{"title":"Detecting forested rock outcrops using focal range statistics: A case study with green salamanders","authors":"Aidan McCarthy, William E. Peterman","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70046","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rock outcrop specialists include many at-risk species whose conservation requires effectively identifying and mapping outcrops. Canopy cover often obscures rock outcrops, making the mapping and detecting of these features difficult. Improvements in the availability of high-resolution light detection and ranging data (LiDAR) provide opportunities to map outcrops, which has previously been conducted using a slope-based method; however, this method exhibits varying success across different topographies and struggles to locate especially small outcrops. We measured the accuracy of a new method, focal range statistics, and compared it to the slope-based method to detect and map outcrops in southern Ohio, USA, using a 0.75-m digital elevation model (DEM) derived from LiDAR. This method exhibited low error and was notably better at detecting small outcrops compared to the slope-based method. Focal range statistics also mapped 6 times more total outcrop area (243,027 m<sup>2</sup>) than the slope-based method, and field reconnaissance revealed 17 new localities of green salamander (<i>Aneides aeneus</i>), an outcrop specialist and state-listed species. Applying focal range statistics to more widely available 3-m DEM data detected outcrops with similar accuracy but resulted in mapping 4 times more area of rock outcrops. We recommend additional field testing with 3-m DEM data to assess the accuracy of the topographic data sources with lower resolutions. Our study indicates that the use of focal range statistics can be a valuable tool for the conservation and management of outcrop specialists and offers notable advantages when used in regions with subtle topographic relief and small outcrops.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Wildlife Management","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.70046","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Rock outcrop specialists include many at-risk species whose conservation requires effectively identifying and mapping outcrops. Canopy cover often obscures rock outcrops, making the mapping and detecting of these features difficult. Improvements in the availability of high-resolution light detection and ranging data (LiDAR) provide opportunities to map outcrops, which has previously been conducted using a slope-based method; however, this method exhibits varying success across different topographies and struggles to locate especially small outcrops. We measured the accuracy of a new method, focal range statistics, and compared it to the slope-based method to detect and map outcrops in southern Ohio, USA, using a 0.75-m digital elevation model (DEM) derived from LiDAR. This method exhibited low error and was notably better at detecting small outcrops compared to the slope-based method. Focal range statistics also mapped 6 times more total outcrop area (243,027 m2) than the slope-based method, and field reconnaissance revealed 17 new localities of green salamander (Aneides aeneus), an outcrop specialist and state-listed species. Applying focal range statistics to more widely available 3-m DEM data detected outcrops with similar accuracy but resulted in mapping 4 times more area of rock outcrops. We recommend additional field testing with 3-m DEM data to assess the accuracy of the topographic data sources with lower resolutions. Our study indicates that the use of focal range statistics can be a valuable tool for the conservation and management of outcrop specialists and offers notable advantages when used in regions with subtle topographic relief and small outcrops.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Wildlife Management publishes manuscripts containing information from original research that contributes to basic wildlife science. Suitable topics include investigations into the biology and ecology of wildlife and their habitats that has direct or indirect implications for wildlife management and conservation. This includes basic information on wildlife habitat use, reproduction, genetics, demographics, viability, predator-prey relationships, space-use, movements, behavior, and physiology; but within the context of contemporary management and conservation issues such that the knowledge may ultimately be useful to wildlife practitioners. Also considered are theoretical and conceptual aspects of wildlife science, including development of new approaches to quantitative analyses, modeling of wildlife populations and habitats, and other topics that are germane to advancing wildlife science. Limited reviews or meta analyses will be considered if they provide a meaningful new synthesis or perspective on an appropriate subject. Direct evaluation of management practices or policies should be sent to the Wildlife Society Bulletin, as should papers reporting new tools or techniques. However, papers that report new tools or techniques, or effects of management practices, within the context of a broader study investigating basic wildlife biology and ecology will be considered by The Journal of Wildlife Management. Book reviews of relevant topics in basic wildlife research and biology.
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