2. Ecological Land Cover Assessment and Natural Resource Inventory Methods

Transcription

1 2. Ecological Land Cover Assessment and Natural Resource Inventory Methods This section describes the general approach and methodology used to complete the ecological classification and inventory for the Kansas City region. Applied Ecological Services, Inc. (AES) used the following tasks to complete the ecological survey and inventory, which are described in detail in the following sub-sections: 1. Data Assembly and Mapping: digital information from several government sources was used to establish baseline information about land cover in the region. 2. Field Reconnaissance: The digital information was validated and/or refined through field inspections and verifications. 3. Ecological Land Cover Classification Development: Using data from the data assembly and subsequent field reconnaissance, AES created an ecological classification representing existing natural resources in the region, a GIS-based information database, and a regional map of ecological land cover. 4. Data Extrapolation and Second Field Verification: The ecological classification involved an iterative process in which initial data were assembled, evaluated in the field, revised, and then re-evaluated in the field a second time. Final data were assembled after the second field reconnaissance, evaluated, and incorporated into the GIS program and the regional land cover map. Details of the methodology of this process are provided in Appendix A. This program was completed between June 2003 and June Data Assembly and Base Mapping The initial phase of the ecological classification and inventory work involved data identification and assembly; the synthesis of data and creation of GIS base maps and graphics; and solicitation of input from local experts on the type and condition of natural resources in the Kansas City metropolitan area. This initial phase included two primary components: a regional crosswalk and development of the digital database. These components are described below Regional Crosswalk Early assessment of information about vegetative cover and natural resources in the Kansas City area indicated a lack of a comprehensive, up-to-date data set from which to create an ecological land cover classification and complete a natural resources inventory. Classifications from Missouri and Kansas used different criteria to map natural resources, and classifications by different agencies varied in their mapping results. To overcome this challenge, AES examined existing land cover classifications and tested the mapping results against recent digital orthophotos of the Kansas City metropolitan area. A classification was considered acceptable based on its ability to correctly describe a uniform patch of land surface on digital orthophotos (e.g., forest, grassland, and urban) and correctly 3

2 match the edges of the digitized polygon to that land surface patch. Based on this examination, AES decided to use United States Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Program (GAP) data rather than other land cover data systems. The GAP project is a nationwide inventory of land cover and habitat suitability whose purpose is to identify conservation opportunities especially as it relates to the needs of wildlife. While available for both Missouri and Kansas, each state used a different GAP classification. In order to join these classifications and create a regional ecological land cover classification, AES created a two-level classification linked to the two GAP classifications (Table 2-1). This approach to combining different classifications is termed a crosswalk. The crosswalk contains two types of classifications. The first classification, herein called AES Type 1, is broader than the second classification, called AES Type 2. For example, Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land (AES Type 1) in Kansas is subdivided into Cultivated Land, Developed Land, and Cultural Grassland (AES Type 2). The AES Type 1 names are used for initial mapping work and the AES Type 2 names are used for field inventory. Table 2-1. Crosswalk of Kansas and Missouri GAP Classifications. Kansas GAP Classification AES Type 1 AES Type 2 Missouri GAP Classification Water Aquatic Communities Open Water Open Water Cultural or Sparsely Barren or Sparsely Vegetated Vegetated Land Land Barren or Sparsely Vegetated Cultivated Land Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Cultivated Land Row and Close-grown Crops Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Developed Land Urban Impervious Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Developed Land Urban Vegetated Non-native Grassland Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Cultural Grassland Cool-season Grassland CRP (Conservation Reserve Cultural or Sparsely Program) Vegetated Land Cultural Grassland Maple-Basswood Forest Forest Deciduous Forest Deciduous Forest Oak-Hickory Forest Forest Deciduous Forest Deciduous Forest Post Oak-Blackjack Oak Forest Mixed Oak Ravine Woodland Tall Grass Prairie Mixed Prairie Pecan Floodplain Forest Grassland and Transitional Grassland and Transitional Grassland and Transitional Natural Communities Grassland and Transitional Forest Forest Forest Grassland and Transitional Grassland and Transitional Deciduous Woodland Deciduous Woodland Deciduous Woodland Deciduous Woodland Mixed Evergreen-Deciduous Forest Mixed Evergreen-Deciduous Forest Mixed Evergreen-Deciduous Forest Grassland Grassland Hardwood Forest Deciduous Woodland Glade Complex Eastern Red Cedar and Red Cedar-Deciduous Forest and Woodland Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Warm-season Grassland Warm-season Grassland 4

