Tools for evaluating habitat quality

Single-objective tools

EPA RPS Ecological Capacity Tool
Kramer et al. (2012) Maintenance of High Biodiversity Streams Tool
Kramer et al. (2012) Natural Upland Surrounding Site Tool
LACPRA CMP American Alligator Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Brown shrimp Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Crawfish (wild caught) Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Eastern Oyster Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Gadwall Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Green-Wing Teal Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Largemouth Bass Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Mottled Duck Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Muskrat Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP River Otter Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Roseate Spoonbill (Foraging) Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Roseate Spoonbill (Nesting) Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP Spotted Sea Trout Habitat Suitability Index
LACPRA CMP White shrimp Habitat Suitability Index
NHDES WRAM: Ecological integrity tool
NHDES WRAM: Significant habitat tool
NOAA HPP Freshwater Wetlands Tool
NOAA HPP: Intertidal marshes and flats (natural resource conservation) tool
PLDSS Landscape-Scale Model
TNC-ELI DPWAP Fish Habitat Tool
TNC-ELI DPWAP Wildlife Tool
TWRA CWCS HUC-12 Aquatic Resource Prioritization Tool
UMass Amherst CAPS Index of Ecological Integrity
USGS Forest Breeding Bird Decision Support Model
WDNR: Habitat Quality Index (HQI)

Multi-objective tools

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Recovery Potential Screening (EPA RPS) Ecological Capacity Tool:¹ This tool evaluates the ecological condition (and if possible, capacity to regain functions) of hydrologic units in terms of physical/biotic structure and key natural processes. By assessing subwatershed units within HUC-8s, for example, the tool identifies areas that might be targeted for restoration either based on their own restorability alone, or to achieve the largest improvement in condition for the HUC-8 as a whole.

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
*Watershed natural structure*
Watershed percent natural cover	NLCD⁽²⁾; NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾; statewide land cover data from state-specific sources
Watershed percent forest	NLCD⁽²⁾; NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾; statewide land cover data from state-specific sources
Watershed percent wetlands	NLCD⁽²⁾; NWI⁽⁵⁾; NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾; statewide land cover data from state-specific sources
Watershed percent woody vegetation	NLCD⁽²⁾; NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾; statewide land cover data from state-specific sources
Watershed topographic complexity	USGS NED⁽⁶⁾; USGS EDNA⁽⁷⁾; NHD plus flowline elevation data⁽⁴⁾
Watershed forest patch mean area	NLCD⁽²⁾; NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾
Watershed soil resilience	NRCS Soil Data Mart⁽⁸⁾; statewide digital soil survey data
Watershed percent streamlength unimpaired	EPA geospatial data CWA §303(d) impaired waters listings⁽⁹⁾
Watershed shape (more elongate watersheds score higher)	NRCS WBD⁽³⁾
Watershed size (watersheds with smaller areas score higher)	NRCS WBD⁽³⁾; NHDplus catchments⁽⁴⁾
*Corridor and shorelands stability*
Bank stability/soils (percent stream length passing through highly erosive soil types)	NRCS Soil Data Mart⁽⁸⁾
Bank stability/woody vegetation (percent of bank length with woody vegetation)	NLCD⁽²⁾; NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program coastal area land cover data⁽¹⁰⁾; NHDplus flowline land cover flowline attribute data⁽⁴⁾
Corridor percent forest	NLCD⁽²⁾
Corridor percent woody vegetation	NLCD⁽²⁾; NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program coastal area land cover data⁽¹⁰⁾
Corridor percent wetlands	NLCD⁽²⁾; NWI⁽⁵⁾
Corridor slope	USGS EDNA⁽⁷⁾
Corridor soil erosion potential	NRCS Soil Data Mart⁽⁸⁾
Corridor soil types (soils better for nitrogen processing, stability/erosion resistance, and other factors score higher)	NRCS Soil Data Mart⁽⁸⁾
Shoreline percent forested	NLCD⁽²⁾
Shoreline percent woody vegetation	NLCD⁽²⁾
*Flow and channel dynamics*
Natural channel form (linear percent of total reach length in natural channel form)	NHD⁽⁶⁾; state/locally compiled channelization metrics
Corridor groundwater level (average depth to water table over a specific size area)	Not often available as continuous landscape data⁽¹¹⁾
Channel slope (change in elevation over channel length)	USGS EDNA⁽⁷⁾
Sinuosity (channel segment length divided by straight line length)	NHD⁽⁶⁾
Confinement ratio (valley floor width divided by stream channel width)	Aerial photography; field data
Channel evolution status	Spatial data for this factor are unlikely to be found but guidance on evaluating successional status is available from EPA⁽¹²⁾
Fine sediment transport capacity	High-resolution NHD⁽⁶⁾; field measurements
Natural flow regime	Data on flow regime are limited. Using specific measures of one or more of the five flow regime components is more feasible than a single metric to summarize flow regime overall.
Median flow maintenance (departure from median monthly flow with reference to natural streamflow regimes)	Gauging station data
Low flow maintenance (annual 7-day minimum flow or frequency and duration with which flow drops below a given threshold).	N/A
Stahler stream order	NHDplus value-added attributes data⁴; Mid-Atlantic Landscape Atlas⁽¹³⁾
*Biotic community integrity*
Biotic community integrity	State monitoring datasets (e.g., Benthic IBI for Puget Sound Lowlands⁽¹⁴⁾ or NatureServe ecologic integrity assessment data⁽¹⁵⁾)
Rare taxa presence	NatureServe Explorer⁽¹⁶⁾; USDA Plants Database⁽¹⁷⁾; USFWS Critical Habitat Portal⁽¹⁸⁾
Trophic state (measured categorically with weights assigned between eutrophic and oligotrophic extremes)	Standard data sources usually do not exist unless compiled through state monitoring programs or special studies.
NFHAP fish habitat condition index	NFHAP map viewer⁽¹⁹⁾
*Aquatic connectivity*
Confluence density (count of confluences per mile of watershed total stream length	NHDplus Strahler stream order data⁽⁴⁾
Unimpaired confluences density (count of confluences of unimpaired channels per mile of impaired segments).	Impaired segment shapefiles from ATTAINS⁽²⁰⁾; NHDplus Stahler Order data⁽⁴⁾
Watershed stream density	NHDplus⁽⁴⁾
Contiguity with green infrastructure corridor	Statewide data for intact and ecologically functional stream corridors and larger natural habitat "hubs" (e.g., data for Maryland⁽²¹⁾ or California⁽²²⁾)
Proximity to green infrastructure hub (GI hub percent of watershed/stream segment	Statewide data for intact and ecologically functional stream corridors and larger natural habitat "hubs" (e.g., data for Maryland²¹ or California ⁽²²⁾)
Recolonization access (count of confluences with +/-1 Strahler stream order unimpaired channels per mile of impaired segment)	Impaired segment shapefiles from ATTAINS⁽²⁰⁾; NHDplus Strahler stream order data⁽⁴⁾; dam location data where available
*Ecological history*
Maintenance of percent natural cover (change in total percent of land area in watershed within forest, shrubland, wetlands, grasslands, desert, and barren land categories)	NLCD⁽²⁾; statewide land cover data from state-specific sources
Ratio current/historic percent forest	NLCD⁽²⁾; statewide data on potential natural vegetation cover that provide an approximation of presettlement vegetation types and distribution
Ratio current/historic percent wetlands	NLCD⁽²⁾; NWI⁽⁵⁾
Historical species occurrence	USFWS Critical Habitat Portal⁽¹⁸⁾; historical information available through State Fish and Wildlife Service (e.g., Oregon⁽²³⁾).
Species range	USFWS Critical Habitat Portal, historical information available through State Fish and Wildlife Service (e.g., Oregon⁽²³⁾)

