Metadata for Montana Human Disturbance Index Metadata for Montana Human Disturbance Index

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP)
Publication date: 10/11/2016
Title: Montana Human Disturbance Index
Online linkage: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Raster/MTHumanDisturbanceIndex.zip

Abstract:

The Montana Human Disturbance Index (HDI) represents six disturbance categories: Development, Transportation, Agriculture, Resource Extraction/Energy Development, Introduced Vegetation, and Forestry Practices. As an index, this dataset has no units. The HDI ranges from 0-4,314. A value of 0 indicates no human disturbance. Larger values indicate increasing levels of disturbance.

Purpose:

To determine a Human Disturbance Index score for a given pixel. The original purpose of this layer was to characterize the degree of human disturbance for use in selecting potentially restorable wetlands.

Supplemental information:

We identified six categories incorporating 24 individual disturbances. We assumed that the impact of each disturbance on aquatic resources decreases, or decays, with increasing distance. Following Lemly et al. (2011), we used a sigmoid (s-shaped) curve to represent the behavior of each modeled disturbance impact, as this type of curve allows for several parameters to be defined. The curve can decay gradually with increasing distance from the source of the disturbance, or it can decay abruptly, meaning the impact of the disturbance drops substantially at a short distance from the disturbance. Values of a and b can be adjusted based on the type of decay curve applied. The curve is asymptotic, and the results of the equation equal the maximum weight of the disturbance at zero distance and the minimum weight where the impact is essentially zero. A weight and overall decay curve type are applied to each disturbance. For each data layer, we calculated the Euclidean distance from each pixel in the raster to the closest source of the disturbance. As a result, each disturbance has an associated Euclidean distance raster. We then applied the appropriate distance decay function to each Euclidean distance raster. Resulting raster layers were then summed to create the final HDI raster. For some disturbance categories, only the maximum value of the disturbance was included in the final HDI raster to reduce the confounding effect of certain disturbances. The final raster was created via a Python script, mtHDI.py, that is included in the data download. A table of the model parameters is included in the data download. See process steps section for further detail. Methods were based on Lemly, J., L. Gilligan, and M. Fink. 2011. Statewide strategies to improve effectiveness in protecting and restoring Colorado's wetland resource. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University.

Time period of content:

Calendar date: 10/11/2016
Currentness reference: Publication date

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance and update frequency: Annually

Access constraints:

None. Acknowledgement of the Montana Natural Heritage Program is appreciated in products derived from these data.

Use constraints:

This is a model based on currently available data and was created at a statewide scale. A model is only as good as its input data and the assumptions of the parameters used. The input data are known to have errors, omissions, and inaccuracies. This layer should be used as an initial screening or planning tool at a scale no less than 1:100,000. It is inappropriate to use this layer for small-scale analyses. The parameters and model weights were based on best professional judgment and are intended to reflect predicted impacts on aquatic resources. These assumptions may not be appropriate for other resource types. The Montana HDI is provided as-is.

Point of contact:

Linda Vance
Senior Ecologist/Spatial Analysis Lab Director
Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP)
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-3380
E-Mail: LiVance@mt.gov

Point of contact:

Linda Vance
Senior Ecologist/Spatial Analysis Lab Director
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO BOX 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-3380
E-Mail: LiVance@mt.gov

Data set credit:

The Montana Human Disturbance Index was created using the 2016 MSDI Land Use/Land Cover Framework as the input. This dataset can be downloaded at https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/MSDI/LandUse_LandCover/.

Data Quality Information:

Logical consistency report:

No quantitative result.

Completeness report:

No quantitative result.

Lineage:

Source information:

Originator: Montana Natural Heritage Program
Publication date: 10/11/2016
Title: Montana Human Disturbance Index
Type of source media: None
Calendar date: 10/11/2016

Process step:

For each raster input layer, apply the distance decay equation to the Euclidean distance raster created in Process step 4. Reclass all NoData pixel values to 0. Details can be found in hdiMT.py.

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

For certain disturbance categories only the maximum cell value will be used. Disturbances were grouped into categories, and the maximum cell value was selected. Details can be found in hdiMT.py.

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

Use weighted sum to add all raster layers. Details can be found in hdiMT.py.

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

Obtain disturbance input data layers. Data for the following disturbance categories were obtained from the Montana Land Cover Framework 2014 (https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/MSDI/LandUse_LandCover/). The following pixel values were used (value field = ESLF_CODE): 21-Developed Open Space; 22-Low Intensity Residential; 23-High Intensity Residential; 24-Commercial/Industrial; 25-Railroad; 26-Interstate; 27-Major Roads; 28-Other Roads; 31-Mines; 32-Coal Bed Methane; 33-Gas and Gas Storage; 34-Injection Well; 35-Oil and Oil and Gas; 40-Wind Turbines; 81-Pasture and Hay; 82-Cultivated Crops; 8601-Harvested forest-tree regeneration; 8602-Harvested forest-shrub regeneration; 8603-Harvested forest-grass regeneration; 8402-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Shrub; 8403-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Annual and Biennial Forbland; 8404-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Annual Grassland; 8405-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Perennial Grassland and Forbland; 8406-Introduced Riparian and Wetland Vegetation.

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

For each raster input layer, reclass all NoData values to zero. Details can be found in hdiMT.py.

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

For each raster input layer, create a separate Euclidean distance raster based on the maximum distance of the impact. Details can be found in hdiMT.py

Process date: 09/10/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

For each raster input layer, reclass all raster pixels to 1 where the pixel value is equal to the disturbance. Other pixels are assigned NoData. Details can be found in hdiMT.py.

Process date: 12/09/2014

Process contact:

Karen Newlon
Montana Natural Heritage Program
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-0915
E-Mail: knewlon@mt.gov

Process step:

Obtain disturbance input data layers. Data for the following disturbance categories were obtained from the Montana Land Cover Framework 2016 (https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/MSDI/LandUse_LandCover/). The following pixel values were used (value field = ESLF_CODE): 21-Developed Open Space; 22-Low Intensity Residential; 23-High Intensity Residential; 24-Commercial/Industrial; 25-Railroad; 26-Interstate; 27-Major Roads; 28-Other Roads; 31-Mines; 32-Coal Bed Methane; 33-Gas and Gas Storage; 34-Injection Well; 35-Oil and Oil and Gas; 40-Wind Turbines; 81-Pasture and Hay; 82-Cultivated Crops; 8601-Harvested forest-tree regeneration; 8602-Harvested forest-shrub regeneration; 8603-Harvested forest-grass regeneration; 8402-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Shrub; 8403-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Annual and Biennial Forbland; 8404-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Annual Grassland; 8405-Introduced Upland Vegetation-Perennial Grassland and Forbland; 8406-Introduced Riparian and Wetland Vegetation.