3 Kansas GAP Classification AES Type 1 AES Type 2 Missouri GAP Classification Ash-Elm-Hackberry Floodplain Forest Cottonwood Floodplain Forest Mixed Oak Floodplain Forest Bur Oak Floodplain Woodland Cottonwood Floodplain Woodland Low or Wet Prairie Freshwater Marsh Cattail Marsh Natural Community Hardwood Forest Hardwood Forest Hardwood Forest Hardwood Forest Hardwood Forest Hardwood Forest Marsh and Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Marsh and Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Marsh and Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Bottomland Hardwood Forest Bottomland Hardwood Forest Bottomland Hardwood Forest Swamp Marsh and Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Marsh and Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Digital Database Data collected for use in the ecological classification and natural resource inventory were assembled in a functional spatial database. These data came from a variety of sources, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Kansas Biological Survey (KBS), MARC, Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS), Kansas Data Access and Support Center (DASC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and local governments) and were obtained in digital form, or digitized by AES if the information was critical (e.g., Missouri Natural Features Inventory reports). Field data gathered by AES also were incorporated into this spatial database. All data were rectified to a base projection. In addition to field information, orthorectified aerial photography (2001), and land cover data, the following data were assembled: MARC planning area boundaries Municipal, state, and federal jurisdictional boundaries Floodplains and flood-prone areas Streams and water resources (including National Wetland Inventory (NWI) wetlands and ponds) MARC s files of roads and similar information Contours and other topography features Natural resource inventories and rare natural features locations Soils, including hydric soils In addition, a subset of information was also collected in Jackson County where stream assessments were completed for three demonstration watersheds. Three separate reports, currently being finalized, contain information from Jackson County stream assessments. Information gathered for these assessments included the sources cited above, as well as field verification of problem areas; opportunity areas for the treatment of stream erosion, flooding, and poor water quality; and stream-related physical data necessary for modeling. A summary of data conversion methods, data applicability, and related information is provided in Appendix A. 5

4 2.2. Field Reconnaissance The objective of field reconnaissance was to obtain information to verify land cover and species and, if necessary, revising the ecological land cover classification and resulting mapping. By evaluating the condition of selected natural resources, an understanding of the conservation needs in the Kansas City metropolitan area would be achieved. The field reconnaissance was completed in two phases: an initial field reconnaissance, and a second, followup field reconnaissance. The first field reconnaissance was performed in Jackson County, with the intent of extrapolating the findings to the rest of the region. The second field reconnaissance was conducted throughout the Kansas City region at plant communities where classification questions remained. The field reconnaissance involved visiting locations that represented the entire county and region, as well as to locate significant and rare natural resources, such as remnant prairies and undisturbed forests. The results of the field reconnaissance were used to create an initial ecological land cover classification and natural resources inventory for the region First Field Reconnaissance The first field reconnaissance was completed September 15-18, Five AES staff and one employee of Patti Banks and Associates (PBA) formed two teams and visited over 150 locations in Jackson County. The following data were obtained at locations that were used as references for revising the ecological land cover classification: County Site Number AES Type 1 AES Type 2 Canopy Dominants (trees collectively comprising 90% of highest vegetation layer) Subcanopy Dominants (trees/shrubs collectively comprising 90% of layer below canopy) Groundlayer Dominants (trees/shrubs/herbs collectively comprising 90% of <1m vegetation) Other Species (common species, species indicative of site diversity, rare species, etc.) Condition Rank (based on level of disturbance and quality of community) Notes (remarks that further describe the site) Soil Series (from soils map) Kansas/Missouri GAP Type (from GAP land cover map) Stewardship Problems (invasive species, fire suppression, over-grazing, erosion, etc.) Locations of visited sites were digitized and the field information entered into a database. Prior to visiting sites in the field, field maps were prepared. Separate maps showed AES Type 2 ecological land cover, GAP land cover, and soils data on a base of streams, roads, municipal boundaries, and contours. These maps initially were produced on paper at a 1:2,000 scale. At each site in Jackson County the GAP type was checked and the edge of the GAP polygon was examined relative to the aerial photographs. This provided more detailed understanding of the limitations of the GAP classification and the changes necessary to improve its quality. 6