Acronym definitions

Kramer et al. (2012) Maintenance of High Biodiversity Streams Tool:²⁴ Rates potential sites highest where they lie in closest proximity to high priority, high biodiversity streams, an indicator of the ability of sites to reduce non-point source pollution entering high biodiversity aquatic habitats. This metric was calculated similarly to the Kramer et al. (2012) Water Quality and Quantity Index, except it is based on high priority streams data.

Factor used in analysis	Data source
*Potential Runoff Index (PRI)*
Land cover types	2008 GLUT database
Hydrologic soils groups	STATSGO soils data
TR-55 curve numbers	USDA (1986)
Two-year 24-hour storm event data	Isopluvial maps
*Distance to High Priority Streams Index (DHPSI)*
Streams that support aquatic species of conservation concern for the "Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for Georgia."	Georgia Natural Heritage Program high priority streams.
Lakes and large rivers	NHD
Land use types	2008 GLUT database

Acronym definitions

Kramer et al. (2012) Natural Upland Surrounding Site Tool:²⁴ This tool ranked 30m² areas in terms of their connectivity to terrestrial habitats, which provide important benefits to wildlife. In particular, juvenile amphibians disperse to neighboring wetlands through intervening upland habitat. Terrestrial habitats also serve as critical foraging and breeding areas for adult amphibians. This tool evaluated sites by estimating their benefits to adult amphibians in terms of percentage of upland vegetation within a 500-meter radius of the wetland. Factors and associated data sources used to rank sites are listed below:

Factor used in analysis		Data source
Natural upland vegetation patches	Natural vegetation patches	GAP vertebrate species models
Natural upland vegetation patches	Wetland land cover	1974 GLUT database

Acronym definitions

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan (LACPRA CMP) American Alligator Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):²⁵ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of habitat type, water depth, water salinity, and marsh edge effect on the habitat quality of American Alligator. Based on observational data and a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that contained 60-80% emergent vegetation land cover (which provides ideal nesting area), large amounts of edge habitat (where prey are more plentiful), and low salinity (the American Alligator is a freshwater species). Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below.

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Depth relative to marsh surface	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model
Water salinity	Eco-hydrology model
Percent land	Wetland morphology model
Marsh edge	Wetland morphology model
Habitat type	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan (LACPRA CMP) Brown shrimp Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):²⁶ This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing brown shrimp habitat suitability based on water quality and food/cover characteristics. Drawing from existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained a percent coverage of marsh vegetation ranging from 25-80%, a mean salinity for spring ranging from 10-20 ppt, and a mean water temperature for spring ranging from 20-30°C. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Mean salinity for spring (February-May) (ppt)	Eco-hydrology model
Mean water temperature for spring (February-May) (°C)	Eco-hydrology model
Percent coverage by marsh vegetation	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan (LACPRA CMP) Crawfish (wild caught) Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):²⁷ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of salinity, water temperature, water depth, vegetative habitat type, and seasonal water level fluctuations on the crawfish habitat quality. Based on a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that had lower salinity (crawfish are freshwater organisms), water temperatures that range from 20-26 °C, water depths of 1.0-2.0m (shallower waters expose crawfish to heat and wading bird predation; deeper water to hypoxic conditions and fish predation), swamp or marsh vegetative classes, and large seasonal changes in water deeper than three meters. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Water temperature	Eco-hydrology model
Water salinity
Water depth
Water level fluctuation
Habitat classification data	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Eastern Oyster Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):²⁸ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of three salinity-based variables and substrate on eastern oyster habitat quality. Based on a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that had 50% or more hard substrate coverage (supporting a large percent coverage of clutch), higher mean salinity during the spawning season (reflecting the higher optimal salinities for spawning compared to the salinity requirements of adults), higher minimum salinity (lower impact of freshwater diversions), mean salinity ranging from 10-15 ppt, and lower percent land. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis		Data source
Mean salinity during spawning season		Eco-hydrology model
Annual mean salinity
Minimum annual salinity
Percent clutch	Reefs on public grounds	LDWF side scan surveys
	Oyster leases	LDWF GIS data
	Public grounds off of a mapped reef	LDWF side scan surveys
Percent land		N/A

