Background

In 1989, the Service published the “Criteria for Defining Foraging Habitat” in the Guidelines for preparation of biological assessments and evaluations for the red-cockaded woodpecker. These guidelines outlined minimum criteria used in determining availability of red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) foraging habitat. Using a matrix approach, personnel at Fort Bragg later automated the comparison of forest inventory data with these foraging guidelines.

With the second revision of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) Recovery Plan in 2003, revised foraging guidelines were established based on a thorough review of available scientific literature. The new guidelines included both a Recovery Standard and a Standard for Managed Stability. The Fort Bragg foraging habitat matrix was revised by the Clemson Field Office to reflect the new guidelines for the Recovery Standard, but no automated process was developed at that time.

On 3 Feb 2004, RCW researchers, managers, and regulators gathered in Southern Pines, NC to review and refine the foraging habitat matrix. A cooperative effort to automate the foraging habitat matrix followed this meeting with the help of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc (ESRI), Fort Bragg, U.S. Army Environmental Center, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The result of this effort is the RCW Foraging Matrix Application. This application standardizes foraging habitat evaluation but allows flexibility to adapt the application to different foraging types, as discussed on pages 189-191 of the recovery plan (2003).

Foraging Habitat Matrix

The foraging matrix application includes tools to:

• Create cluster centers from cavity tree locations
• Create ¼ and ½ mile partitions from cluster centers
• Evaluate stand and partition data against the Recovery Standard and Standard for Managed Stability
• Evaluate the impact of proposed projects
• Evaluate the impact of proposed management actions
• Evaluate the impact of proposed projects with proposed management actions
• Create reports to summarize these evaluations

Improved functionality for future iterations of the matrix is already under development and includes:

• Having a project that does not assume total removal of habitat but rather have the user assign values through an interactive process
• Having regional defaults set up that could be chosen through the use of a pull-down menu
• Refining the data loader

Use of the Matrix

The Matrix will be used by both the action agency and the Service, along with other tools and analyses, to evaluate the impacts of habitat altering projects on RCW foraging habitat. Matrix results for managed stability standard applications (on private, state, or federal lands) will provide information on whether project impacts will result in the potential for foraging habitat-related “take”. Matrix results for recovery standard applications (primarily on federal, but also on state and private lands involved in recovery criteria) will provide information to determine whether, post-project, individual foraging partitions will meet, or retain the future ability to meet, the recovery standard, thereby contributing to the population's recovery goal.

These Matrix analyses, typically in concert with biological assessments or evaluations, will be used by the Service to conduct project reviews when foraging habitat is going to be permanently lost (e.g., to development), temporarily removed (e.g., harvested to be restored), or modified (e.g., thinning). Please refer to the 4 May 2005 foraging habitat guidance memo for additional details on conducting foraging habitat analyses and how the Matrix integrates with that process.

The following items will be included when you download the application:

• Foraging Matrix application
• Introduction to the ArcGIS Engine application for RCW foraging analysis (Word document)
• Policy memo sent out 4 May 2005 (Acrobat Reader document)
• Procedures for determining foraging habitat availability (Word document)
• Midstory example photographs (PowerPoint slideshow)
• Matrix example analysis (Excel spreadsheet)
• Evolution of the foraging matrix (PowerPoint slideshow)
• Example cruise sheet (Excel spreadsheet)

Note: The above items are included in the folder “…\Documents” within the install directory. If the default install location is used, these items will be in c:\RCW\Documents.

Based on feedback from users, we have added a list of items for clarification to this website. Please check back periodically for updates.

For download instructions click here.