapefile

Transfer size: 1.371

megabytes

Online option:

http://fwp.mt.gov/gisData/shapefiles/distributionSageGrouse.zip

Available time period:

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Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 09/25/2001

Metadata contact:

Lydia Bailey

GIS Manager

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

1420 East 6th Ave

Helena, MT 59620-0701

Telephone: 406-444-5365

E-Mail: lbailey@mt.gov

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