Develop vegetation mapping methods and products to identify the extent and distribution of annual invasive grass species in eastern montana, with a focus on ventenata dubia (ventenata)

The University of Montana, through a $128,166 cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Land Management's Invasive and Noxious Plant Management program (CFDA 15.230), will develop vegetation mapping methods and products to identify the extent and distribution of the annual invasive grass species Ventenata dubia (ventenata) in eastern Montana. The project will involve the BLM Miles City Field Office working with the University's Spatial Analysis Lab to provide field data on known ventenata occurrences and treatments, and the University will conduct vegetation surveys and integrate the field data with remote sensing imagery to produce ventenata probability maps and determine the current extent of invaded suitable habitat. The resulting geodatabase, map products, and analysis will be made available to the Montana Natural Heritage Program to support early detection and rapid response efforts for managing ventenata in the region.

The BLM miles city field office will work with the spatial analysis lab (SAL) at the university of montana and county weed districts to provide available data on known ventenata occurrences and treatments and will assist SAL personnel, including field crews (primarily students) in training and logistical expertise. Staff at SAL will provide field technicians, field coordinator time, and vegetation ecology expertise to conduct vegetation surveys on the ground throughout the award area. Field data will be integrated with remote sensing imagery and other environmental geospatial data for detection of ventenata at a level of detail and accuracy that is supportable by the amount and type of field data and imagery acquired within available funding constraints. Deliverables are as follows: 1) a geodatabase that contains field sampling locations attributed with variables such as percent cover of dominant grasses and bare ground, photo documentation, land use, and abiotic variables ( e.g., elevation, soil characteristics, topographic position) 2) ventenata probability maps depicting likelihood of occurrence on the landscape and 3) in partnership with the BLM, determination of the current extent of invaded suitable habitat for edrr and other vegetation management responses. The project will also contribute to development of a time series framework to backcast invasion patterns and assess potential for accurately monitoring treatment response. The geodatabase information and map products will be made available to wider audiences through data-sharing deliveries to the montana natural heritage program.