Data Package Metadata View Summary

American Goshawk habitat data from nest stands and random points within the Minidoka Ranger District, Sawtooth National Forest, USA

General Information

Data Package:

Local Identifier:

edi.1801.3

Title:

American Goshawk habitat data from nest stands and random points within the Minidoka Ranger District, Sawtooth National Forest, USA

Alternate Identifier:

DOI PLACE HOLDER

Abstract:

This data supported analysis of American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) nest stand habitat and was collected within the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest in southern Idaho and northern Utah from 2017-2020. The central goal of this research was to develop management tools that demonstrate the utility of conducting analyses at multiple spatial scales as well as using both parametric and machine learning approaches. The stand-level dataset includes variables collected by hand in the field at nest stands and paired random forested sites 300 meters away. It also includes some terrain variables based on remote sensing data. Variables included in the stand-level data table include nest, distance to edge, distance to road, distance to water, division, dominant tree species, canopy closure, Stand Density Index (SDI), Trees per hectare, elevation, slope, Topographic Position Index (TPI), northness, eastness, Diameter at Breast Height (DBH), DBH variance, tree height, tree height variance, and crown depth. We recommend that the stand-level data be used to identify relevant variables and their thresholds for forest managers due to its high resolution. The forest-wide dataset includes only variables collected using various remote sensing datasets at nests and random forested points throghout the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest. Variables included in the forest-wide data table include nest, canopy closure, elevation, slope, TPI, northness, eastness, distance to road, distance to water, distance to edge, tree height, and crown depth. We recommend that the forest-wide data be used to identify areas of high suitability for goshawk occupancy across the study area along with sites that could become suitable habitat with management intervention. Latitude and longitude data, while used in our analyses, are excluded from the data tables to protect breeding goshawks from disturbance.

Publication Date:

2024-11-26

For more information:
Visit:	DOI PLACE HOLDER

Time Period

Begin:

2017

End:

2020

People and Organizations
Contact:	Heiser, Eliana Rayne (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, Research Affiliate) [ email ]
Creator:	Heiser, Eliana Rayne (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, Research Affiliate)
Creator:	Whitenack, Lauren E (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, Research Affiliate)
Creator:	Carlisle, Jay D (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, Research Director)
Creator:	Miller, Robert A (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University, Research Biologist)

Data Entities
Data Table Name:	Stand-level habitat data
Description:	Forest habitat data from American Goshawk nest stands and paired random sites within the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest located in southern Idaho and Northern Utah, USA. Combination of field-collected and remote sensing data.
Data Table Name:	Forest-wide habitat data
Description:	Forest habitat data from American Goshawk nest stands and random sites across the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest located in southern Idaho and Northern Utah, USA. All data collected via remote sensing.

Detailed Metadata

Data Entities

Data Table


Data:	https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/edi/1801/3/15e437042950e98fe4d6cee23e4b246d
Name:	Stand-level habitat data
Description:	Forest habitat data from American Goshawk nest stands and paired random sites within the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest located in southern Idaho and Northern Utah, USA. Combination of field-collected and remote sensing data.
Number of Records:	72
Number of Columns:	19

Table Structure

Object Name:

Heiser et al. Stand Data.csv

Size:

12619 byte

Authentication:

576727000158eda53f11257dce01a22e Calculated By MD5

Text Format:

Number of Header Lines:

Record Delimiter:

\r\n

Orientation:

column

Simple Delimited:

Field Delimiter:	,
Quote Character:	"

Table Column Descriptions

Nest

Distance to edge

Distance to road

Distance to water

Division

Dominant tree species

Canopy closure

Stand Density Index

Trees per hectare

Elevation

Slope

Topographic Position Index

Northness

Eastness

Mean Diameter at Breast Height

Diameter at Breast Height Variance

Tree height

Tree height variance

Crown depth

Column Name:

Nest

Dist.to.edge

Dist.to.road

Dist.to.water

Division

Dom.tree.species

Mean.canopy

SDI

Trees.per.ha

Elevation

Slope

TPI

Northness

Eastness

Mean.DBH

Variance.DBH

Mean.tree.height

Variance.tree.height

Mean.crown.depth

Definition:

Whether a given point was a known goshawk nest tree or a paired random point 300 meters from a known goshawk nest tree

Distance from the nearest forest edge based on from visual inspections of the 2020 Google Earth Satellite Hybrid layer

Distance to the nearest road based on the 2020 Motor Vehicle Use Map and visual inspections of satellite imagery