Acronym definitions

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Gadwall Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):²⁹ This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing gadwall habitat suitability. Drawing from existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained a high proportion of preferred habitat types (with intermediate and fresh marsh among those weighted highest), a high proportion (70-100%) coverage by water with Submerged Aquatic Vegetation, and a high proportion of days (September-March) with a water depth highly suitable for foraging (18-32cm). Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Proportion of cell occupied by gadwall habitat	Wetland morphology model
Percent of cell that is water with Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)	Vegetation model
Proportion of days September-March that the water depth (cm) provided suitable foraging habitat	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Green-Wing Teal Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁰ This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing green-wing teal habitat suitability. Drawing from existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained a high proportion of preferred habitat types (with fresh marsh, brackish marsh, and intermediate marsh among those weighted highest) and a high proportion of days (September-March) with a water depth highly suitable for foraging (8-18cm). Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Proportion of cell occupied by green-winged teal habitat	Wetland morphology model
Proportion of days September-March that the water depth (cm) provided suitable foraging habitat	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Largemouth Bass Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³¹ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of various biotic and abiotic factors on largemouth bass habitat quality. Based on a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that had coverage of emergent vegetation ranging from 30-50% (which afford suitable cover from predators and foraging opportunities without being too dense for swimming), average water temperatures ranging from 18-30 °C, salinity less than 8 ppt (largemouth bass evolved in a freshwater environment), low percent coverage by submerged aquatic vegetation, and high primary productivity (concentration of cholorophyll a). Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Average water temperature for April to August	Eco-hydrology model
Maximum yearly salinity for June to August
Index value of primary productivity in open waters
Percent emergent vegetation per 500 m²	Vegetation model
Percent of cell that is SAV per 1 km²	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan (LACPRA CMP) Mottled Duck Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³² This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing mottled duck foraging habitat suitability. Drawing from existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained large proportion of preferred habitat types (with fresh marsh being most preferred) and a large proportion of days per year that water depth was optimal for foraging. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Proportion of cell occupied by mottled duck habitat	Wetland morphology model
Proportion of days per year that water depth is optimal for foraging (6-34cm)	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model

(LACPRA CMP) Muskrat Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³³ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of the ratio of land to water, water depth, and habitat type on muskrat habitat quality. Based on a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that contained percent land exceeding 50% (muskrats prefer marsh located farthest from ponds), water depth averaging 15cm below the marsh surface, and brackish marsh habitat type (with decreasing quality for intermediate marsh, fresh marsh, and swamp). Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Water depth relative to marsh surface	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model
Percent land	Wetland morphology model
Habitat type	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) River Otter Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁴ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of the ratio of land to water and water depth on river otter habitat quality. Based on existing data, the model ranked areas highest that contained a percent land ranging from 40-60%, a water depth averaging 15cm below the marsh surface, brackish marsh habitat type (with swamp, fresh marsh, and intermediate marsh also ranked highly in the model), and a large amount of edge habitat. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Water depth relative to marsh surface	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model
Percent land	Wetland morphology model
Marsh edge	Wetland morphology model
Habitat type	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Roseate Spoonbill (Foraging) Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁵ This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing roseate spoonbill foraging habitat suitability. Based on existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained a large coverage by water at depths optimal for foraging for a large proportion of days in the year and a large coverage by edge habitat. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Proportion of days water depth is 1-12 cm	Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model
Portion of cell that is edge habitat (the area of water projecting 10m from the land/water interface)	Wetland morphology model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration AuthorityCoastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) Roseate Spoonbill (Nesting) Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁵ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing roseate spoonbill nesting habitat suitability. Based on existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained an island land mass less than 100 ha in size and surrounded completely by water, large percent coverage of preferred habitat types, large percent coverage of woody vegetation, and high availability of foraging habitat near nesting sites. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis		Data source(s)
Proportion of cell that is near a small, near-shore undeveloped island		GIS Shapefiles
Vegetation type	Proportion of cell that is swamp	Vegetation model
	Proportion of cell that is represented by Delta Splay, Wax Myrtle, Cutgrass, Maidencane, Cattail, Sawgrass, and Bulltongue
	Proportion of cell that is intermediate, brackish, or saline habitat
Presence of woody vegetation (percent swamp forest, wax myrtle, mangrove, and shrub scrub)		Vegetation model
Sum of available foraging habitat (where daily water depth is between 1 and 12 cm between February and July) from all cells in the 10 km radius of a nesting habitat cell divided by the total number of cells in the radius.		Eco-hydrology model; Wetland morphology model

Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan (LACPRA CMP) Spotted Sea Trout Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁶ This tool calculates HSI values for each 500m² area representing the effects of food/cover and water quality environmental factors on spotted sea trout habitat quality. Based on a literature review, the model ranked areas highest that had a percent area containing marsh vegetation ranging from 25-80%, a highest monthly mean summer salinity ranging from 10-25 ppt, a lowest monthly mean winter water temperature ranging from 20-30 °C, and a highest monthly mean water temperature ranging from 20-30°C. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Highest monthly mean summer salinity (ppt)	Eco-hydrology model
Lowest monthly mean winter water temperature (°C)
Highest monthly mean summer water temperature (°C)
Percent area containing marsh vegetation	Vegetation model

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan ( LACPRA CMP) White shrimp Habitat Suitability Index (HSI):³⁷ This tool calculated HSI values for each 500m² area representing white shrimp habitat suitability based on water quality and food/cover characteristics. Drawing from existing data and literature, the model ranked areas highest that contained a percent coverage by marsh vegetation ranging from 25-80%, a mean salinity for summer ranging from 5-15 ppt, and a mean temperature for summer ranging from 20-30°C. Factors and data sources representing these variables are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Mean salinity for summer (June-October) (ppt)	Eco-hydrology model
Mean water temperature for summer (June-October) (°C)	Eco-hydrology model
Percent marsh area	Vegetation model

