File-based data for download at https://www.grasslandsroadmap.org/
The Grasslands Risk Map was developed using a combination of cropland conversion and woody encroachment data, recognizing that all acres are not equal and that prioritization on the landscape will need to happen. Maps and acreage estimates are based on currently available data. Areas at risk of cultivation or converted to plowed land since 2009 are from Plowprint data (WWF; plowprint.com) and Olimb and Robinson (2019). Areas at risk to woody encroachment of infested by woody plants are from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (rangelands.app) and a derivate model showing early warning for woody transitions (Uden et al. 2019; Twidwell et al. 2021; available at wlfw.org/landscapes/great-plains/woodland-expansion/).
This assessment map is core to implementing the Central Grasslands Roadmap framework. Partners and community members can use it to identify opportunities where short- and long-term conservation programs need to take place. This large-scale approach works best when partners work together by combining local priorities, resource concerns, and community will. This map categorizes three areas of conservation to support and grow our core grasslands. By keeping the grass intact and “green-side up”, (shown in green on the map) these grassland areas can ensure food security, traditional cultural values and land overeignty for Indigenous Nations. Voluntary short- and long-term conservation programs and practices are needed to keep these core grasslands intact and support grass-based economies to help rural communities thrive. Areas marked in yellow represent lands impacted by the spread of invasive woody vegetation and other annual species that negatively change the characteristic of these grasslands, and by areas under immediate threat of conversion to row-crop agriculture. Every effort should be made to ensure that these areas remain healthy, connected grasslands that benefit both rural communities and wildlife. Purple indicates areas that need strategic investment that include, but are not limited to, removing invasive woody species, converting cropland on marginal soils back to grassland, and connecting to larger blocks of existing grassland. To learn more about the map, explore data layers, and how you can help to support the health of this irreplaceable landscape visit www.grasslandsroadmap.org.
Grasslands Risk Map Version 2.0 Released 7/10/2023 see https://www.grasslandsroadmap.org/
Appropriate use of data: The Grasslands Risk Map provides a biome-level predictor of area in core grassland habitat, area under threat of conversion or encroachment to trees/woody shrubs, and area already converted/encroached. These data provide context for the top-two drivers of grassland loss over the past couple decades and can help guide national/international conservation priorities for grassland conservation of remaining core areas. In addition, these data are useful for understanding proximity to biome threats for regional/local conservation planners and as a guide for corresponding conservation action. It is recommended to integrate additional data layers/information at appropriate resolutions to further refine conservation actions and priorities at local scales (e.g., local resource concerns, species stronghold data, cultural resources, collaborative conservation groups, etc.) that complement biome-level.
Attribute data: Core Grasslands (value 5), Vulnerable Grasslands (value 100), Converted/altered Grasslands (value 500), Desert/Shrub (value 7), Forest (value 1000), Developed (value 2000), Water (value 5000)