Distance to the nearest water source based on the 2014 NHD Plus Version 2 Enhanced Unit Runoff Method

Division of the Minidoka Ranger District in the Sawtooth National Forest

Most common tree species in the stand where the point is located classified by observers in the field

Mean percent canopy closure based on CanopyApp values

Stand Density Index as calculated in Lilieholm et al. 1994 (DOI: 10.1016/0378-1127(94)03499-M)

Number of trees per hectare as calculated in Lilieholm et al. 1994 (DOI: 10.1016/0378-1127(94)03499-M)

Elevation above sea level in meters based on 2013 30 m Digital Elevation Model

Slope in degrees calculated from 8 surrounding cells using 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Mean of the difference between the elevation of a cell and the elevation of each of its 8 surrounding cells based on 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Cosine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Sine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Mean tree diameter at breast height in centimeters

Variance in mean Diameter at Breast Height measurements

We measured tree height of the center tree of each site and of the closest tree with a DBH greater than 15 centimeters 20 meters away in each of the cardinal directions. The reported tree height value is the mean of these five trees. We used the Pythagorean Theorem to determine tree height based on measurements taken with a laser rangefinder 6-12 meters from the tree to its top and base (Nikon 6x20 Prostaff 1000 or equivalent)

Variance in mean tree height

We measured crown depth of the center tree of each site and of the closest tree with a DBH greater than 15 centimeters 20 meters away in each of the cardinal directions. The reported crown depth value is the mean of these five trees. We used the Pythagorean Theorem to determine crown depth based on measurements taken with a laser rangefinder 6-12 meters from the tree to the bottom of the live crown, tree top, and tree base (Nikon 6x20 Prostaff 1000 or equivalent)

Storage Type:

string

integer

string

float

Measurement Type:

nominal

ratio

nominal

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Measurement Values Domain:

Allowed Values and Definitions

Enumerated Domain

Code Definition

Code	n
Definition	Nest
Source

Code Definition

Code	r
Definition	Paired random point
Source

Unit	meter
Type	integer

Unit	meter
Type	integer

Unit	meter
Type	integer

Allowed Values and Definitions

Enumerated Domain

Code Definition

Code	Albion
Definition	Albion
Source

Code Definition

Code	BlackPine
Definition	Black Pine
Source

Code Definition

Code	Cassia
Definition	Cassia
Source

Code Definition

Code	RaftRiver
Definition	Raft River
Source

Code Definition

Code	Sublett
Definition	Sublett
Source

Allowed Values and Definitions

Enumerated Domain

Code Definition

Code	AS
Definition	Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Source

Code Definition

Code	DF
Definition	Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Source

Code Definition

Code	LP
Definition	Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
Source

Code Definition

Code	MC
Definition	Mixed conifer (lacking an apparent dominant species)
Source

Code Definition

Code	Pinon
Definition	Piñon pine (Pinus edulis)
Source

Unit	percent
Type	real

Unit	Stand Density Index
Type	real

Unit	number
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	degree
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	Northness
Type	real

Unit	Eastness
Type	real

Unit	centimeter
Type	real

Unit	centimeterSquared
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	meterSquared
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Missing Value Code:

Accuracy Report:

Accuracy Assessment:

Coverage:

Methods:

Data Table


Data:	https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/edi/1801/3/972c9add4c1049014620c903c67a7e39
Name:	Forest-wide habitat data
Description:	Forest habitat data from American Goshawk nest stands and random sites across the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest located in southern Idaho and Northern Utah, USA. All data collected via remote sensing.
Number of Records:	484
Number of Columns:	12

Table Structure

Object Name:

Heiser et al. Forest Data.csv

Size:

56964 byte

Authentication:

8d9f5752854e5ce27ac70d18e7332a26 Calculated By MD5

Text Format:

Number of Header Lines:

Record Delimiter:

\r\n

Orientation:

column

Simple Delimited:

Field Delimiter:	,
Quote Character:	"

Table Column Descriptions

Nest

Canopy closure

Elevation

Slope

Topographic Position Index

Northness

Eastness

Distance to road

Distance to water

Distance to edge

Tree height

Crown depth

Column Name:

Nest

Mean.canopy

Elevation

Slope

TPI

Northness

Eastness

Dist.to.road

Dist.to.water

Dist.to.edge

Mean.tree.height

Mean.crown.depth

Definition:

