Importance/Issues

Each park unit is nested within a larger landscape or matrix of land-cover types, ranging from natural vegetation communities to human-modified systems. Understanding the kind, extent, and configuration of these land-cover types, their attendant land uses, and how both are changing over time within and adjacent to parks can provide important insights into patterns observed with ecological monitoring parameters.

Parks Monitored

Currently, this protocol will not be implemented at any Sonoran Desert Network (SODN) parks.

Monitoring Objectives

Determine the status of and detect trends in major land-cover types occurring on and adjacent to SODN parks on a decadal scale, with thematic and spatial resolution and extent determined on a park-by-park basis.

Determine the status of and detect trends in key socioeconomic information for areas proximate to each park, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau and other publicly collected demographic information; relate these land-use and socioeconomic data to land-cover data.

Potential Measures

Area, patch size, and position of land-cover types within and adjacent to SODN parks (Land Cover)

Socioeconomic profiles of surrounding lands (Land Use)

Management Applications

Patterns of land cover and land use may be used to help us understand changes in park natural and cultural resources, and provide managers with a better understanding of park resources within the context of the surrounding landscape.

Protocol Development Status

This protocol is currently in development in conjunction with the Southern Plains Network and cooperators at the Sonoran Institute and University of Arizona. The approach is to couple remotely sensed land-cover determinations with ground-based measures of human development and land use in a consistent and repeatable fashion. Thematic resolution of land cover is at the physiognomic scale (e.g., woodland, shrub savanna, row crop agriculture), whereas spatial resolution will vary with park size (with a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 ha). Land-use information is derived from U.S. Census data and other demographic and socioeconomic data that are publicly available. Visitor use information is summarized from existing park reporting information.

A pilot study is ongoing (2007-2009) at Tumacacori National Historical Park (TUMA) to test proposed methodologies for this protocol.

Status & Trends

This protocol is still in development; therefore, status and trends information have not been determined at this time.

Project Leads

Land Cover: Dr. Willem van Leeuwen, University of Arizona
Land Use: Cheryl McIntyre, Sonoran Institute Ecologist