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Wetland Restoration Assessment Model (NHDES WRAM): Ecological integrity tool:³⁸ Ecological integrity is used as a measure of how well a wetland is buffered from human activity by the surrounding upland area. Sites with high ecological integrity scores are relatively undisturbed by human activity and provide suitable habitat for plant and animal communities. WRAM evaluates ecological integrity based on the 12 factors listed below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Percent of candidate site with very poorly drained soils and/or open water	NRCS soils data
Dominant land use of the candidate site	NHLCC (2001)
Water quality of the watercourse, pond, or lake associated with the wetland	NHDES CALM
Ratio of the number of occupied buildings within 500 ft of the wetland edge	US Census
Percent of original wetland filled	NHDES wetland permits
Percent of wetland edge bordered by a buffer of woodland or idle land at least 500 ft in width (i.e., area of forest/idle land within 500 ft).	NHLCA (2001)
Percent of wetland plant community actively altered by mowing, grazing, farming, or other activities (i.e., agricultural land within wetland site).	NHLCA; CWS GIS layer (combination of NRCS poorly and very poorly drained soils and NWI wetlands).
Percent of wetland actively drained for agriculture or other purposes	NWI (modifiers 'x' and 'd')
Public road and/or railroad crossings per 500 ft of wetland	NHDOT Roads database
Long-term stability of the site	NHDES Dam; NWI (modifiers 'h,' 'x,' and 'b')

Acronym definitions

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Wetland Restoration Assessment Model ( NHDES WRAM) Significant Habitat Tool:³⁸ WRAM used two functional valuations from the NH method - Wetland Wildlife Habitat and Finfish Habitat - to assess individual National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) wetlands in terms of significant habitat. Eight wetland wildlife habitat factors were used (e.g., permanent shallow water, percent wetland edge bordered by upland, etc.) as well as four finfish habitat factors (e.g., barriers to anadromous fish in streams associated with the wetland, etc.). In addition, the Technical Advisory Group uses Natural Heritage Bureau Exemplary Natural Plant Community data and habitat information from the 2006 Wildlife Action Plan as factors in the analysis. These factors and associated data sources are provided below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
*Wetland Wildlife Habitat factors*
Score for ecological integrity	Data sources used to score the ecological integrity parameter (above)
Area of permanent shallow open water (less than 6.6 ft deep) associated with the wetland	NWI
Water quality associated with the watercourse, lake, or pond associated with the wetland	NHDES CALM
Wetland diversity found on the site	NWI
Dominant wetland class found on the site	NWI
Interspersion of vegetation class found on the site	NWI
Wetland juxtaposition (i.e., connectivity to other wetlands by a perennial stream or lake)	NWI
Percent of wetland edge bordered by upland wildlife habitat (brush, woodland, active farmland, or idle land).	2001 NHLCA land use
*Finfish Habitat factors*
Amount of forested land in watershed upslope of restoration site	USGS DEM; 2001 NHLCA forested land cover
Water quality associated with the watercourse, lake, or pond associated with the wetland	NHDES CALM
Barrier(s) to anadromous fish (dams, beaver dams, and road crossings) along the stream associated with the wetland	NH DES dams data; NHD and GRANIT Road Network culvert data; NWI modifiers 'b' and 'h'.
Stream bank width	NHD Flowline stream order data
*Natural Heritage Bureau Exemplary Natural Plant Communities*
Exemplary natural plant communities	NH Natural Heritage Bureau GIS database of exemplary natural plant communities
*NHFG Wildlife Action Plan*
Sites located in a high ranking habitat	NHFG WAP GIS data for high ranking habitats; CWS GIS layer (combination of NRCS poorly and very poorly drained soils and NWI wetlands).
Sites located within an unfragmented landscape	NHFG WAP GIS data for unfragmented landscapes; CWS GIS layer (combination of NRCS poorly and very poorly drained soils and NWI wetlands).

Acronym definitions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) Mississippi-Alabama Habitats Tool (MAHT) - Freshwater Wetlands Tool:³⁹ The Coastal Habitats Coordination Team Coastal Habitats Cordinating Team, which consisted of more than 60 state and local scientists, non-profit staff, environmental professionals (consultants), and local/state officials, identified priority habitats for protection using the Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) tool. The HPP was designed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC) to readily incorporate stakeholder input into planning and was applied by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program MBNEP in the following steps to identify priority habitat areas:

The CHCT identified ten focal habitat types for which prioritization analyses should be completed - four of these represented aquatic resources.
Staff from The Nature Conservancy and the CSC compiled data from local sources for each of these focal habitat types.
CHCT members were provided the list of available data for each focal habitat type in addition to a list of possible metrics (e.g., perimeter-to-area ratio, proximity to other habitat patches, etc.) that could be applied to each. CHCT members used the available data to decide on metrics that could be used to prioritize habitat patches for each focal habitat type.
Using the metrics identified for each habitat type by the CHCT, the CSC used the HPP tool to identify priority habitat areas. After the results were presented, the CSC engaged the CHCT in validating or modifying the results to produce a final set of HPP priority habitat maps.
HHP priority habitat maps were incorporated into the Habitat Mapper tool.

CHCT members prioritized freshwater wetlands using four metrics that accounted for wetland land cover classification, size, proximity to urban areas, and current status as a priority area (see below).