Whether a given point was a known goshawk nest tree or a random point. Random points fell outside known territories (areas extending 1370 meters from known nests) and within forested areas as classified by the 2014 USDA Forest Service Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Quantitative Inventory

Mean percent canopy closure based on the 2016 National Land Cover Dataset

Elevation in meters based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Slope: Slope in degrees calculated from 8 surrounding cells based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Mean of the absolute differences between the elevation of a cell and the elevation of its 8 surrounding cells based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Cosine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Sine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model

Distance to the nearest road based on the 2020 Motor Vehicle Use Map

Distance to the nearest water source with a mean June flow greater than 0.5 cubic feet per second based on the 2014 National Hydrography Dataset Plus Version 2 Enhanced Unit Runoff Method

istance to the nearest forest edge based on the 2014 USDA Forest Service Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Quantitative Inventory database

Tree height in meters based on 2016 LANDFIRE

Mean crown depth calculated by subtracting canopy base height from canopy height based on 2016 LANDFIRE

Storage Type:

string

integer

float

Measurement Type:

nominal

ratio

Measurement Values Domain:

Allowed Values and Definitions

Enumerated Domain

Code Definition

Code	1
Definition	Nest
Source

Code Definition

Code	0
Definition	Random point
Source

Unit	percent
Type	integer

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	degree
Type	real

Unit	Topographic Position Index
Type	real

Unit	Northness
Type	real

Unit	Eastness
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Unit	meter
Type	real

Missing Value Code:

Code	NA
Expl	Values that exceeded 1370 m, the estimated male goshawk home range size in our study area

Code	NA
Expl	Values that exceeded 1370 m, the estimated male goshawk home range size in our study area

Accuracy Report:

Accuracy Assessment:

Coverage:

Methods:

Data Package Usage Rights

This information is released under the Creative Commons license - Attribution - CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. Thank you.

Keywords

By Thesaurus:
(No thesaurus)	logistic regression, paired design, random forest, breeding, Idaho, Utah, ornithology, raptor, bird of prey

Methods and Protocols

These methods, instrumentation and/or protocols apply to all data in this dataset:

Methods and protocols used in the collection of this data package

Description:

STAND-LEVEL DATA ACQUISITION

REMOTE SENSING

Google Earth

Variables: Distance to edge, distance to road, distance to water

We used the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) program distance measuring tool to measure distance to edge, water, and road from goshawk nest locations and paired random points (QGIS Development Team, 2020). To measure distance to edge, we visually inspected satellite imagery from the Google Earth Satellite Hybrid layer (Google, 2020) and measured the distance to the closest open habitat from the forested nest or random point. Because flowing water tended to be difficult to detect visually using satellite imagery, while measuring distance to water we overlaid the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) flowline vector layer (Environmental Protection Agency, 2014) on the Google Earth Satellite Hybrid layer along with goshawk nest locations and random points. We then measured the distance between the nest or random point and the nearest flowing water according to the NHD Flowline vector layer. Many well-defined illegal roads exist in our study area and are regularly used, but these are not captured in the 2020 Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) we used for our distance to road measurements. Therefore, we measured to these illegal roads rather than the MVUM layer if they were closer to the nest or random point. Across our “distance to” measurements, we placed a 1370 m cap on our values, which reflects the male goshawk home range size quantified by Hasselblad and Bechard (2007) in our study area. At the stand level, “distance to” values exceeding 1370 m were replaced with the capped distance of 1370 m.

Digital Elevation Model

Variables: Elevation, slope, TPI, northness, eastness

We acquired Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data at a resolution of 30 m across our study area, from which we calculated elevation, aspect, slope, and Topographic Position Index (TPI; U.S. Geological Survey, 2013; Wilson et al., 2007; Fleming and Hoffer, 1979). We used cosine transformations to convert aspect into northness and eastness variables (Roberts, 1986). We centered and scaled each of our variables by subtracting their mean then dividing by their standard deviation.

COLLECTED BY HAND

Canopy App

Variables: Canopy closure

We measured canopy closure at each of the 5 points using the CanopyApp phone app (University of New Hampshire, 2014), which uses supervised image classification to create a filter over a photo of the canopy to determine percent canopy closure.

