weather effects on winter and fall waterfowl habitat … effects on winter and fall waterfowl...

Weather Effects on Winter and Fall Waterfowl Habitat in the Gulf Coast Tara Rodgers, The University of Oklahoma Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program Intern [email protected] Stephen J. DeMaso, Monitoring Coordinator Gulf Coast Joint Venture [email protected] Nicholas Enwright, GIS Specialist II Gulf Coast Joint Venture [email protected] OBJECTIVE The Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) desires an appropriate parameter that explains environmental influences on seasonal waterfowl habitat within agricultural landscapes of the GCJV region RESULTS | Correlation Results Handout Some Caveats: Analysis is based on average of the chosen weather stations in the area. Also no significant indices for the TX Chenier Plains METHODOLOGY Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI): Based on probability of precipitation departures for any period of time SPI scale: Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI): Takes the premise of the SPI and added a temperature component to capture a simplified water balance. The SPEI scale is: ≥ 2 0 ≤ - 2 WET NEAR NORMAL DRY The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI): The PDSI is a meteorological drought index, and it responds to weather conditions that have been abnormally dry or abnormally wet. The PDSI scale is: ≥ 4 0 ≤ - 4 WET NEAR NORMAL DRY Statistical Methods: Pearson’s Correlation, Spearman’s Correlation, and Linear Regression. A small sample size was a limitation in the statistics. Special thanks to: Mark Shafer, SCIPP, and OU Laguna Madre AREAS OF STUDY The study was focused on 3 main regions within the GCJV region. The habitat is important to ephemeral wetlands for migratory waterfowl. Our hypothesis was that the amount of suitable habitat each year is related to rainfall, temperature, and drought patterns LA Chenier Plains The GCJV uses satellite imagery to quantitatively assess abundance of these habitats. Moist Soil Habitats Flooded Agricultural Lands Seasonally & Temporarily Flooded Wetlands Texas Mid-Coast y = 11096x + 23411 R² = 0.34876 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 -3.00 -2.00 -1.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands SPI 2 Pooled SPI 2 y = 9783.5x + 28093 R² = 0.6874 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands PDSI Pooled PDSI y = -79226x + 175825 R² = 0.41858 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands SPEI Pooled SPEI 3 y = -86067x + 179862 R² = 0.45515 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands SPI Pooled SPI 3 y = 6398.9x + 32403 R² = 0.31491 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands SPI Pooled SPI 4 y = 5872.9x + 32095 R² = 0.30097 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 Shallow Flooded Acres Thousands SPI Pooled SPI 2 ≥ 2 0 ≤ - 2 WET NEAR NORMAL Landsat mosaics were comprised to assess waterfowl habitat on days within the periods that had cloud free images

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Page 1: Weather Effects on Winter and Fall Waterfowl Habitat … Effects on Winter and Fall Waterfowl Habitat in the Gulf Coast Tara Rodgers, The University of Oklahoma Southern Climate Impacts

Weather Effects on Winter and Fall Waterfowl Habitat in the Gulf Coast

Tara Rodgers, The University of Oklahoma Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program Intern

[email protected]

Stephen J. DeMaso, Monitoring Coordinator Gulf Coast Joint Venture [email protected]

Nicholas Enwright, GIS Specialist II Gulf Coast Joint Venture

[email protected]

OBJECTIVE The Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) desires an appropriate parameter that explains environmental influences on seasonal waterfowl habitat within agricultural landscapes of the GCJV region

RESULTS | Correlation Results Handout Some Caveats: Analysis is based on average of the chosen weather stations in the area. Also no significant indices for the TX Chenier Plains

METHODOLOGY Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI): Based on probability of precipitation departures for any period of time SPI scale:

Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI): Takes the premise of the SPI and added a temperature component to capture a simplified water balance. The SPEI scale is: ≥ 2 0 ≤ - 2 WET NEAR NORMAL DRY

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI): The PDSI is a meteorological drought index, and it responds to weather conditions that have been abnormally dry or abnormally wet. The PDSI scale is: ≥ 4 0 ≤ - 4 WET NEAR NORMAL DRY

Statistical Methods: Pearson’s Correlation, Spearman’s Correlation, and Linear Regression. A small sample size was a limitation in the statistics. Special thanks to: Mark Shafer, SCIPP, and OU

Laguna Madre

AREAS OF STUDY The study was focused on 3 main regions within the GCJV region. The habitat is important to ephemeral wetlands for migratory waterfowl. Our hypothesis was that the amount of suitable habitat each year is related to rainfall, temperature, and drought patterns

LA Chenier Plains

The GCJV uses satellite imagery to quantitatively assess abundance of these habitats.

Moist Soil Habitats

Flooded Agricultural

Lands

Seasonally & Temporarily

Flooded Wetlands

Texas Mid-Coast

y = 11096x + 23411R² = 0.34876

-3.00 -2.00 -1.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00

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