5 2.2.2 Second Field Reconnaissance After evaluation of the data compiled from the first field reconnaissance, two AES teams convened in Kansas City during the period of November 18-21, 2003 to complete the second field reconnaissance. Staff sought to represent all habitats, slopes, aspects, and geographical locations in the Kansas City region for those natural communities where classification questions remained. During the second field reconnaissance, all data were placed in digital form on laptop computers carried in the field. Digital information could be displayed on orthophotographs from which field staff selected sites and navigated to them. With each site inspected, staff digitized the location in the GIS program, and entered data into the database linked to that digital location. Other data were written on field forms for later data entry into the GIS program. In addition, AES searched for natural communities in good ecological condition, although project constraints did not permit region-wide ground inventory work. AES planned to add these better condition natural communities to the reference sites already assembled from previous inventories in order to later contribute to a conservation plan for the Kansas City region. AES teams checked over 150 locations outside Jackson County. AES digitized these locations and entered field data in the spatial database. These field data were combined with previous field data, Heritage program field data, and Natural Resources Inventory data collected by others. These More than 300 sites in the Kansas City region were evaluated during the first and second field reconnaissances. digitized field data established a set of reference stands to aid future classification and inventory work, and help to establish conservation priorities in the Kansas City region Field Reconnaissance Data Evaluation Correlation of the field information on ecological conditions of natural resources to the aerial photography available for the region is essential for successful data evaluation. To accomplish this, ecological conditions were ranked at many locations using a pre-determined ranking system (Table 2-2). Aerial photography was then examined to determine if the ecological conditions seen in the field were readily apparent on the aerial photography. In general, it was found during the two field reconnaissances that the condition of natural resources in the field was not readily apparent on aerial photography, except for the more mature forests and remnant prairies. The more mature forests were generally classified as forests in GAP, while less mature forests were classified by GAP as woodlands. It was also determined, using soils information, that most of the GAP woodlands in the Kansas City metropolitan area have developed where prairie grew 150 years ago. As such, they represent forests of poorer ecological conditions compared to forests which have existed at the same location for a more substantial period of time, as is the case for the more mature forests of the 7

6 region. Forests on historical forest and savanna soils are significant and deserving of conservation because they represent the original forest conditions of the region. Table 2-2. Ecological Condition Ranks (letters may be combined to suggest a range of conditions) A Excellent. The plant community is intact and fully functional. Its soils, vegetation structure, plant diversity, and ecosystem functions have not changed substantially for decades, if not centuries. B Good. The plant community is intact and functional, but soils, vegetation structure, and plant diversity were slightly modified by land use during the past century or more. C Fair. The plant community is damaged and has lost species and ecosystem functions as a result of incompatible land use during the past century or more. Its vegetation structure can be quite different from that existing in the plant community over a century ago. D Poor. The plant community is highly damaged by long-term incompatible land use, but is still recognizable as a plant community of the type. Soils are usually intact, but vegetation structure has changed greatly, and many species have been lost and replaced by non-native invasive species. NR Not Ranked. The location is culturally created (e.g., residences, cropland, orchard, pasture, and impoundment). Generally, the poor-quality forests became established on soils that were transitional between typical grassland and typical forest soils. It was also found that some GAP forests located on these soils were recovering from severe cutting decades ago. These forests contained large honey-locust (Gleditsia tricanthos), an indicator of disturbance, rather than large oak (Quercus) trees encountered in the more mature forests on forest soils of the region. Generally, a predominance of oak in a forest of the Kansas City region indicates better ecological conditions. Remnant prairies were also evident on the aerial photography by the color and the texture of the photograph. The GAP classification and inventory work did not accurately locate remnant prairies. Remnant prairies visited during AES field reconnaissance were discovered by AES or already known through previous inventories. While AES staff identified potential remnant prairies by their color-texture signature, project constraints limited opportunities to locate and visit all remnant prairies in the Kansas City metropolitan area. To assure that field data collected for the natural resource inventory were consistent with accepted standards, a meeting of technical experts and other stakeholders from the region was held October 23-24, 2003 in Kansas City. Meeting participants evaluated the ecological land cover classification and natural resource inventory methods of this project, and contributed information on important natural resource areas known to them. The stream assessments performed in Jackson County were discussed, and suggested modifications were provided at this meeting and in separate meetings with federal and state regulatory agency personnel and Jackson County staff. The outcomes of the first field reconnaissance and this meeting provided an initial ecological land cover classification as described below. 8