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Classified as floodplain forest or tidal swamp	Alabama GAP data
Wetland is between 1 and 10 ha in size
Wetland is located more than 1000m from medium- or high-intensity developed areas
Boat ramps, marinas, and TNC priority areas excluded from the analysis	Alabama GAP data; TNC

Acronym definitions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) Mississippi-Alabama Habitats Tool (MAHT) - Intertidal Marshes and Flats (Natural Resource Conservation) Tool:³⁹ The Coastal Habitats Coordination Team CHCT, which consisted of more than 60 state and local scientists, non-profit staff, environmental professionals (consultants), and local/state officials, identified priority habitats for protection using the Habitat Priority Planner (HPP) tool. The HPP was designed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC) to readily incorporate stakeholder input into planning and was applied by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) in the following steps to identify priority habitat areas:

The CHCT identified ten focal habitat types for which prioritization analyses should be completed - four of these represented aquatic resources.
Staff from The Nature Conservancy and the CSC compiled data from local sources for each of these focal habitat types.
CHCT members were provided the list of available data for each focal habitat type in addition to a list of possible metrics (e.g., perimeter-to-area ratio, proximity to other habitat patches, etc.) that could be applied to each. CHCT members used the available data to decide on metrics that could be used to prioritize habitat patches for each focal habitat type.
Using the metrics identified for each habitat type by the CHCT, the CSC used the HPP tool to identify priority habitat areas. After the results were presented, the CSC engaged the CHCT in validating or modifying the results to produce a final set of HPP priority habitat maps.
HHP priority habitat maps were incorporated into the Habitat Mapper tool.

CHCT members prioritized i ntertidal marshes and flats for natural resource conservation using metrics that accounted for land cover classification, proximity to species of concern, and proximity to protected areas (see below) .

Factor used in analysis	Data source
Classified as Mississippi Sound salt marsh or brackish tidal marsh	Alabama GAP data
Salt marsh within 100 feet of species of concern (beach mouse, sea turtle, oysters, and SAV)
Salt marsh is 500 ft or less from a protected area

Acronym definitions

The Playa Lakes Decision Support System PLDSS Landscape-Scale Model:⁴⁰ At a landscape scale, the PLDSS prioritizes clusters of playas based on the number and area of playas distributed throughout the landscape. The PLDSS's landscape-scale model for prioritizing playas first delineated two types of playa complexes based on known relationships between dabbling duck abundance and playa density.³

The first type of playa complex contained multiple, densely distributed playas and was defined in the PLDSS as an area containing more than 0.55 playas per square kilometer over an area with a radius of 2000m. Playa density measures used to delineate these areas were derived from spatial data for dabbling duck abundance, which were used to predict playa density based on the relationship shown below:

The second type of playa complex contained fewer large, isolated playas, defined in the PLDSS as an area containing 0.55% playa land cover over a 12.56-square kilometer circular area. As in the first complex type described above, the playa density measures used to delineate these complexes were predicted using dabbling duck abundance data based on the relationship shown below:

Because of the importance of playa wetland clusters for migratory waterfowl, each of the complexes identified using this method represents a priority area in which to target wetland restoration and conservation for the benefit of migratory bird populations. The landscape-scale model prioritized playa clusters based on their value to migratory waterfowl using the factors and data sources listed below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Spatial distribution of waterfowl	RMBO dabbling duck observation locations
Spatial distribution of waterfowl	Mid-winter waterfowl data from Texas

Acronym definitions

The Nature Conservancy and Environmental Law Institute's Duck-Pensaukee Watershed Approach Pilot Project (TNC-ELI DPWAP) Fish Habitat Tool:⁴¹ A planning team assessed the ability of individual Potentially Restorable Wetlands and preservation wetlands to provide fish habitat by evaluating each site for two types of criteria using a GIS-based approach:

"Opportunity criteria" represented the possibility of provision of fish habitat benefits given the landscape context of each site evaluated.
"Effectiveness criteria" represented the capability of wetlands to provide fish habitat benefits given the specific characteristics of each individual site.

Using GIS analysis, the team counted the number of opportunity and effectiveness criteria satisfied at each wetland site, with PRWs and existing wetlands analyzed separately. These counts were divided by the total number of opportunity or effectiveness criteria that could possibly have been satisfied to obtain final scores for each PRW or existing wetland. Assessing PRWs and existing wetlands separately, the team designated the highest-scoring quarter of the sites to be "exceptional" priorities and the next quarter of sites to be "high" priorities. The lowest-scoring half of the sites were considered "low" priorities for PRWs (i.e., restoration) and were not considered priorities at all for existing wetlands (i.e., preservation). Factors and data sources used to assess fish habitat are listed below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Wetland reestablishment opportunities (PRWs)	See above
Wetland preservation opportunities	See above
*Opportunity criteria*
Sites is connected or contiguous with a perennial stream or lake	24k Hydro WI DNR, Wetlands, PRWs
*Effectiveness criteria*
Wetland is inundated in Spring (water regimes A, C, F, G, H)	NWI+, Historic Wetland LLWW, PRW
Contiguous water body, if present, is NOT 303(d)-listed	24k Hydro WI DNR, 303(d) listed lines and areas
Adjacent open water is bordered by natural landcover for ›50% of its length	Wetlands, CCAP 2001, 24k hydro
Natural cover (forest, shrubland, grassland, or other wetland) comprises ›40% of land in the wetland's catchment	CCAP 2001, NHDPlus Catchments (14-digit)

Acronym definitions

The Nature Conservancy and Environmental Law Institute's Duck-Pensaukee Watershed Approach Pilot Project (TNC-ELI DPWAP) Wildlife Tool:⁴¹ This tool was used to map the capacity of Potentially Restorable Wetlands and preservation wetlands to support a variety of habitat types. The planning team first identified "habitat targets" (e.g., forested swamp) based on priority natural communities listed for the Duck-Pensaukee watershed in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan (WWAP) and input from local experts. For each of these habitat targets, the team then identified "representative species" based on WWAP-defined Species of Greatest Conservation Need that reflected the habitat, management and restoration needs of their associated habitat target (e.g., Canada warbler and northern flying squirrel were selected to represent the forested swamp habitat target). The team then engaged local experts who rated the strength of association between wildlife representing target habitats (e.g., Canada warblers) and habitats within the watershed for which high-resolution spatial data were available (e.g., evergreen forested wetland). These ratings, which ranged from '0' (no association) to '3' (significant association), were used to produce the following matrix:

Through expert input and literature searches, the team also defined "proximity factors" that were used to incorporate landscape-level requirements for each species into the model (e.g., Canada warblers require extensive forested habitat (upland or wetland) surrounding their primary forested swamp habitat). Together, the matrix and proximity factors were used as part of a GIS-based model to prioritize the importance of PRWs, existing wetlands, and uplands to the representative species. Factors and associated data sources used by the planning team to assess habitat quality are listed below:

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
Wetland reestablishment opportunities (PRWs)	See above
Wetland preservation opportunities	See above
Strength of association between species representative of target habitats and available habitats mapped within the Duck-Pensaukee watershed	Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan and input from local experts
*Proximity factors*
For 'open wetlands and water': Grassland or surrogate grassland must be adjacent to wetland and ›32 ha; emergent marsh patches must be ›10 ha.	Literature and expert input
For 'beaches': Emergent wetland and open water must be within 2 miles of beach habitat.	Literature and expert input
For 'shrub swamp': Non-shrub-swamp habitats must be within 600m of shrub swamp (otherwise, scored 0).	Literature and expert input
For 'forested swamp': Wetland forests must be ›6 ha and occur within a patch of contiguous forest (upland and/or wetland) ›48 ha. Upland forests must be ›48 ha and occur on soils that can support mesic (maple-beech) or wetter forests. Streams & lakes must occur within forest (upland and/or wetland) ›28 ha.	Literature and expert input
For 'integrated landscape': If "3" wetland types are adjacent to "3" upland types, then all types within 300m receive the indicated scores. If not, then none of the habitat types (wetland or upland) are scored.	Literature and expert input
For 'riparian habitat': Rivers/streams must be adjacent to natural land cover. All habitats must be within 300m of "clean" channels (i.e., no 303(d) designation or other polluted status). Ponds/lakes must be ‹1 ha.	Literature and expert input
For 'shorebird stopover habitat': existing prioritized habitat for shorebird species	WDNR Migratory Shorebird Stopover Model

Acronym definitions

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (TWRA CWCS) HUC-12 Aquatic Resource Prioritization Tool:⁴² The TWRA identified priority areas (HUC-12 watersheds) in which to focus aquatic resource restoration and conservation using an ArcGIS computer model integrated with a Microsoft Access database. In the model, HUC-12 watersheds were scored based on the rarity and viability of aquatic species of greatest conservation need (GCN), with GIS maps for each GCN species delineated based on species occurrence data from various databases, scientific experts, and the published literature. For each species, a rarity score was calculated as the species' global rank added to its state rank and a viability score was calculated by multiplying species' population size (i.e., number of individuals), condition, and landscape context. In the CWCS model, rarity and viability scores were combined for each species to produce a total priority score, which was used to assign an overall priority score to each HUC-12. This was done for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 species to produce prioritization maps of HUC-12 watersheds for species of varying conservation significance. CWCS model incorporates the factors and data listed below:

Factor used in analysis		Data source(s)
12-digit hydrologic units (HUC-12s)		NRCS
Species distribution maps	Species occurrence data	TN Division of Natural Heritage Rare Species Database (Biotics), TN Amphibian and Reptile Database (TAROD), TN Aquatics Database (TADS), Chicago Field Museum of Natural History Terrestrial Snail Database, TN Breeding Bird Atlas Database, TWRA-Parmalee Mussel Database, and TNC Cave Fauna Database.
Aquatic habitats (rivers, streams, and lakes)		TNC's Freshwater Initiative⁴³

Acronym definitions

UMass Amherst Conservation Assessment and Prioritization (CAPS) Index of Ecological Integrity (IEI):⁴⁴ CAPS calculates IEI metrics for each of 22 different aquatic community types that reflect the ability of each point on the landscape to support the ecosystem processes necessary for the long-term sustainability of biodiversity. Teams of experts, composed of federal and state agency scientists, scientists from NGOs, and academic scientists, calculate IEI scores for each community type using 20 submetrics (see table below), which they rescale, weight, and combine in various ways depending on the community type to score each 30m² cell.

The process of rescaling metrics assigns the metric a new value between zero and one by adjusting metric scores for a community in terms of percentiles for that community - e.g., the best 10% of marshes for a certain metric receive values › 0.90. Before combining metrics, rescaling is critical as it accounts for differences in units of measurement and ranges of values among metrics and identifies the "best" of each community by eliminating bias in metric scores caused by more dominant communities (i.e., forest). Expert teams then assign weightings to each metric representing that metric's importance relative to other metrics for each community. The rescaled and weighted metrics are added together to obtain an overall IEI score.

The geographic extent for which metrics are rescaled prior to the IEI calculation is critical for prioritizing different community types for conservation. If, for example, the metrics are rescaled relative to the boundaries of a watershed, then the top 10% of resulting IEI scores will identify areas likely to provide the highest ecological value over time within that watershed.

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
*Development metrics*
Habitat loss	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands
Watershed habitat loss	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM, watershed resistance
Wetland buffer insults	DEP wetland polygons, MassGIS impervious surface layer
Road traffic	MassGIS 2005 land use, DEP wetlands data, MassDOT traffic rate data
Mowing and plowing	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
Microclimate alterations	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
*Pollution metrics*
Road salt	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM
Road sediment	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM
Nutrient enrichment	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM
*Biotic alteration metrics*
Domestic predators	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
Edge predators	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
Invasive plants	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
Invasive earthworms	MassGIS 2005 land use and DEP wetlands data
*Hydrological alteration metrics*
Imperviousness	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM, MassGIS impervious surface layer
Dams	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, 30m DEM, Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety dams data
*Coastal metrics*
Salt marsh ditching	MassGIS 2005 land use, DEP wetlands data, salt marsh ditches
Tidal restrictions	MassGIS 2005 land use, stream centerlines, and roads/railroads; DEP wetlands data, NOAA tide station data; 30m DEM
*Integrity metrics*
Connectedness	MassGIS 2005 land use, DEP wetlands, ecological variables*
Aquatic connectedness	MassGIS 2005 land use and stream centerlines, DEP wetlands data, NHD stream network, ecological variables*
Similarity	MassGIS 2005 land use, DEP wetlands, ecological variables*

