Mapping the Deer of the Western U.S.

FINAL GIS DATABASE, 31 December, 2004.

General instructions to view data:

Data may be viewed from the CDROM.  However the datasets are quite large
so draw time will be slower when reading directly from CDROM.  You may copy
entire contents to hard drive to draw more quickly.  Draw time will vary
with computer specifications.
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If you DO NOT have ArcView or ArcGIS:
The GIS data on this CD-ROM may also be viewed using ArcReader™.  ArcReader is a
free software that allows you to view ESRI GIS datasets. To install ArcReader
on your computer, double click on the ArcReaderWebSetup.exe file located under
the \muledeer\ArcGIS\ folder on the CD-ROM, then follow the installation
instructions. When ArcReader is installed on your computer you will be able to
open the published map document by double clicking on the muledeer2004.pmf file
also located under the \muledeer\ArcGIS\ folder.
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If you DO have ArcView or ArcGIS:
If you have Arcview, you may use two files.  Click on the muledeer2004_cdrom.apr
file to open the ArcView project from the CDROM.  If you wish to copy the data
to your hard drive you must use the muledeer2004.apr and set the $MULEDEER
environmental variable (see instructions below).  Note that if you copy these
data to your harddrive from the CDROM, they will not have write permission.

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SETTING AN ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE FOR ARCIVEW PROJECT (WINDOW xP):

1) Copy the 'muledeer' folder to a location on your hard drive
2) Left click on Start and open CONTROL PANAL
3) Double left click on SYSTEM
4) Click on ADVANCED tab
5) Left click on ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES button
7) Under USER VARIABLES FOR <LOGIN NAME> click on NEW button
8) For VARIABLE NAME type MULEDEER
9) For VARIABLE VALUE type the path to location (on your hard drive) where
   the 'muledeer'folder has been copied.
10) Click OK button for New User Variable dialog
11) Click OK button for Environment Variables dialog
12) Click OK button for System Properties dialog

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DIRECTORIES:
GIS_data: GIS datasets in arcinfo coverage format
documents:  text files with class and limitations descriptions & htm docs.
misc:  template files and miscellaneous files for arcview scripts
symbology:  symobology files (.avl (arcview) and .lyr (arcmap))
ArcGIS:  Contains .mxd file and .pmf file to view data with ArcGIS 8.3 or ArcReader


FILES:
muledeer2004.apr:  	ArcView3.3 project file (w/$MULEDEER environment variable)
index.htm:		Index html file for project description and orientation
readme.txt:  		This file

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*** NOTE: Print this file in order to refer to the "Limiting Factor Codes"
    while viewing the maps.***


MULE DEER HABITAT MAPPING PROJECT HISTORY
This project proposes to map all mule and black-tailed deer habitat in North America
and Mexico using a Delpi approach (expert opinion) in a single Geographical
Information System (GIS) database. To accomplish this, regional representatives
were solicited by the project manager and regional team members for information
from state-provincial experts in mule deer habitat conditions and used this
information to develop a database that identifies mule deer presence in 6 categories
(identified herein) and to attribute these polygons with primary limiting factors
applicable to each polygon. A list of limiting factors adopted by the Western
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Mule Deer Working Group (MDWG)
is identified herein. This database can be used to assist in habitat management
and restoration across administrative boundaries.


BASE MAP AND MAPPING SCALE:
The base map used was developed by Utah State University RS/GIS Lab in cooperation
with the MDWG. This map has been edge-matched for accuracy at administrative
boundaries. The scale in the United States is 1:250,000.  The minimum polygon
size (mapping unit) is township.


PROJECT NEED AND JUSTIFICATION:
Mule deer habitat extends across jurisdictional boundaries. In the past, there were
no range-wide habitat maps available that identified the distribution of mule deer
in North America, nor was there a database that identifies the factors that
limit the quality of mule deer habitat. When the Mule Deer Working Group began
planning for a Joint Venture Habitat Restoration Project, they found that the lack
of this information made cross-jurisdiction project planning very difficult.  They
believed other planning projects have been stymied by the lack of this planning
tool. They investigated methods to develop such databases and found that the
previous project by RMEF was the most suitable model to pursue. This is
particularly true given the commitment from RMEF to provide existing databases to
this project at no cost to the MDWG. With this database in place, resource
managers now have a tool that they can use to identify important mule deer
habitats to maintain or enhance existing habitat values.