7 2.3 Initial Ecological Land Cover Classification and Natural Resources Inventory (Jackson County) The initial ecological land cover (ELC) classification was created and the natural resources of Jackson County were mapped in November This map and classification formed the basis for developing the eight-county Kansas City Region map used in the second field reconnaissance. Detailed information on the creation of this classification and map are provided in Appendix A, but a brief summary follows Aquatic Communities Aquatic Communities include areas of open water for a substantial part of the year. The information was derived from NWI data that was incorporated into the project database. Polygons coded as open water or aquatic bed were selected from the NWI data set and mapped. These polygons were verified and corrected against the digital orthorectified aerial photography. In addition to using digital mapping information, stream assessments were completed in Jackson County for the Bur Oak, Little Cedar, and Round Grove Creek watersheds. While this information was not directly used for the creation of the regional ELC classification, it was used to establish the methodology that could be used for completing future stream assessments in the region. Also, the reports provided a template for completing similar work in the region. Stream assets are numerous throughout the Kansas City metropolitan region These assessments identified the critical issues which related to stormwater and natural resource management and simultaneously developed strategies and actions to address those critical issues. The reports will be available from Jackson County when completed Natural Communities Natural communities are recognizable as examples of plant communities that existed in the Kansas City metropolitan area for several thousand years. Many of these plant communities have experienced some alteration due to land use practices, but still retain many of the same native species, exhibit much of the same vegetation Natural communities of the Kansas City region have existed for several thousand years, and they still retain many of the same native species and provide similar wildlife habitat and ecological functions as they would have 150 years ago. structures, and provide similar wildlife habitat and ecological functions (such as water retention and infiltration) as they would have 150 years ago. Natural communities are the focus of inventory work because, due to their rarity in the Kansas City region and the great expense and difficulty of replacing them, they will become the chief object of conservation and protection work. Natural communities in the Kansas City 9

8 metropolitan region are used by the Missouri and Kansas state governments, and local nonprofit conservation groups (e.g., The Nature Conservancy) in their own natural resource inventories. Using natural communities is a way to create a common language among parties interested in natural resource conservation, protection, and use. The following categories of natural communities were mapped in this report Forests An accurate forest layer was created for Jackson and Johnson Counties from recent aerial photography (circa 2001). Forests in the other six Kansas City region counties were classified using the AES classification and GAP data. Forest boundaries created from GAP data do not match recent aerial photography and date from 1991 in Missouri and the late 1990 s in Kansas. In this study forest classification and natural resource inventory work for Jackson and Johnson Counties are more accurate than the forest work in other counties. Jackson and Johnson Counties provide a model and goal for future classification and inventory work in the other six counties. Oaks are often dominant in upland settings, with the addition of other tree species in lowland settings. Layers of tree saplings and shrubs grow beneath the uppermost tree canopy. Forests in good ecological condition have a groundcover comprised of tree seedlings, shrubs, and native wildflowers, grasses, and sedges. Forests in poor ecological Forest community on rolling terrain in Leavenworth County, Kansas condition have few if any oaks in the tree canopy, few native plant species in the ground layer, and an abundance of non-native or highly invasive woody plants beneath the tree canopy [e.g., buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus), Tartarian and Japanese honeysuckles (Lonicera tatarica and L. japonica). Forests identified by the GAP classification work ranged from good to poor ecological condition, and up to 50% of the forest boundaries for some polygons locations did not match the orthorectified aerial photography. In addition, the GAP data were developed from 1991 imagery, and therefore were out-of-date. Development has since destroyed or altered some of the forests. To rectify this, AES completed an unsupervised classification of 2001 aerial photography in Jackson County. A detailed explanation of this process is provided in Appendix A. AES then edited this unsupervised classification to create a forest land cover layer. Three sources of error were encountered. First, the unsupervised classification selected tree shadows adjacent to forests and included them in the forest layer, resulting in slightly unmatched forest polygon boundaries. Second, old fields being invaded by brush and young trees were also selected as forest areas. Third, areas of moist soils that appeared dark on aerial photographs were also selected. AES staff removed these errors by hand-editing the unsupervised classification. 10

