State Reports - South Dakota Cooperative efforts have been established between South Dakota State University and state, federal, and private organizations to conduct South Dakota GAP (SD-GAP). The USGS EROS Data Center has provided SD-GAP with a work station, satellite imagery, and expertise in image processing to construct our vegetation map from a total of 34 satellite scenes (two dates per scene). We obtained the UNESCO Vegetation Classification System from The Nature Conservancy and determined vegetation associations likely to occur in South Dakota. Land cover data sets for various areas in the state were acquired from the USDA Forest Service, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, South Dakota Farm Service Agency, and Ducks Unlimited to aid in interpreting satellite images. Three scenes have been georectified, classified as perennial vegetation or agriculture, and National Wetland Inventory data overlaid on scenes to isolate natural vegetation for classification to the alliance level. We obtained vertebrate distribution data from South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. A Ph.D./M.S. candidate has been selected to develop vertebrate distribution models. Coverages containing State Game Production Areas, Waterfowl Production Areas (eastern South Dakota), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife easements were created as part of the stewardship layer for SD-GAP. A database containing fish distribution records and associated stream habitat characteristics and a stream system coverage obtained from EROS Data Center will be used to develop SD Aquatic GAP. |