MULE DEER HABITAT CLASSIFICATIONS AND DEFINITIONS
A.) Limited range - This habitat type includes habitat which are occasionally
inhabited and/or contains small population of scattered mule deer.

B.) Summer Range - This habitat type includes that part of the overall range
where 90% of the individuals are located between spring green-up and the first
heavy snowfall. Summer range is not necessarily exclusive of winter range;
in some areas winter range and summer range may overlap.

C.) Other important habitat - These areas that are part of the overall range
where higher quality habitat supports significantly higher densities of deer
than surrounding areas. These areas are typically occupied year round and not
necessarily associated with a specific season. Some examples may include: rough
break country, riparian areas, small drainages and large areas of irrigated
cropland, migration corridors, highway crossings, fawning areas, etc.

D.) Winter Range - That part of the overall range where 90 percent of the
individuals are located during the average five winters out of ten from the
first heavy snowfall to spring green-up, or during a site-specific period of
winter. A subset of this definition would include a “severe winter range”
definition to include areas within the winter range where 90% of the
individuals are located when annual snow pack is at its maximum and/or
temperatures are at a minimum in the two worst winters our of ten.

E.) Winter Concentration - This habitat includes that part of the winter range where
densities are at least 200% greater than the surrounding winter range density during
the same period used to define winter range in the average five winters out of ten.

F.) Year-round Population - This habitat is defined as an area that provides year-
round range for a population of mule deer. The resident mule deer use all of the
area all year; it cannot be subdivided into seasonal ranges although it may be
included within the overall range of the larger population.


DEER LIMITING FACTOR CODES

***NOTE: to view these on the maps, load the "muledeer2004.pmf" file as mentioned
above and click on the icon that looks like a small black circle containing a lower
case "i" and a window will pop up.  At the top of the window there is a space
labeled "Identify from:"  Use the drop-down menu to select "2004 Muledeer
Distribution by Habitat CLASS."  You can then use the mouse to click on any
polygon on the map and the resulting pop-up window will show the 3 most important
limiting factors for mule deer in that polygon under the row "Limits_ALL."  Print
the codes below for reference when viewing the maps.


0 - Domestic livestock forage competition
1 - Habitat succession/ maturation
2 - Urban expansion
3 - Public land habitat availability
4 - Increased road densities
5 - Riparian impacts
6 - Timber harvest impacts
7 - Agricultural Crop Depredation
8 - Limited private land access
9 - Artificial feeding
10 - Habitat conversion
11 - Social carrying capacity exceeded
12 - Late seral stages needed
13 - High Density Recreation
14 - Water availability
15 - Transport/Water conveyance corridors
16 - Mineral Extraction/Exploration
17 - Competition with other wild ungulates
18 - Special Situation:  Areas where deer populations may occur, intermittently, or
in small numbers. In some instances, the public may receive wildlife viewing,
photographic or consumptive recreational uses. However, land ownership, social
carrying capacity considerations, weather limitations, range conditions, and small
size or configuration of the topography is not suitable to manage for increasing
deer populations at the present time.Other situations could include game farms,
tribal lands, past catastrophic fires, invasion of weedy species, feral horses etc.

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For information or comments on the GIS product please contact:
Doug Ramsey
RSGIS Laboratory
College of Natural Resources
Utah State University
Logan, Utah 84322-5275
phone: 435-797-3783
email: doug.ramsey@usu.edu

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For more information on the mule deer mapping project please contact:
Jim Heffelfinger, Chair
Mule Deer Working Group
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Arizona Game and Fish Department
555 N. Greasewood Road
Tucson, AZ  85742
520 628-5080 FAX
520 388-4448 Office
520 628-5376 (Tucson Regional Office)
jheffelfinger@azgfd.gov