9 While this method created a very accurate and up-to-date forest layer in Jackson County, it proved too expensive to repeat in the remaining counties. Johnson County recently completed a land cover classification and inventory which resulted in a forest layer with accurate polygon boundaries. AES classified the Johnson County forest layer polygons using GAP data. For example, a Johnson County forest polygon that was classified as deciduous forest by GAP was called deciduous forest. The forest classification and inventory was further refined in Jackson and Johnson Counties using soils data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil surveys (Appendix B). Soil conditions have a direct effect on the types and quality of vegetation that will grow in different areas. Different NRCS soil units correspond to different AES soil types, which in turn are typically associated with certain natural communities. Association of soils to vegetative communities was tested and employed in Jackson and Johnson Counties, but was not used in the other six counties. Forest soils (technically hapludalfs, soils that are transitional between grassland and forest) correspond to upland forests in the Kansas City region. Grassland soils were upland prairies 150 years ago, and today support a variety of natural communities. Present-day forests that established on grassland soils typically are of less ecological quality than forests that have grown on soils that favor high quality trees. Similarly, existing prairie remnants on grassland soils are usually in better ecological condition than those not on grassland soils. As an example, soils that are shallow, such as soils of the Oska series, once supported glades, savannas, prairies, and other rare natural communities. Today many of these soils support poor-quality forest or disturbed pastureland. Soils in the Kansas City region that are Lack of regular burning and/or haying of wet occasionally flooded are historically capable of prairie vegetation has resulted in succession supporting wet prairie, a valuable vegetative to lowland hardwood forest and woodland. resource. The lack of regular burning and/or haying of wet prairie vegetation over the past several decades, however, has resulted in succession of these areas to lowland hardwood forest and woodland. Some soils that are occasionally or continuously flooded are classified as hydric. Hydric soils support wetlands, typically marsh and wet herbaceous vegetation, including shrubby wetlands. In Jackson and Johnson Counties, the digitized forest layers were subdivided into deciduous forest, lowland hardwood forest and woodland, and deciduous woodland/immature forest based on these soils data and GAP data. One GAP forest type (mixed evergreen-deciduous forest) corresponded to former savanna areas and was identified in the other six counties, but not in Jackson or Johnson Counties Communities The trees of lowland hardwood forests are primarily non-oak species, although bur (Quercus macrocarpa) and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) both occur, and even occasionally chinkapin oak (Quercus muhlenbergii). In their condition 150 years ago, these forests resembled savanna, with scattered large bur, swamp white, and chinquapin oaks, cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). In the absence of fire, other trees [e.g., American elm (Ulmus americanus), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), honey-locust, and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanicus)] have filled canopy gaps and overtaken the wet meadows formerly located in these areas as well. Remnant wet meadows are dominated by grasses, sedges, and various wildflowers. Poor ecological conditions are indicated by an abundance of reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), invasive tree species, and poor groundlayer diversity. 11