Rangefinder (Nikon 6x20 Prostaff 1000 or equivalent) and/or tape measurer

Variables: SDI, trees per hectare, DBH, tree height, crown depth

To characterize the habitat at each nest site and random paired site, we collected a consistent set of data at the center point (nest tree or center of paired site) and at 4 points 20 m from the center in each of the cardinal directions. We recorded measurements that enabled us to calculate tree density, mean tree height, and mean crown depth (Reynolds et al., 1982). We measured tree height and crown depth of the center tree of each site and of the closest tree with a DBH greater than 15 cm at each of the 4 cardinal points (5 measurements per site). We used the Pythagorean Theorem to determine tree height and crown depth based on measurements taken with a laser rangefinder to the bottom of the live crown, tree top, and tree base. These measurements were taken while kneeling at some distance (usually 6-12 m) with a clear view of each of the 3 points of interest. At each of the 5 data collection points per site, we measured DBH of and distance to the closest 7 trees with DBHs greater than 15 cm (center tree and 4 cardinal points; 35 trees total for both DBH and distance measurements per site). Our DBH variable reflects the mean of the 35 trees measured at each site. We calculated Stand Density Index (SDI) and trees per hectare for each point using our distance and DBH measurements (Lilieholm et al., 1994). In a few cases where our measurement points fell within an unusually dense grouping of trees, our calculations for trees per hectare and SDI were flagged as outliers exceeding maximum SDI values identified by Woodall et al. (2005). Because these extremely high SDI values were not representative of the stand and instead of removing these data points, we set a minimum value for the distance to the 7th tree at 4 m, which was the lowest value that eliminated the outliers. We collected the same set of measurements at the nest and random paired sites.

DATASETS

- Google, 2020. Google Earth Pro, version 7.3.3. Alphabet Inc., Mountain View, California, USA.

- USDA Forest Service, 2020. Sawtooth National Forest motor vehicle use map.

- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014. National Hydrography Dataset Plus Version 2, Extended Unit Runoff Method.

- U.S. Geological Survey, 2013. USGS NED 1 arc-second 2013 1 x 1 degree.

OTHER CITATIONS

- QGIS Development Team, 2020. QGIS Geographic Information System, version 3.16.0.

- Hasselblad, K., Bechard, M., 2007. Male northern goshawk home ranges in the Great Basin of south-central Idaho. J. Raptor Res. 41(2), 150-155. https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016(2007)41[150:MNGHRI]2.0.CO;2

- Stekhoven, D.J., Buhlmann, P., 2012. MissForest–non-parametric missing value imputation for mixed-type data. Bioinfomatics 28(1), 112–118. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btr597

- Wilson, M.F.J., O’Connell, B., Brown, C., Guinan, J.C., Grehan, A.J., 2007. Multiscale terrain analysis of multibeam bathymetry data for habitat mapping on the continental slope. Mar. Geod. 30, 3–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490410701295962

- Fleming, M.D., Hoffer, R.M., 1979. Machine Processing of Landsat MSS Data and DMA Topographic Data for Forest Cover Type Mapping. LARS Technical Reports. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, pp. 377-390. http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/larstech/80

- Roberts, D.W., 1986. Ordination on the basis of fuzzy set theory. Vegetatio 66(3), 123–131. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20037322

- University of New Hampshire, 2014. CanopyApp, version 1.0.3. Durham, New Hampshire, USA.

- Reynolds, R.T., Meslow, E.C., Wight, H.M., 1982. Nesting habitat of coexisting accipiter in Oregon. J. Wildl. Manag. 46(1), 124–138. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3808415

- Lilieholm, R.J., Long, J.N., Patla, S., 1994. Assessment of goshawk nest area habitat using stand density index. Stud. Avian Biol. 16, 18–23.

- Woodall, C.W., Miles, P.D., Vissage, J.S., 2005. Determining maximum stand density index in mixed species stands for strategic-scale stocking assessments. Forest Ecology And Management. 216, 367–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.05.050

Description:

