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Geospatial Data
1. Landscape Condition Model 1
2. Habitat Suitablity Models 2
3. Land Cover Types 3 Characterize Distribution:
1. In the ecoregion
2. Within vicinity of the SEZ (5-mi buffer)
3. Within SEZ developable area
CONDITION
Geospatial Overlay Analysis 4 :
1. Current Development Footprint 5
2. 2025 Development Footprint 6
TRENDS/
FORECAST
1
The landscape condition model is available from and described in the BLM Mojave Basin and Range Rapid Ecoregional Assessment.
2
Habitat suitability models are available from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project.
3
Land cover types are available from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project.
4
The overlay change agent/conservation element analysis was conducted to determine geospatial trends. Geospatial data for the change agent were
overlayed with the distribution of conservation elements to determine current and future distributions of the conservation elements.
5
Geospatial data for the current human development footprint model are available from and described in the BLM Mojave Basin and Range Rapid
Ecoregional Assessment.
6
Geospatial data for the future (approximately 2025) human development footprint model are available from and described in the BLM Mojave Basin
and Range Rapid Ecoregional Assessment.
Figure 2-7. Conceptual diagram for estimating condition and trends of conservation elements in the Mojave Basin
and Range ecoregion for the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone Solar Regional Mitigation Strategy.
human development footprints 3
and forecast trends. Trends are
understood by using the current
and future human development
footprints to evaluate the
expected future distribution of the
conservation element relative to its
current distribution.
An example table showing the
condition and trends of various
coarse and fine filter conservation
elements in the Mojave Basin and
Range is shown in Table 2-3. Due
to the large number of fine scale
conservation elements that could
potentially be evaluated, the BLM
determined that a trends analysis of
coarse filter land cover types would
be a suitable habitat-based proxy
3 Geospatial data for current and future human development
footprints are described in more detail in the Mojave Basin and
Range REA (NatureServe 2013).
for geospatial trends of fine scale
conservation elements (individual
species). In Table 2-3, coarse filter
conservation elements evaluated
include the Mojave Basin and
Range landscape condition model
and the Southwest Regional Gap
Analysis Project modeled land cover
types.
The only fine filter conservation
element presented in Table 2-3
is the Mojave population of the
desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii),
which is listed in the table due
to its threatened status under
the Endangered Species Act and
known presence in potentially
suitable habitat on the Dry Lake
SEZ. Based on the results presented
in Table 2-3, it was concluded that
all conservation elements are
REGIONAL MITIGATION STRATEGY FOR THE DRY LAKE SOLAR ENERGY ZONE • TECHNICAL NOTE 444 • 15
expected to experience a declining
trend in the Mojave Basin and
Range, as all conservation elements
are expected to experience some
level of range contraction due to
human development in the future.
Landscape condition within the
Mojave Basin and Range is also
expected to decline in the future.
Because the Sonora-Mojave
Creosotebush-White Bursage
Desert Scrub comprised the largest
portion of the Dry Lake SEZ (98.8%),
the cumulative expected future
loss of this conservation element
of 10.26% was considered to be
a problematic trend among all
conservation elements relative to
the Dry Lake SEZ.