Name: Potential Habitat Use for the Reddish Egret in the Central Texas Coast
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Description: The Comprehensive Habitat Type Dataset was developed by merging NOAA Benthic Habitat Atlas (BHA), Ecological Mapping Systems of Texas (aka Texas Ecological Systems Database, TESD), and National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data within the study area for the ICF 2012 project (CGP LCC 2012-002 Employing the Conservation Design Approach on Sea-Level Rise Impacts on Coastal Avian Habitats along the Central Texas Coast). BHA data was used to depict mangroves, oysters, and patchy, continuous, and discontinuous seagrass beds where BHA existed within the study area. NWI data was used for all wetland/intertidal environments where NWI data existed within the study area. TESD data was used for all upland environments, and weltand/intertidal and/or benthic environments where NWI or BHA data did not exist. Land cover types were given easy to understand names, and arranged hierarchically into three levels-- Micro-, Meso-, and MacroHabitat Types. Using qualititative avian habitat use information from literature as well as spatially explicit habitat use data when available, MicroHabitat Types were then indexed for potential use by each avian species considered. The habitat use index is a theoretical representation of an expected third order habitat selection process. Habitat types were assigned a value of 3, representing high use, uf the species was expected to be encountered in a patch of that type with high frequency and/or great abundance. Habitat types were assigned a value of 2, or low use, if the species was expected to be found in that habitat type patch in low frequency and/or abundance. A value of 1 was assinged to habitat types that were expected to receive only occasional, irregular, or incidental use by a species.As a response to reviewers' comments in previous versions of this data, the CHTD was separated into four datasets: CHTD_FocalSpecies shows use index values for species with spatically explicit information (i.e. known territory size or species density) and known third order habitat selection (actual or theoretical). CHTD_SecondarySpecies shows use index values for species of concern whose spatial needs or third order habitat selection were not well known or documented in the scientific literature. CHTD_WhoopingCrane was developed specifically for the Whooping Crane, wherein estuarine water habitats deeper than .3 m (known to go unused by Whooping Cranes) were removed. CHTD_ApFa_AvoidWoodland was developed by removing any potential habitat within 1 mi of woodland habitats (known to be avoided by Aplomado Falcons). For more information, please see: Smith, E. H., F. Chavez-Ramirez, J. Gibeaut, L. Lumb, 2014. Employing the conservation design approach on sea-level rise impacts on coastal avian habitats along the Central Texas Coast. The Wildlife Management Institute for the Gulf Coast Praries Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Final report. http://gulfcoastprairielcc.org/science/science-projects/studying-the-effects-of-sea-level-rise-in-coastal-texas/
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Copyright Text: Luz Lumb, James Gibeaut, Liz Smith, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez