NatureServe Element Distribution Modeling Tool

Description: 
Modeling potential habitat for plant and animal species is critical for evaluating threats to critical habitat and for broad-scale environmental planning. The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (UW) and the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (UW), in cooperation with NatureServe (Arlington, Virginia), is producing a software tool that will facilitate element distribution modeling (EDM). The tool will organize and present the steps necessary to produce robust and usable models, perform the most crucial steps including implementation of multiple modeling algorithms, and map model output, all in a computer environment that assumes minimal knowledge of GIS and statistical programming by the user. The tool will primarily target personnel within the network of Natural Heritage Programs and NatureServe, but will become accessible, and perhaps invaluable, to a wider array of users.

Dates:
May 2005 through May 2006

Funding Sponsor:
NatureServe

Principal Investigator:
G. Beauvais

Co-Principal Investigator:
D. Keinath
Nathan Nibbelink
 

Other personnel:
None