* Ecological variables include: Growing season degree-days and minimum winter temperature (PRISM data); incidental solar radiation, steep slopes, wetness, flow volume, flow gradient, tidal regime (DEM data); soil pH, depth, and texture (NRCS soils data); water salinity (photo-interpreted); substrate mobility, vegetative structure, developed land, traffic rate, impervious, terrestrial barriers, aquatic barriers (land cover data); CaCO₃ content (TNC lithology data), wind exposure (MassGIS windspeed data), wave exposure (MassGIS wind power data); flow gradient (MassGIS stream centerlines), tidal regime (NOAA tide range data), tidal regime (DEP wetlands).
Acronym definitions

USGS Forest Breeding Bird Decision Support Model:^45,46The Forest Breeding Bird Decision Support Model is an ArcGIS-based assessment that rates 30m² raster cells throughout the Mississippi Alluvial Valley for their ability to benefit forest-breeding birds through restoration of bottomland hardwood forest habitat. The tool scored potential restoration areas based on their proximity to forest core areas, with proximity scores weighted based on core area size. The contribution of restored area to landscape factors, such as percentage of surrounding habitat that is "non-hostile," was also taken into account, with extra consideration given to sites located at high elevations within the floodplain, which were considered less vulnerable to flood damage.¹

Throughout the process of developing the tool, all member agencies and organizations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Joint Venture Forest Bird Working Group were given the opportunity to review the tool methods and outputs.

The results of this scoring process were visualized as maps showing the priority ratings of all 30m² pixels comprising the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). Factors and data sources applied by the model are detailed below:

Factors used in analysis		Data source(s)
Proximity to forest core (area ›1000m from hostile habitat)		2001 NLCD (land cover classes: deciduous, evergreen, mixed, and transitional forests, orchards, and woody wetlands); Classification of forest cover from 1992 Landsat TM imagery, updated based on 1999 TM imagery (J. Holden, unpublished data)
Proximity to forest sub-core area (area ›500m from hostile habitat)
Proximity to forest non-core area
Forest core size: 1000-2000 ha; 2000-5000 ha; 100-1000 ha; ‹100 ha; ›5000 ha
Percent nonhostile habitat	Reforested areas	Public lands reforestation database maintained by the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Office; office also works with partners to maintain data on private lands enrolled in WRP and CREP
	Shrublands	NLCD 2001 (shrubland class)
	Emergent wetlands	NLCD 2001 (emergent herbaceous wetlands class)
	Natural water bodies	NLCD 2001 (open water class), USGS Digital Line Graph Hydrography Data (lakes and rivers; NHD)
Distribution of ridges and benches	Soil moisture index for non-forested habitats	Winter TM satellite imagery (J. Holden, unpublished data)
	Estimated locations of local ridges and slopes	Identified from 30-m USGS DEMS (Caruso 1987)
	Percent hydric soils land cover	Derived from soil associations defined in USDA STATSGO data (USDA 1995)
	Crop type land cover data	Classified from TM imagery (Bellow and Graham 1992) that characterized the propensity for flooding throughout the MAV (e.g., cotton being least likely to flood and soybean the most likely to flood)
	Location of natural flood storage basins	Multiple classified TM images (J. Holden, unpublished data)

Acronym definitions

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Habitat Quality Index (HQI):⁴⁷ Using expert input, WDNR identified 13 wetland habitat types (e.g., wetlands near woodlands) along with one or two associated umbrella species (e.g., wood frog). In doing so, WDNR could comprehensively evaluate habitat value by analyzing a relatively small number of wildlife species, each of which accounts for the habitat requirements of several species. For example, wood frog habitat is also critical for blue spotted salamanders, tiger salamanders, American toads, spring peepers, and several other species. An expert group then scored 15 land use types in terms of their importance for each habitat type/umbrella species. In addition, "proximity factors" were used in a GIS analysis to identify locations of potential habitat for each species, which can then be combined with WDNR's Potentially Restorable Wetland layer to produce a layer of potentially restorable habitat for each species. By assigning each grid cell for each species a score of '1', all species layers can be summed to obtain a final HQI.

Factor used in analysis	Data source(s)
"Open water wetlands" (black tern, pied-billed grebe)	SEWRPC land cover data augmented by WISCLAND land cover and US Census TIGER/Line road data; WDNR DWWI wetland mapping data; Other sources of wetland mapping data (e.g., county-level sources, if available)
"Shallow marsh areas" (American bittern/Sora) with ›50% reed canary grass land cover included if within 10m of shallow marshes frequently used by or required habitat of American bittern/Sora)
"Watery wetlands near grassland" (blue-winged teal) that are frequently used by or required habitat of blue-winged teal, larger than 0.5 acres, within 10m of grassland AND associated grassland within 10m of and extending 100m from a watery wetland frequently used by or required habitat of blue-winged teal
"Wet meadow" (sedge wren) with shallow marsh land cover included only if within 10m of other wet meadow frequently used by or required habitat of sedge wren AND mesic grassland adjacent to other wet meadow frequently used by or required of habitat of sedge wren
"Wet shrub" (alder, willow flycatcher) including wetland meadow land cover only if within 10m of wetland shrub type and the obverse
"Wet forest, coniferous or mixed" (very, black-and-white warbler): uplands within 100m of wetlands and the obverse
"Wet forest, deciduous" (American redstart, blue-gray gnatcatcher): uplands within 100m of wetlands and the obverse
"Deep marsh and shallow marsh" (muskrat)
"Wet meadow/grassland" (meadow vole)
"Wet forests" (masked shrew)
"Open wetlands near grassland" (chorus frog) frequently used by or required habitat of chorus frogs that are larger than 0.5 acres, and within 10m of grassland AND grassland larger than 0.5 acres that extends 300m from open wetlands frequently used by or required of chorus frogs
"Wetlands near woodlands" (wood frog) frequently used by or required habitat of wood frogs that are larger than 0.5 acres, and within 10m of upland forest AND upland forest larger than 0.5 acres that extends 300m from wetlands frequently used by or required of wood frogs
"Wetland/upland complex" (Blanding's turtle): wetlands frequently used by or required habitat of Blanding's turtle that are larger than 0.5 acres, and within 15m of uplands frequently used by or required of wood frogs AND uplands frequently used by or required habitat of Blanding's Turtles that extends from frequently used wetlands within a travel distance of 300m