FOREST-WIDE DATA ACQUISITION

“Distance to” measurements

Variables: Distance to edge, distance to road, distance to water

For our forest-wide analysis, we quantified distance to water, distance to road, and distance to edge across our study area by rasterizing relevant GIS layers and computing the geographic distance to the nearest road, water, or edge for each cell in the 30 m DEM raster (Hijmans et al., 2021). For distance to water, we used the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) Flowline vector layer from the 2014 NHD Plus Version 2 dataset and measured the distance to the nearest stream with a mean June flow greater than 0.5 cubic feet second (cfs) based on Enhanced Unit Runoff Method (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). We chose the minimum value of 0.5 cfs based on our knowledge of the hydrology of the study area. For distance to road, we used the 2020 Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM; USDA Forest Service, 2020). We did not consider illegal roads (unmarked in the 2020 MVUM) in our distance to road measurements for the forest-wide analysis, since it was impractical to identify illegal roads by hand across the whole study area. For distance to edge, we used the 2014 GIS layer from the USDA Forest Service Vegetation Classification, Mapping, and Quantitative Inventory (VCMQ; USDA Forest Service, 2015). We placed a 1370 m cap on our values, which reflects the male goshawk home range size quantified by Hasselblad and Bechard (2007) in our study area. For the forest-wide analysis, we replaced values exceeding 1370 m with imputed values between 0 m and 1370 m, but share them here as NAs (Stekhoven and Buhlmann 2012).

Digital Elevation Model

Variables: Elevation, slope, TPI, northness, eastness

National Land Cover Database

Variables: Canopy closure

We used the 2016 National Land Cover Dataset to obtain mean canopy closure values (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016).

LANDFIRE

Variables: Tree height, crown depth

We acquired mean canopy height (used as mean tree height) and mean canopy base height from the 2016 LANDFIRE (LF) dataset (U.S. Geological Survey, 2019). We calculated mean crown depth by subtracting the LF canopy base height from the LF canopy height.

DATASETS

- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014. National Hydrography Dataset Plus Version 2, Extended Unit Runoff Method.

- USDA Forest Service, 2020. Sawtooth National Forest motor vehicle use map.

- USDA Forest Service, 2015. Sawtooth National Forest mid-level existing vegetation classification and mapping. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd606637.pdf

- U.S. Geological Survey, 2013. USGS NED 1 arc-second 2013 1 x 1 degree.

- U.S. Geological Survey, 2016. National Land Cover Database Tree Canopy Layer.

- U.S. Geological Survey, 2019. LANDFIRE: LANDFIRE 2016 Remap (LF 2.0.0) Existing Vegetation Type layer.

OTHER CITATIONS

- Hijmans, R.J., Bivand, R., Forner, K., Ooms, J., Pebesma, E., 2021. terra: Spatial Data Analysis.

- Stekhoven, D.J., Buhlmann, P., 2012. MissForest–non-parametric missing value imputation for mixed-type data. Bioinfomatics 28(1), 112–118. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btr59

- Roberts, D.W., 1986. Ordination on the basis of fuzzy set theory. Vegetatio 66(3), 123–131. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20037322

People and Organizations

Publishers:

Organization:

Environmental Data Initiative

Email Address:

info@edirepository.org

Web Address:

https://edirepository.org

Id:

https://ror.org/0330j0z60

Creators:

Individual:

Eliana Rayne Heiser

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Affiliate

Email Address:

erh85@cornell.edu

Individual:

Lauren E Whitenack

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Affiliate

Email Address:

lauren.whitenack@gmail.com

Individual:

Jay D Carlisle

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Director

Email Address:

jaycarlisle@boisestate.edu

Individual:

Robert A Miller

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Biologist

Email Address:

robertmiller7@boisestate.edu

Contacts:

Individual:

Eliana Rayne Heiser

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Affiliate

Email Address:

erh85@cornell.edu

Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

Temporal, Geographic and/or Taxonomic information that applies to all data in this dataset:

Time Period

Begin:

2017

End:

2020

Geographic Region:

Description:

Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest in southern Idaho and northern Utah, USA

Bounding Coordinates:

Northern:	42.43730072	Southern:	41.9401346
Western:	-114.4225373	Eastern:	-112.9581012

Taxonomic Range:

General Coverage:

Scientific Name used in manuscript: Astur atricapillus Common name: American goshawk Taxonomic Authority: Clements, J. F., Rasmussen, P. C., Schulenberg, T. S., Iliff, M. J., Fredericks, T. A., Gerbracht, J. A., Lepage, D., Spencer, A., Billerman, S. M., Sullivan, B. L., Smith, M., and Wood, C. L., 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Classification:

Rank Name:	Species
Rank Value:	Astur atricapillus

Project

Parent Project Information:

Title:

Application of machine learning and parametric techniques to direct forest management for the conservation of American goshawk (Astur atricapillus) nest stands

Personnel:

Individual:

Eliana Rayne Heiser

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Affiliate

Email Address:

erh85@cornell.edu

Role:

Lead author

Individual:

Whitenack E Lauren

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Affiliate

Email Address:

lauren.whitenack@gmail.com

Role:

Co-author

Individual:

