Mesic Analysis Platform Link

Mesic Analysis Platform Data Manual

The Mesic Analysis Platform empowers riparian and wetland (mesic) restoration efforts by equipping land managers and practitioners with data-driven tools for informed landscape decisions. This platform visualizes late-season (July 15 - September 30) mesic resource productivity throughout the Sagebrush Biome, highlighting these water-dependent ecosystems that serve as critical habitat and forage sources for wildlife and livestock during the arid summer months in western U.S. rangelands. Drawing on four decades of satellite imagery (1984-2024), we identify both persistently productive mesic sites worthy of protection and less stable areas that present valuable restoration opportunities.

Productive mesic resources are defined by vegetation with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)-a vegetation “greeness” value- of ≥ 0.3 on a scale from -1 (low productivity) to 1 (highest productivity). Vegetation in the arid western U.S. generally see NDVI values below 0.3 during hot summer months, unless otherwise supported by connectivity to groundwater.

Photo by Patrick Donnelly
Photo by Patrick Donnelly

Valley-bottom layer extents are derived from the Valley-Bottom Extraction Tool (VBET, accessed from the Riverscapes Data Exchange) which identifies low-lying valley floodplains within riverscapes across the West.

How to Use and Interpret Data Layers:

1. Mesic Valley-bottom Layers:

Use the drop-down menu to select which layer to visualize:

You can also select “None” to turn off the valley-bottom layer.

Valley-bottom Vegetation Persistence:

This layer displays the percentage of years since 1984 that a valley-bottom reach maintained productive vegetation. Colors range from red (rarely productive) to blue (consistently productive), while black indicates areas where no productive vegetation has been detected since 1984.

Focus especially on orange/red valley-bottoms positioned between blue areas, as these represent prime targets for vegetation restoration and productivity enhancement.

Think of this as HOW OFTEN a particular valley bottom reach was productive, or remained green, in the late season over the last 40 years.

Valley-bottom Productive Floodplain Proportion:

This layer illustrates the proportion of each valley-bottom reach covered by persistent productive vegetation. White or light green areas indicate valley-bottoms where vegetation occupies less space than the floodplain could potentially support.

Pay particular attention to light green/white valley-bottoms situated between dark green areas, as these may indicate channel incision or compromised floodplain water connectivity.

Think of this as HOW MUCH of a particular valley bottom reach was productive, or remained green, at least half the time in the last 40 years.

Valley-bottom Distance to Core Sagebrush Area (km):

This layer depicts the average distance from valley-bottoms to the nearest Sagebrush Core Area as defined by the Sagebrush Conservation Design (SCD, 2020). Darker blue to black areas indicate closer proximity to Core areas, while white represents greater distance.

Prioritizing mesic areas nearer to Core Sagebrush Areas generally enhances habitat and forage availability for upland wildlife species, including sage grouse.

Valley-bottom Mean Tree Cover (last 5 years):

This layer shows valley-bottom mean tree cover (2019-2024) based on Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) data. It helps identify valleys with significant tree coverage, as higher elevation features may be predominantly covered with conifers, which doesn’t necessarily indicate water availability.

Valley-bottom Stream Type:

This layer presents stream flow types from the VBET model on the Riverscapes Data Exchange. Flow classifications derive from the National Hydrography Dataset High Resolution+ stream data as specified in the model inputs.

Note that features labeled as “Other” (colored grey) primarily represent canals or Artificial Paths, typically occurring within large perennial river systems and lakes/reservoirs.

2. Productive Mesic Rangelands (non-valley-bottoms):

Rangeland Mesic Pixel Persistence (Est. Herbaceous)

Similar to the valley-bottom vegetation persistence layer, this is a pixel representation of productive mesic resources outside of the valley-bottom features. This pixel layer has removed pixels that ever had tree cover >10%, cultivation in the last 10 years, and urban developement. This results in primarlity herbaceous vegetation productivity persistence being represented in this layer.

This layer can be turned off/on by checking the box next to the layer name.

Areas of darker blue represent areas with drought resistance uplands or irrigation assisted landscapes, while colors closer to red show pixels that met the productive threshold only a handful of times since 1984.

Think of this as upland sites (high elevation, mesic rangelands, seeps, springs, etc.) that remained productive, or stayed green, in the late season over the last 40 years.

