Identify Forest Stand Structures in Eastern KY

Scope of Work The purpose of this contract is for the University of Kentucky to develop a GIS tool to iden?fy forest stand structure in 35 coun?es in Eastern KY. The expecta?on is to use this tool to help iden?fy habitat suitability for grouse to help hunters on public land, to help determine if elk have a preference in forest stand structure, and to help determine management opportuni?es on private land. Knowledge of forest structural characteris?cs can help wildlife managers iden?fy suitable habitat, relate animal movement to habitat, and plan future habitat or popula?on management ac?ons. However, depic?ons of forest structure are not available across broad spa?al extents, such as the mul?ple-county areas that de?ne Kentucky’s elk and ru?ed grouse management zones. Light Detec?on and Ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing method of collec?ng informa?on on landform and vegeta?on structure. Ky From Above is a LiDAR point cloud dataset covering the en?re state of Kentucky. A recent project by the Contractor, via MOA with the Commonwealth, developed techniques for using Ky From Above LiDAR to derive data layers depic?ng forest vegeta?on structure, young forest, and grouse habitat suitability at 11 focal areas in eastern Kentucky. In developing the tool, the Contractor will extend the analysis to a con?guous, 35-county area that encompasses management goals for ru?ed grouse, elk, and prescribed ?re across public and private lands in eastern Kentucky.