Browsing by Author "Nixon, Kristi"
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Item Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape Climate Resilience Analysis and Strategic Plan Amendments(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2023-07) Bartsch, Will; Cai, Meijun; Johnson, Kris; Nixon, Kristi; Sprague, Tiffany; Wright, Chris; Olsen, Louis; Reed, JaneCamp Ripley is a military training facility located in central Minnesota. It is surrounded by the 750,000-acre Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape (CRSL). Created in 2015, the CRSL consists of working and natural lands surrounding Camp Ripley with the purpose of protecting the training mission of the facility. The rural character of this landscape is generally compatible with that mission. However, it could be compromised by development, which could diminish habitat quality and raise the potential for conflict with landowners. The ability of Camp Ripley to maintain its mission is also threatened by a changing climate, which is projected to get warmer and wetter with a higher frequency of large precipitation events in the region. To help ensure the viability of the mission, the Natural Resources Research Institute assessed climate vulnerabilities and developed strategies to build and enhance climate resilience. Specifically, we 1) evaluated and selected Global Climate Models (GCM) that are expected to perform well in the region, 2) modeled stream water quantity and quality under different land use and climate scenarios, 3) characterized the landscape using Geographic Information Systems, 4) modeled and identified high-quality habitat for at-risk species, 5) evaluated and ranked parcels for conservation and restoration opportunities, 6) created afforestation plans for individual parcels, and 7) amended the Camp Ripley Strategic Plan with climate resilience language and strategies. Modeling stream quantity and quality under different land use scenarios indicates generally increased flow and sediment and nutrient concentration in scenarios where forest land is converted to agriculture or developed. Modeling under different future climate scenarios generally predicts decreased summer baseflow and increased nutrient and sediment concentrations. A suite of environmental data was acquired and developed to help characterize the landscape and prioritize parcels for conservation or restoration activity. Habitat models were developed for the Red-shouldered hawk, Golden-winged warbler, Northern long-eared bat, and Blanding’s turtle, all listed as at-risk or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Afforestation plans with carbon sequestration modeling and carbon market participation compensation estimates were completed for two parcels within the landscape, illustrating an economically viable, market-driven solution. Climate resilience language was added to the strategic plan with emphasis placed on the restructuring and expansion of the strategy table while improving alignment with Minnesota’s Climate Adaptation Framework.Item Minnesota Restorable Wetland Index(2024-01-11) Johnson, Lucinda; Bartsch, Will; Kovalenko, Katya; Kloiber, Steve; Nixon, Kristi; wbartsch@d.umn.edu; Bartsch, Will; Natural Resources Research InstituteThe Minnesota Restorable Wetland Index (RWI) was developed by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR). The RWI was developed statewide on a 3m grid by applying machine learning models to predict the location of existing and restorable wetlands based on hydrological, geomorphological, and geological variables. Post-processing was done to remove existing wetlands and smooth the results. This data layer replaces the original NRRI Restorable Wetland Inventory that was developed statewide on a 30m grid using a different methodology.Item Phase I fuzzy-logic GIS modeling to evaluate the occurrences of mineral systems in Minnesota(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2022-12) Hudak, George J; Nixon, Kristi; Thakurta, Joyashish; Bartsch, WillEight mineral systems potentially present in Minnesota have been evaluated using fuzzy-logic modeling utilizing ArcMap® software. Data used from the models was derived from the Natural Resources Research Institute Assembling Minnesota dataset. The eight mineral systems modeled include: 1) Placer; 2) Marine Chemocline; 3) Volcanogenic Seafloor; 4) Orogenic; 5) Metamorphic; 6) Alkalic Porphyry; 7) Magmatic REE; and 8) Mafic Magmatic. Inference nets have been developed to illustrate the fuzzy logic and components of each of the mineral system models. Results of the modeling are summarized below by mineral systems: Placer Mineral System: Based on the modeling, the highest probabilities for the presence of a Placer mineral system occur in northeastern Minnesota and in southwestern Minnesota. These regions correlate with the presence of the Biwabik Iron Formation, metasedimentary rocks associated with the Penokean Orogeny, and the margins of the Sioux Quartzite. Marine Chemocline: Based on the modeling, the highest probabilities for the presence of Marine Chemocline mineral systems occur in northeastern and north-central Minnesota in rocks associated with the Animikie Basin and Penokean Orogeny strata. As well, the model indicates high probabilities for the presence of the Marine Chemocline mineral system in western and southwestern Stearns County associated with interlayered volcanic, volcaniclastic, sedimentary, and hypabyssal intrusive rocks that comprise the Mille Lacs Group, North and South Range Groups, and Glen Township Formation. Volcanogenic Seafloor: High potential for the presence of Volcanogenic Seafloor mineral systems were identified in both the Abitibi-Wawa and Wabigoon subprovinces. In the Abitibi-Wawa subprovince, this includes the Vermilion district and the Wilson Lake sequence (Jirsa, 1990). Within the Wabigoon subprovince, enhanced potential for Volcanogenic Seafloor mineral systems occurs in east-central Lake of the Woods County and in northwestern Beltrami