Determining the amount of Optimal Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) habitat within the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.
The motivation behind this project is that the Y2Y regional boundary is at my backdoor and, having the first-hand experience of traveling through it, I know that not all areas within the Y2Y boundary are optimal habitat. Y2Y was formed in 1993, well after humans have established civilization throughout the now Y2Y area. I want to explore how much habitat within a designated ecosystem is suitable habitat for grizzly bears. I chose to use the grizzly bear, not only because it is a conservation icon, but because it is an umbrella species meaning that the habitat required for a grizzly bear population to thrive also meets the requirements of 80% of other fauna within that ecosystem.
The following maps and analyses will guide you through the project, from a small-scale overview to a large-scale view of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, and provide results to the questions “How much of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NDCE) is suitable grizzly bear habitat?”.