You can also change the shown minimum number of years of productive mesic resources. Changing this threshold to a lower value will show more pixels on the landscape that represent lower persistence of these resources (shown above), while higher threshold values will show only pixels with a persistence value of at least the threshold you set. Below is an example of pixels with a productivity persistence thrshold of at least 50%, meaning these pixels met the productive mesic resource theshold 50% of the time since 1984.

3. Basemap Layers:

Similar to the mesic valley-bottom layers, the basemap layers are within a selectable drop-down menu. When activated, these layers will always act as basemaps showing under the productivity layers above, that act as context layers across the landscape.

Land Ownership:

Using the latest public lands database (Protected Area Database-US 2025), we show the major non-private land ownership boundaries across the Sagebrush Biome.

BLM Allotments:

BLM Allotments with boundaries across the Sagebrush Biome.

Allotment names can be shown in the top right panel by clicking within an allotment.

Habitat Management Areas:

Habitat Management Areas of concern for greater sage grouse prioritization.

Sagebrush Conservation Design (SCD, 2020 model):

SCD map layers for the sagebrush biomw which represent 1) Core Sageberush Areas (blue, intact upland habitats) 2) Growth Opportunity Areas (light blue, upland habitats with room for improvement) and 3) Other Rangeland Areas (tan, areas with degraded sagebrush rangelands).

Watershed Boundaries (HUC 10):

Watershed boundaries at the HUC 10 level across the biome.

4. Summary Statistics:

Clicking on a valley-bottom feature:

When you select a valley-bottom feature, the right panel displays comprehensive summary statistics for the highlighted (yellow) area. These include stream type classification, mean landscape slope, allotment and watershed identifiers, and key vegetation metrics.

The “Veg. Persistence (% years)” value corresponds directly to the “Valley-bottom Vegetation Persistence” layer visualized on the map.

Additionally, interactive time series graphs provide historical context:

- Vegetation cover composition changes over time
- Historical climate context via the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) paired with annual late-season precipitation measurements (mm)

When a point outside valley-bottom features is clicked, BLM allotment and watershed name, along with time series data will be shown.

Use “Clear Analysis” to empty the summary statistics window and remove the highlighted yellow reach from the map.

Drawing your own area of interest:

For custom analysis, use the “Draw Polygon” tool followed by “Calculate Statistics” to generate tailored metrics for your defined region. This provides mean vegetation persistence values, estimated herbaceous coverage persistence, and the same comprehensive time series data for NDVI, vegetation cover composition, and climate indicators.

5. Watershed Targeting Tools:

This tool uses Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 12 watersheds in the sagebrush biome to prioritize restoration to watersheds where it could be most effective. There are two methods for using these targeting tools:

Prioritization Framework (Framework Tiers)

Description: Based on a tiered system (paper TBD), watersheds are classified based on abundance of mesic vegetation and their persistence (how frequently vegetation remains green and productive during the driest part of the growing season), and their proximity to intact sagebrush uplands:

  • Tier 1 – Protect and Maintain: Contain abundant high-persistence mesic vegetation with nearby intact uplands (SCD). Here, mesic systems are primarily functional, making protection the primary strategy.
  • Tier 2 – Restore: With a mix of functioning and less productive mesic systems, these watersheds offer the greatest restoration potential to enhance hydrologic function within and near intact upland systems (SCD).
  • Tier 3 – Strategic Management: These watersheds have limited but present mesic vegetation. Restoration is feasible, but selective site identification may be needed within and near intact uplands (SCD).

User-defined Prioritization (co-occurrence)

Description: Maps the co-occurrence of various landscape characteristics at the HUC12 watershed level. By choosing multiple variables, you can create a map that uses a color ramp to emphasize watersheds with the highest combined concentration of those selected features:

  • Proportion of HUC12 in valley bottoms
  • Proportion of valleys forested
  • Proportion of valleys with NO vegetation persistence
  • Proportion of valleys with LOW vegetation persistence (<25%)
  • Proportion of valleys with MODERATE vegetation persistence (≥25% and <75%)
  • Proportion of valleys with HIGH vegetation persistence (≥75%)
  • Proportion of valleys within 5km of Core Sagebrush Areas
  • Proportion of valleys within 5km of Growth Opportunity Areas
  • Proportion of valleys within 5km of Core or Growth
  • Proportion of valleys within 5km of Other Rangeland Areas