UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
The Habitat Priority Planner: A GIS-Based Tool to Help Focus Financial and
Community Resources on Critical Areas
NHDES Water & Watershed Meeting 2009
Shane Bradt UNH Cooperative Extension
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
My experience with HPP
Introduced to tool at NOAA CSC in Dec 2007
“This is how GIS-based decision making is supposed to happen! Could I have done this myself by hand? Probably. Would I? Probably not. Would it be as easy to use? No!”
Included HPP in Co-occurrence & Habitat Mapping workshops at UNHCE
Four workshops in 2008 – 41 participants One workshop in 2009 – 8 participants
Hosted first CSC-designed HPP hands-on training at UNH June 2009 – 16 participants
HPP workshop offered by UNHCE at UNH December 2009
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
The Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) is a GIS-based tool for prioritizing important areas in
the landscape or seascape.
The HPP tool provides: Decision-making support that increases the transparency,
objectivity, and repeatability of the process. Flexibility: HPP can be used for conservation, restoration,
and land use planning applications. Method to engage stakeholders.
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Making maps & decisions
CMECS Classes Mud (es1BbUB3) Shell Hash (es1BbUB5a) Oyster (es1BcRF1a) Sand (es1BbUB2b) Mixed Sediments (es1BbUB6h)
Sand (es1BbUB2b-sand wave) Sand (es1BbUB2b-tidal inlet)
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Habitat Priority Planner At a Glance
Applications • Conservation and restoration
planning • Land use planning • Interactive decision making
Intended Users • Land use planners • Conservation groups • Resource managers • Researchers
Applications • Any GIS-based activity where
areas of a town, watershed, state, ect. need to be prioritized
• Interactive decision making
Intended Users • Anyone who would like to
prioritize areas of a areas of a town, watershed, state based on GIS data
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Habitat Priority Planner
Step 1: Classify Habitats Step 2: Habitat Analysis Step 3: Explore Data
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Software Requirements • ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 or 9.3 • ESRI’s Spatial Analyst extension • Microsoft’s .NET ArcGIS Application
Framework
• Raster landcover layer • Site - specific data sets (optional)
Data Requirements
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
NH specific landcover data set
Inventory of all landcover categories throughout NH
Developed in cooperation with numerous state and regional organizations
Land Cover Data NH GRANIT
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
National coastal land cover and change mapping program
Inventory of intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent upland, produced/updated every 5
years
Consistent, accurate products through standard data and methods
Coastal Expression of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD)
Land Cover Data NOAA C-CAP
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Step 1: Classify Your Habitats
UNIQUE GROUPED
SIMPLE
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Patch: a single polygon of one habitat type
Raster data Any adjacent or diagonal
connection
Vector data Strict adjacency Watch out for slivers!
Classification Schemes – Patch Definition
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Additional Classification Methods
Unique classification More detailed Preserved from land cover
data
Example unique classes Estuarine and Marine Deepwater
Estuarine and Marine Wetland
Freshwater Emergent Wetland
Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Additional Classification Methods
Grouped classification Functional groups are user-
determined
Example grouped classes
Freshwater Wetland
Saltwater Wetland
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Land Use Scenario Change
BEFORE
AFTER
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Step 2 - Habitat Analysis Core Metrics
Habitat Quality • Size • Perimeter-Area Ratio • Core Area
Habitat Connectivity
• Proximity
• Nearest Neighbor
Size 20acres
Size High Low CORE AREA PROXIMITY NEAREST NEIGHBOR
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Step 2 – Habitat Analysis Custom Metrics
• Count • Distance to • Presence/Absence • Polygon overlay • Linear Distance Within
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Step 3 – Explore Data
• Graph based selections
• Easy query building • Quick analysis • Transparent decision-
making
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Step 3 – Participatory GIS
• Interactive planning • Fast changes • Decision scenarios
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Participatory GIS and HPP
Creates transparent decision making
Facilitates group buy-in
Identifies data gaps
Provides a resource for stakeholder participation
Determines when stakeholder participation is needed Identifies stakeholders Evaluates the processes
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
Habitat Priority Planner Outputs
Step 1: Classified Habitats
Step 2: Habitat Analysis
results & Report
Step 3: Habitats meeting
selection criteria
UNH Cooperative Extension 2009
The Habitat Priority Planner
Download the tool and instructions from http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hpp/
For More Information: Contact [email protected]