10 These natural communities are found on occasionally flooded and hydric soils. As described above, the lowland hardwood forest was mapped where recently flooded or hydric soils overlapped with up-to-date forest layers in Jackson and Johnson Counties and with GAP forest data in the remaining six counties. Marsh and wet herbaceous vegetation polygons were derived from NWI data and GAP data. Included are NWI polygons coded as emergent wetland, wet meadow, and shrub swamp. Marsh and wet herbaceous vegetation were required to be located on occasionally flooded or hydric soils Grassland-Savanna-Woodland Communities These rare natural communities proved the most difficult to locate using this methodology. Included in this group are limestone glades, sparsely vegetated natural communities with scattered oaks [chinquapin, post (Quercus stellata), and blackjack (Q. marilandica)] and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). A variety of native wildflowers, grasses and sedges grow in limestone glades. This plant community often contains species that are rare in the Kansas City region. Upland prairie is well known, but also rare in the Kansas City region, along with the species, which inhabit it. In this study, AES uses the term grassland to indicate natural communities recognizable as native prairie, but in addition former prairies that have been interseeded with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) or planted to smooth brome (Bromus inermis), yet still may support scattered native prairie plants and function as hayfield or pasture. Prairie in the best ecological condition would be located on grassland soils. Savannas are comprised of a mixture of trees, shrubs and groundcover, but require fire, light grazing, or haying to persist in recognizable form. Prior to 1850, prairie and savanna blanketed the Prior to 1850, prairie and savanna blanketed the majority of the Kansas City region. Today they are among the region s rarest natural communities. majority of the Kansas City region. Today they are among the region s rarest natural communities. Conversion to cropland, heavy grazing by livestock, and the lack of fire have altered over 95% of the region s original prairies and savannas so that today they are not recognizable as these natural community types. Because of the difficulty of locating these communities, additional, intensive inventory work is necessary to locate remnant prairies, savannas, and limestone glades in the Kansas City region. Locations for these natural communities reported by previous inventories were digitized or added to the project s spatial database, and then used by AES to specify the site conditions where these communities would mostly likely be found. AES also located remnant glades, prairies, and savannas for inclusion in this spatial database. Limestone glades were most likely to be found on shallow soils (e.g., Oska) identified as deciduous forest or woodland in GAP data. On aerial photographs, patches of light-colored 12

11 limestone and sparse vegetation were visible among small clumps of trees and shrubs. Prairie was found on grassland or thin soils and had a characteristic dried-blood color and finely-dotted texture. Winter wheat fields, old fields with abundant goldenrod (e.g., Canadian goldenrod [Solidago canadensis) and tall goldenrod (S. gigantea)], and some recently mowed areas had a similarly-colored signature, but a smoother or coarser texture than native prairies. CRP fields resembled native prairie on aerial photographs and required a site visit to determine the true origin of the grassland. AES developed a method to identify potential savannas in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Potential savannas are located on forest soils or thin soils. In addition, they are located on slopes (>6%), which face southerly and westerly (from 135 to 315 degrees). They are often classified in GAP as deciduous forest or mixed evergreen-deciduous forest. Even if current aerial photography indicates a potential savanna site is forested, those sites often are tinted reddish due to the underlying groundlayer vegetation. These locations have the greatest potential of any location in the Kansas City region for restoration to ecological conditions resembling those of 150 years ago. Restoration would involve careful thinning of selected trees and prescribed burning. Site visits would be necessary to determine the potential of the groundlayer to recover its native sedges, grasses, and wildflowers. Sites that have been heavily grazed for decades have the least potential to recover a native groundlayer. Restoring extensive Restoring extensive savannas would improve runoff infiltration, provide habitat, and create beautiful open woodlands. savannas would improve runoff infiltration above stream valleys, provide habitat for uncommon species, and create beautiful open woodlands for recreation and aesthetic enjoyment Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Cultural or sparsely vegetated lands do not typically include natural communities, but rather combinations of plant life and built surfaces that are used intensively by people. They include cropland, cool-season grasslands, urban and suburban areas, and highly disturbed lands Developed Land Because development of land has progressed at a rapid rate in the Kansas City metropolitan area in the decade since the Missouri GAP mapping was completed (Kansas GAP data is more recent), AES decided to update information on developed lands in the Kansas City metropolitan area. To do this, cadastral data from municipal tax rolls were obtained and modified as Developed land includes land that has been taken out of it s natural condition and is continuously used for the benefit of the human population, including residence, commerce, transportation and industry, and other cultural uses. described in Appendix A. Where cadastral data were not available, 911 emergency response road centerline data were used to identify developed areas (Appendix A). This assumes that, outside the developed areas in municipalities, these small parcels resulted from subdivision of agricultural land and therefore contained or would soon contain a built structure. There is an ecological justification for this decision. Over the span of a decade or more, the presence of a home, cabin, commercial building, or even a staging area or parking lot within or adjacent to natural communities causes those natural communities to become less viable for certain wildlife species, as well as for native plants. The long-term survival of many wildlife and 13

