Near-Real-Time Cheatgrass Percent Cover in the Northern Great Basin, USA, 2015 By Stephen

Abstract

• Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) dramatically changes shrub steppe ecosystems in the Northern Great Basin, United States.
• Current-season cheatgrass location and percent cover are difficult to estimate rapidly.
• We explain the development of a near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover dataset and map in the Northern Great Basin for the current year (2015), display the current years map, provide analysis of the map, and provide a website link to download the map (as a PDF) and the associated dataset.
• The near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover dataset and map were consistent with non-expedited, historical cheatgrass percent cover datasets and maps.
• Having cheatgrass maps available mid-summer can help land managers, policy makers, and Geographic Information Systems personnel as they work to protect socially relevant areas such as critical wildlife habitats.

Keywords: Bromus tectorum, ecological models, satellite data, shrub steppe, fire regime, invasive grass.