Morpho: Integrating Multidisciplinary Data Layers into the Central Grassland Avian Modeling Project

Grasslands are a biome in collapse. Seventy-five percent of grassland birds are declining with some species nearing threatened and endangered status. Despite this urgency, we lack spatially explicit prioritization tools to implement conservation at scale across the Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert. Here, we build upon the modeling approach of the Central Grasslands Avian Modeling Project (CGAMP) by combining data from across diverse disciplines to spatially prioritize habitat protection and restoration efforts across the full-annual cycle that maximize conservation return on investment. Specifically, we will use the integer linear programming algorithm approach to integrate data products (i.e., avian density, risk of conversion, climate, socio-economic and indigenous traditional ecological knowledge) and optimize spatial priorities for conservation delivery. The transdisciplinary working group will leverage NCEAS facilitation and computational resources to advance this effort. Specifically, we aim to integrate biological science, human dimensions, economics, and indigenous traditional ecological knowledge. A science communication expert will support the messaging and outreach to diverse stakeholders. Data products will support conservation prioritization for a diverse set of partners active in grassland conservation while simultaneously facilitating a longer-term grassland bird working group.