Managing Idaho's Landscapes for Ecosystem Services: Boise-Treasure Valley

Project Information
Purpose/Overview of Study
Managing Idaho's Landscapes for Ecosystem Services: (1) advance understanding of changes in ecosystem services at the interface between urban and rural environments, (2) relate those changes to societal and climate drivers, and (3) provide science-based tools and training to inform policy decisions about the sustainable management of these ecosystem services.

ECOSYSTEM ISSUE:
Water resources in the face of a urban development and changing climate. How will water availability and water use change as the Treasure Valley population continues to grow?

Researchers in the Boise-Treasure Valley seek to identify and track the changes to Idaho’s ecological systems brought about by urban development and/or decline. Their focus is on answering the question of how water availability and water use will change in the future as the Treasure Valley population grows. This project is expected to grow to include areas of research that relate to water quality, wildfires, and recreation.

The ultimate outcome is to build a modeling framework that will allow researchers and stakeholders to identify potential changes to the landscapes and ecology of the Treasure Valley. These models will serve to inform stakeholders and policy makers during critical decision making processes concerning Idaho's natural resources.
Main Topic
Society
Biota
Climatology | Meteorology | Atmosphere
Economy
Environment
Farming
Inland Waters
Project Sub Topic
Agriculture
Climate Change
Ecosystem Services
Land Tenure and Ownership
Tourism and Recreation
Urban Growth
Water Resources and Management
Wildlife Impacts and Management
Project Website
MILES Boise-Treasure Valley Study Site
BSU Human-Environment Systems Initiative
Intended Audience
Land/Resource Managers
Community/Public
Academic
Investigators
Team-Based
Newly formed for this specific project
Team expanded or significantly changed during project
Project Type
EPSCoR
Region
Rocky Mountain
Location

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Boise, Idaho

Collaboration
Is this project a collaboration?
Yes
Collaboration Type
Academic Biophysical Scientists
Non-Governmental Organization
Academic Social Science
Private Landowners or Managers
Data Collection
Co-created in collaboration with partners
Academic Biophysical Scientists
Academic Social Science
Private Landowners or Managers
Interdisciplinary Type
Multidisciplinary
Framework
Coupled Natural and Human Systems
Products Produced
Products
Project Products PT
Project Products PT
Documents
Project Documents PT
Project Documents PT
Project Data
Data Types
Land use change
Landcover change
Urban growth
Water use
Water availability
Agricultural practices
Wildlife behavior
Demographic
Social data
Recreation
Topographical
Noise pollution
Plant processes
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau
USGS
US Dept. of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Services
Idaho Dept. of Water Resources
US Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
Idaho Geospatial Office
MRLC National Land Cover Database 2011
US Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset
Multivariate Adapative Constructed Analogs Climate Datasets
US Census Bureau North American Industry Classification System
Social Explorer
FedStats
ICPSR
Data Formats
Aerial photographs
Esri geodatabase files
ESRI Shapefiles
About Data
Data Collected Domain
Integrated
Describe the data domain
Water use and availability; hydroclimatic; land use change; climate change; population growth; urban growth; agricultural practices; water and land management policies (social data); recreation effects; wildlife behavior; human values, attitudes, and perceptions
Data Collected Methodology
Mixed-methods
Describe Data Methodology
Quantitative and qualitative social survey methods; quantitative growth modeling; qualitative and quantitative analysis of recreation and effects on wildlife; integrated modeling of agricultural practices and water availability; integrated modeling of climate change, urban growth, population growth, water availability, and land and water policies

Data Collected Biophysical Scale
Site
Local
Landscape/Watershed
Data Collected Social/Organizational Scale
City
Data Collected Temporal Scale
Past-historic (>30 years)
Describe Data Scale
Biophysical scale: Boise River, Treasure Valley, Boise River Watershed, National Birds of Prey Conservation Area; BLM Murpy Subregion of Owyhee Front Management Area

Social Scale: Surveyed individuals and communities of Treasure Valley region

Temporal scale: Historic urban growth, contemporary perceptions and attitudes; projected water availability through 2100
Data Combined
Yes
Describe Data Combined
Pre-existing: water rights

Collected: perceptions of ecosystem services, climate change, water policies, and urban growth policies; recreation information; agricultural practices; noise pollution effects on herbivory

Pre -existing and collected: population growth; land use; census data; water use and availability; urban growth; hydrologic data
Integrated Method
Coupled modelling that combines land use change, climate change, and farm-level decisions to model water use and availability; agent-based modeling using climate change data, urban growth data, and land use and water policies to predict hydroclimatic processes; Treasure Valley Water Atlas geospatially integrated climate change, population growth data, and water management policies
Data Methodology
Coupled Modeling
Geospatial
Project Personnel
Project Personnel
Person with Project
Role
Lead
Discipline
Hydrologist
Person with Project
Role
Co-Lead
Senior Researcher
Discipline
Hydrologist
Biophysical Scientist
Person with Project
Role
Lead
Senior Researcher
Discipline
Social Scientist
Person with Project
Role
PI
Senior Researcher
Discipline
Ecologist
Person with Project
Role
PI
Senior Researcher
Discipline
Social Scientist