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Risk of cropland conversion in sagebrush rangelands - Bedrosian et al 2024 [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]

Geoffrey Bedrosian · 2024 Full Details

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Full Details

Title
Risk of cropland conversion in sagebrush rangelands - Bedrosian et al 2024 [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
Description
File-based data for download: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/6633bcfed34ea70bd5f29069 Cropland conversion is anticipated to continue westward from the Great Plains into the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome - the most intact biome remaining in the conterminous United States. However, relatively little is known about the extent and risk of cropland conversion to sagebrush ecosystems and the landscape scale benefits of easements in averting loss of ecological function. Therefore, our goals were to 1) quantify the cropland area of the sagebrush biome, 2) identify where the highest quality sagebrush rangelands are most at risk to future cropland conversion, and 3) estimate the ecological benefits of conservation easements to adjacent public lands. We found that croplands span 14.4 million ha in the sagebrush biome, 16.2 million ha in the historic range of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and are clustered regionally. Our spatial risk model identified 3.7 million ha of high-quality sagebrush rangelands in need of conservation protections from cropland conversion, with higher risk areas clustered regionally (e.g., Northern Great Plains). Our estimates of previous losses to cropland conversion indicated that roughly 80% of high-quality sagebrush communities have already been tilled. Spatial data and online maps of our risk model are publicly available as planning tools for prioritizing conservation and restoration actions in support of the Sagebrush Conservation Design framework. Using a case study from north-central Montana, we demonstrated that private land easements are crucial for the preservation of Core Sagebrush Areas (CSAs). These easements were found to indirectly preserve an area of CSAs that is 3.6 times larger than the easements themselves. Notably, a significant portion of this conservation benefit—approximately 80%—occurred on public lands adjacent to the easements. Our findings establish a clear connection between investments in private land conservation and beneficial outcomes on nearby public lands, and that focused, permanent protection efforts can extend ecosystem function beyond easements.
Creator
Geoffrey Bedrosian
Temporal Coverage
2024
Date Issued
2025-03-03
Rights
United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. While the Service makes every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of data provided for distribution, it may not have the necessary accuracy or completeness required for every possible intended use. The Service recommends that data users consult the associated metadata record to understand the quality and possible limitations of the data. The Service creates metadata records in accordance with the standards endorsed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee. As a result of the above considerations, the Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the data. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data in a manner consistent with the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Service, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This applies to the use of the data both alone and in aggregate with other data and information.
Access Rights
Public
Format
ArcGIS ImageMapLayer
Language
English
Date Added
August 10, 2025
Provenance Statement
The metadata for this resource was last retrieved from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Open Data on 2025-08-24.

Links

Cite and Reference

  • Citation
    Geoffrey Bedrosian (2025). Risk of cropland conversion in sagebrush rangelands - Bedrosian et al 2024 [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. . https://gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/fws::risk-of-cropland-conversion-in-sagebrush-rangelands-bedrosian-et-al-2024 (web service)
  • BTAA Geoportal Link

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