Fishery and aquatic scientists often assess habitats to understand the distribution, status, stressors, and relative abundance of aquatic resources. Due to the spatial nature of aquatic habitats and the increasing scope of management concerns, using traditional analytical methods for assessment is often difficult.However, advancements in the geographic information systems (GIS) field and related technologies have enabled scientists and managers to more effectively collate, archive, display, analyze, and model spatial and temporal data. For example, spatially explicit habitat assessment models allow for a more robust interpretation of many terrestrial and aquatic datasets, including physical and biological monitoring data,habitat diversity, watershed characteristics, and socioeconomic parameters.For this project, Downstream Strategies (DS) was contracted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) to create a spatially explicit data analysis and modeling system for assessing fish habitat condition across the northern Great Plains based on a range of metrics. The data and tools developed as part of the project will be applicable to watersheds, streams, rivers, and lakes within the boundaries of the USFWS’s Great Plains Fish Habitat Partnership (FHP) and scalable to the national level.Generally, the models, analyses, and data produced as a result of this project are intended to enable a unique, broad, and spatially explicit understanding of the links between natural habitat conditions, human influences on aquatic habitats, and aquatic health. Specifically, the outcomes will be utilized to conduct fish habitat condition assessments based on a range of stakeholder‐specified metrics and modeling end points that will help determine the natural drivers of aquatic conditions as well as the major stressors at various spatial scales in specific FHP regions. Additionally, a geospatial decision support tool will be developed to give users the ability to understand habitat conditions and stressors based on the status
<span style='font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px;'>Fishery and aquatic scientists often assess habitats to understand the distribution, status, stressors, and relative abundance of aquatic resources. Due to the spatial nature of aquatic habitats and the increasing scope of management concerns, using traditional analytical methods for assessment is often difficult.However, advancements in the geographic information systems (GIS) field and related technologies have enabled scientists and managers to more effectively collate, archive, display, analyze, and model spatial and temporal data. For example, spatially explicit habitat assessment models allow for a more robust interpretation of many terrestrial and aquatic datasets, including physical and biological monitoring data,habitat diversity, watershed characteristics, and socioeconomic parameters.For this project, Downstream Strategies (DS) was contracted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) to create a spatially explicit data analysis and modeling system for assessing fish habitat condition across the northern Great Plains based on a range of metrics. The data and tools developed as part of the project will be applicable to watersheds, streams, rivers, and lakes within the boundaries of the USFWS’s Great Plains Fish Habitat Partnership (FHP) and scalable to the national level.Generally, the models, analyses, and data produced as a result of this project are intended to enable a unique, broad, and spatially explicit understanding of the links between natural habitat conditions, human influences on aquatic habitats, and aquatic health. Specifically, the outcomes will be utilized to conduct fish habitat condition assessments based on a range of stakeholder‐specified metrics and modeling end points that will help determine the natural drivers of aquatic conditions as well as the major stressors at various spatial scales in specific FHP regions. Additionally, a geospatial decision support tool will be developed to give users the ability to understand habitat conditions and stressors based on the status and severity of threats at specified locations. The ultimate goal is to improve understanding of how local and regional processes influence stream conditions in the region and to provide FHPs with additional knowledge, data, and tools to help prioritize and drive conservation action in the northern Great Plains.</span>
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