Acronym definitions

Wetland Prioritization Study Main Page

¹ US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water. Water Recovery Potential Ecological Indicators. Accessible from: http://owpubauthor.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/recovery/indicatorsecological.cfm#biocomminteg.
² Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium. Find Data. Accessible from: http://www.mrlc.gov/finddata.php.
³ US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Geospatial Data Gateway. http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GDGHome.aspx.
⁴ Horizon Systems Corporation. NHDPlus Home. Accessible from: http://www.horizon-systems.com/nhdplus/.
⁵ US Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wetlands Inventory. Accessible from: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/index.html.
⁶ US Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset. Accessible from: http://nhd.usgs.gov/index.html.
⁷ US Geological Survey. Elevation Derivatives For National Applications. Accessible from: http://edna.usgs.gov/.
⁸ US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Soil Data Mart. Accessible from: http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/.
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¹⁰ NOAA Coastal Services Center. Coastal Change Analysis Program Regional Land Cover. Accessible from: http://csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/data/ccapregional.
¹¹ US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water. 2011. Recovery Potential Metrics Summary Form. Accessible from: http://owpubauthor.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/recovery/upload/RP1corrgroundwater1109.pdf.
¹² US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water. Channel Evolution/Successional Stages. Accessible from: http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/tools/warsss/rrisc_box18.cfm.
¹³ US Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Streams with Strahler > 2. Accessible from: http://www.epa.gov/emap/html/cdrom/maia_dlg/.
¹⁴ University of Washington Columbia Basin Research. http://faculty.washington.edu/gchiu/Articles/shipsl.pdf
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¹⁶ NatureServe. Explorer. Accessible from: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/.
¹⁷ US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Plants Database. Accessible from: http://plants.usda.gov/java/.
¹⁸ US Fish and Wildlife Service. Critical Habitat Portal. Accessible from: http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov/crithab/.
¹⁹ National Fish Habitat Partnership. National Data Viewer. Accessible from: http://ecosystems.usgs.gov/fishhabitat/nfhap_mapviewer.html.
²⁰ US Environmental Protection Agency. Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information. Accessible from: http://www.epa.gov/waters/ir/.
²¹ Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Marylandâ€™s Green Infrastructure Assessment. Accessible from: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/gi/gi.html.
²² California Department of Fish and Game. IMAPS Viewer. Accessible from: http://imaps.dfg.ca.gov/viewers/biospublic/app.asp?zoomtoBookmark=2335.
²³ US Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office. Species Data. Accessible from: http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/.
²⁴ Kramer E, Couch C. Carpendo S., Samples K., Reed, J. 2012. A statewide approach for identifying potential areas for wetland restoration and mitigation banking in Georgia: An ecosystem function approach.
²⁵ Nyman JA. 2012. American alligator habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-5. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
²⁶ Baltz D. 2012. Shrimp, brown (juvenile) habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-16. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
²⁷ Romaire RP. 2012. Crawfish (wild caught) habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-6. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
²⁸ Soniat T. 2012. Eastern oyster habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-13. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
²⁹ Leberg. 2012. Gadwall habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-7. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁰ Leberg P. 2012. Green-winged teal habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-8. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³¹ Kaller MD. 2012. Largemouth bass habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-9. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³² Leberg P. 2012. Mottled duck habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-10. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³³ Nyman JA. 2012. Muskrat habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-11. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁴ Nyman JA. 2012. River otter habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-14. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁵ Leberg P. 2012. Roseate spoonbill habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-15. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁶ Baltz D. 2012. Spotted seatrout (juvenile) habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-18. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁷ Baltz D. 2012. Shrimp, white (juvenile) habitat suitability index technical report. Appendix D-17. Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA.
³⁸ Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. 2009. Merrimack River Watershed Restoration Strategy. Prepared for New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
³⁹ The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. 2009. Prioritization guide for coastal habitat protection and restoration in Mobile and Baldwin counties, Alabama. Accessed from: http://habitats.disl.org/HabitatMapperGuide.pdf.
⁴⁰ PLJV PowerPoint presentation and notes for the PLDS.
⁴¹ Miller, N., T. Bernthal, J. Wagner, M. Grimm, G. Casper, and J. Kline. 2012. The Duck-Pensaukee Watershed Approach: Mapping Wetland Services, Meeting Watershed Needs. The Nature Conservancy and Environmental Law Institute, Madison, Wisconsin.
⁴²Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. 2005. Tennessee's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. TWRA: Nashville, Tennessee.
⁴³ The Nature Conservancy. Rivers and Lakes. Accessible from: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/riverslakes/index.htm.
⁴⁴ McGarigal K, Compton B, Jackson S, Plunkett E, Rolih K, Portante T, Ene E. 2012. Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) Statewide Massachusetts Assessment: November 2011.
⁴⁵ Twedt DJ, Uihlein WB, Elliot AB. 2005. A spatially explicit decision support model for restoration of forest bird habitat. Conservation Biology 20(1) 100-110.
⁴⁶ Interview on 8/1/2011 with Daniel Twedt, Wildlife Biologist, United States Geological Survey.
⁴⁷ Kline J, Bernthal T, Burzynski M, Barrett K. 2006. Milwaukee River Basin Wetland Assessment Project: Developing Decision Support Tools for Effective Planning.

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