When
“Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM) Protocol: A Rapid Approach to Evaluate Grassland Management Activities & Monitor Grassland Condition”
Tuesday, March 1st, 2022 12 PM (PDT)/1 PM (MDT)/2 PM (CDT)
Zoom Webinar Registration: https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqfuyqpjgsHdZOUH3JYZEgeP6rzT…
Presenters: Daniel Bunting, USFWS (Science Applications); Don Wilhelm, USFWS (Partners for Fish and Wildlife)
For decades the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW, USFWS) has been implementing grassland improvement projects across private lands via incentive-based programs. While some post-treatment monitoring has been implemented, USFWS has lacked a standardized protocol needed to quantify treatment success and compare grassland conditions across management activities. PFW and Science Applications formed a partnership with USGS and the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture to develop a standardized Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM) protocol to determine biological outcomes of various grassland improvement projects. An overarching goal is to develop a shareable, transferable protocol that provides a pathway for data sharing to compare grassland condition across the greater landscape. GEM surveys are based on a rapid field assessment that can be implemented at three effort levels, yielding scientific data and results that can be integrated with other resource surveys, sampling, or assessments to characterize impacts to broader communities such as grassland birds, pollinators, or livestock and game species.
About the Speakers:
Daniel Bunting is a geospatial biologist in the Science Applications program in the USFWS’ Southwest Region. Daniel has over 20 years’ experience in natural resources and conservation working in both the private sector (environmental consulting) and for the federal government. He has a BA in Biology, a PhD in Natural Resources (Watershed Management and Ecohydrology), and GIS Certificate from U of Arizona.
Don Wilhelm is the Regional Coordinator for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program in the USFWS’ Southwest Region (AZ, NM, OK, and TX). He has worked for the USFWS for approximately 30 years, spending the majority of his time working in support of habitat conser