12 plant species in the Kansas City region requires large, continuous blocks of natural communities. Without careful planning and long-term stewardship, the cultural and built environment leads to the introduction of non-native aggressive plants [e.g., Japanese honeysuckle, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)]; shifts the balance of habitat to favor small predators (e.g., house cats, raccoons, skunks, and crows), which eat birds, eggs, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife; and prevents the execution of prescribed burning and other land management due to the proximity of real estate and development Urban Forest In Jackson and Johnson Counties small parcels of undeveloped forest land were mapped as urban forest. These forests have value to local residents, despite having lower ecological value than large blocks of forests in rural areas. AES split these forests from other forests using parcel data in order to elevate the value of these forests in development areas Other Cultural Types These include three types of land cultural grassland, cultivated land, and agricultural lands. Cultural grassland is cool-season, non-native grassland that largely lacks native species, and also cropland that has been abandoned and has been colonized by weedy plants, shrubs, and trees. Cultivated land is currently cultivated to crops that are harvested each year. Agricultural lands are primarily used for a mixture of agricultural uses and also small patches of natural communities, and they may contain buildings. AES derived these layers from GAP data, parcel data, and as the negative of the natural communities already mapped Extrapolation to Eight-County Kansas City Region Using the classification described above, AES mapped the eight-county Kansas City region prior to conducting the second field reconnaissance. This classification and ecological land cover map used in the field tested the accuracy of data that AES staff collected during the second field reconnaissance. Based on this classification, and following the second field reconnaissance of the entire region, a final classification was produced Final Ecological Land Cover Classification and Natural Resources Inventory (Kansas City Region) Results from the second field reconnaissance were used to refine the initial ELC classification (Table 2-3). Using the final ELC classification, the natural resources of the eight-county Kansas City region were mapped as shown in Figure 2-1, and are discussed in the next section. Table 2-3. Ecological Land Cover Types for the Kansas City Region Aquatic Communities Natural Communities Open Water Standing water for a significant part of the year Hardwood Forest & Woodland Open to closed forest canopy in flooded or wetland areas Marsh & Wet Herbaceous Vegetation Wetlands without a closed forest canopy; includes brush and scattered trees 14

13 Table 2-3. Ecological Land Cover Types for the Kansas City Region Natural Communities Forest Natural Communities Grassland-Savanna-Woodland Cultural or Sparsely Vegetated Land Unclassified Insufficient data to classify Deciduous Forest Mostly closed canopy of deciduous trees, often mature; includes former savannas on south to west slopes. Mixed Evergreen Deciduous Forest Open to mostly closed canopy of junipers and deciduous trees; often oaks; may include former savannas Deciduous Woodland/Immature Forest Open canopy of deciduous trees; often immature; may contain former savannas, or glades on soils with bedrock close to surface. Grassland Grassland, often containing native wild plants; may include CRP plantings. Urban Forest Deciduous canopy cover within an urbanized location (specific to Jackson and Johnson Counties) Cultural Grassland Grassland of planted domesticated grasses, or formerly cultivated land reverting to grassland and sometimes brush. Agricultural Land Used as farmland (specific to Jackson and Johnson Counties). Cultivated Land Used as cropland. Developed Land Urban and suburban land uses, including homes, businesses, roads 15

14 Figure 2-1 Ecological Land Cover Map Kansas City Natural Resource Inventory 1