County. A single region of high potential for the presence of a Volcanogenic Seafloor mineral system also occurs in north-central Marshall County. Orogenic: The highest probabilities for Orogenic mineral system-associated gold deposits occur within the Abitibi-Wawa and Wabigoon subprovinces within the northernmost one-third of Minnesota. These regions are closely-associated with regional-scale shear zones. The modeled regions correlate well with the six areas of gold exploration identified by Severson (2011), as well as a weights of evidence model developed by Hartley (2014). Metamorphic: Several regions occur where elevated potential for Metamorphic mineral systems exist in Minnesota. The highest modeled potential for such a system exists in east-central St. Louis County and northwestern Lake County; however, this region of modeled high potential may be a false positive due to anomalously high contents of nickel (and perhaps vanadium) within Mesoproterozoic rocks in the area. Other areas with modeled high potential occur within northeastern Koochiching County and are associated with Quetico subprovince high-grade metamorphic rocks in proximity to the Rainy Lake – Seine River Fault, and in northeastern Itaca County, in proximity to the Coon Lake Pluton. Alkalic Porphyry: Modeling conducted for this study indicates several regions where elevated potential for Alkalic Porphyry mineral systems exist. The areas with the highest modeled probability for having Alkalic Porphyry mineral systems occur in northeastern Minnesota with Lake, St. Louis, and Itasca counties. Magmatic REE: Regions with the highest modeled potential for Magmatic REE mineral systems occur in south-central Lake County, north-central and northwestern St. Louis County, northeastern Itasca County, east-central Koochiching County, southeastern Marshall County, and east-central Stearns County. These are associated with Neoarchean syenite, monzodiorite, granodiorite, and diorite and granite-rich migmatites, Neoarchean gabbro, peridotite, pyroxenite, lamprophyre and metamorphic equivalents, and Paleoproterozoic porphyritic granites. Mafic Magmatic: Fuzzy-logic modeling indicates the highest probability for the presence of Mafic Magmatic mineral systems occurs in northeastern Lake County, east-central St. Louis County, and within eastern Aitkin County. The model identified known disseminated-to-massive Cu-Ni-PGM deposits that occur in troctolitic rocks at the base of the Duluth Complex in Lake and St. Louis counties, as well as Ti-Voxide deposits and prospects associated with oxide ultramafic intrusions (peridotites, pyroxenites) that occur along the western margin of the Duluth Complex in central St. Louis County. As well, the model identified the location of the Tamarack intrusion in eastern Itasca County, the host of the Tamarack Ni- Cu-Co deposit.Item Plant Communities of Hartley Park(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2019-09-18) Reschke, Carol; Nixon, Kristi; Pomroy, Deb; Barnes, Ray; Host, George EThis project builds on and updates an ecological survey of Hartley Park in Duluth, Minnesota that was conducted in 2003 by consulting ecologist Ethan Perry to evaluate the potential to nominate the park to the Duluth Natural Areas Program (DNAP). In 2003 DNAP was a new program to provide legal protection to city-owned or private lands of ecological or geological significance. DNAP guidelines explain that land in Duluth can be eligible for this protection by meeting criteria in at least one of five categories. The 2003 ecological survey gathered information necessary to determine if parts of Hartley Park qualify for the Native Plant Communities category of DNAP criteria. Although Hartley Park was not designated under DNAP after the 2003 survey, the City of Duluth and Hartley Park managers recently wanted to update the maps and submit a DNAP nomination package in fall of 2019. The City of Duluth contracted with ecologists and geographic information system (GIS) staff at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) to update the maps. This technical report describes the methods and results of surveys conducted in summer 2019 to update the Plant Community maps of Hartley Park. The project area for this map includes Hartley Park (660 acres) and 38 acres of adjacent open land that the park wants to evaluate for acquisition. The total area mapped in 2019 was 698 acres, with a wide variety of types of vegetation. To evaluate the quality of these vegetation types, the entire park was divided into patches or polygons of different plant community types, most of which were visited by ecologists, some more intensively than others. Access to some polygons was difficult due to steep topography and many trees blown down in a July 2016 wind storm. For these more remote or difficult-access polygons, air photo imagery was interpreted, and additional low-altitude air photos were acquired by NRRI staff using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For native plant communities, the polygons were classified using the system developed by the MN DNR Biological Survey Program, described in the 2003 publication Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota, The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province. Since the names of the DNR communities are often long and not always descriptive of local vegetation, we have provided alternative cover names specific to Hartley (Table 1). Vegetation types not considered native plant communities (including conifer plantations, parking lots, ball fields, and areas dominated by non-native species) were divided into general land cover categories; these land cover types as a group are called “Cultural and other communities” similar to NOAA classifications of “Cultural” cover types so modified by human activities that they are not considered “natural” or native plant communities. The cultural cover types had a total of 168 acres. This report focuses primarily on the 530 acres of native plant communities in the project area.