Jay D Carlisle

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Research Director

Email Address:

jaycarlisle@boisestate.edu

Role:

Co-author

Individual:

Robert A Miller

Organization:

Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University

Position:

Statistician and Research Biologist

Email Address:

robertmiller7@boisestate.edu

Role:

Supervisor

Abstract:

Land management techniques influence habitat suitability for birds of prey, making informed management decisions a critical component of raptor conservation. American Goshawks (Astur atricapillus) are declining across North America, are listed as a Sensitive Species by the USDA Forest Service, and can be used as umbrella management species, which warrants special attention from forest managers. We conducted 3 habitat analyses at 2 spatial scales for goshawks in the northern Great Basin, USA, including a stand-level parametric analyses, a stand-level machine learning analysis, and a forest-wide machine learning analysis. Our 2 stand-level analyses, based on field-collected and remotely sensed data, yielded complimentary results that identify variables associated with goshawk occupancy at a fine spatial scale of interest to forest managers. At the stand level, goshawk occupancy was positively associated with canopy closure, Stand Density Index (SDI), trees per hectare, diameter at breast height (DBH), and tree height. Our forest-wide analysis relied on remote sensing data to produce a map of our study area predicting goshawk occupancy with an estimated accuracy of 83% based on canopy closure, elevation, slope, tree height, crown depth, and distance to road. Our results are consistent with numerous other studies suggesting an association between goshawk occupancy and mature stand characteristics. We suggest that both parametric and machine learning approaches be considered when analyzing habitat data, with the decision to implement either individually or both concurrently depending on a given study’s objectives.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest; the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site Award [grant number 1263167] to Boise State University; Boise State University's Raptor Research Center; Boise State University's Department of Biological Sciences; Boise State University's College of Arts and Sciences; Boise State University's Division of Research; and a Western Field Ornithologists 2021 research grant award. We received donations from individual donors and received in-kind support from the Intermountain Bird Observatory and dozens of volunteers.

Additional Award Information:

Funder:	National Science Foundation
Number:	1263167
Title:	Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site Award

Additional Award Information:

Funder:	Western Field Ornithologists
Title:	2021 Research Grant Award

Maintenance

Maintenance:

Description:	No planned maintenance
Frequency:	notPlanned

Other Metadata

Additional Metadata

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        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'Stand Density Index'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'Stand Density Index'
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        |     |     |___element 'unit' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:unit')
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'Northness'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'Northness'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n               '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:description')
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'Cosine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |     |___element 'unit' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:unit')
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'Eastness'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'Eastness'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n               '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:description')
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'Sine of aspect based on the 2013 30 meter Digital Elevation Model'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |     |___element 'unit' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:unit')
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'Topographic Position Index'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'Topographic Position Index'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n               '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description' in ns 'http://www.xml-cml.org/schema/stmml-1.2' ('stmml:description')
        |     |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |     |___text '\n         '
        |     |___text '\n      '
        |___text '\n   '

Additional Metadata

additionalMetadata
        |___text '\n      '
        |___element 'metadata'
        |     |___text '\n         '
        |     |___element 'emlEditor'
        |     |        \___attribute 'app' = 'ezEML'
        |     |        \___attribute 'release' = '2024.10.30'
        |     |___text '\n      '
        |___text '\n   '

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EDI is a collaboration between the University of New Mexico and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Center for Limnology:

Data Package Metadata View Summary

American Goshawk habitat data from nest stands and random points within the Minidoka Ranger District, Sawtooth National Forest, USA

Data Entities

Data Table

Data Table

Data Package Usage Rights

Keywords

Methods and Protocols

These methods, instrumentation and/or protocols apply to all data in this dataset:

People and Organizations

Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

Project

Parent Project Information:

Maintenance

Additional Metadata

Additional Metadata

Recently Added

Recently Updated

Data Package Metadata View Summary

American Goshawk habitat data from nest stands and random points within the Minidoka Ranger District, Sawtooth National Forest, USA

+/- Data Entities

Data Table

Data Table

+/- Data Package Usage Rights

+/- Keywords

+/- Methods and Protocols

These methods, instrumentation and/or protocols apply to all data in this dataset:

+/- People and Organizations

+/- Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

+/- Project

Parent Project Information:

+/- Maintenance

+/- Additional Metadata

+/- Additional Metadata

Data Entities

Data Package Usage Rights

Keywords

Methods and Protocols

People and Organizations

Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

Project

Maintenance

Additional Metadata

Additional Metadata