Gila Woodpecker - Species Distribution Model, DRECP

CBI's species distribution model for Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is based on expert knowledge of suitable habitat and species occurances in the DRECP study site. 

For the Imperial Valley population, the Gila woodpecker model includes 'Southwestern North American riparian evergreen and deciduous woodland' vegetation and areas with sparse to 40% tree canopy cover. For the eastern Gila woodpecker population, the model includes 'Riparian', 'Southwestern North American riparian evergreen and deciduous woodland', 'Southwestern North American introduced riparian scrub', 'Southwestern North American riparian evergreen and deciduous woodland', and 'Sonoran-Coloradan semi-desert wash woodland/scrub', excluding Sonoran-Coloradan semi-desert wash areas without sparse to 40% tree canopy cover. Suitable habitat was identified using the Landfire Existing Vegetation Cover (2008; 30m resolution) and CDFG Land Cover/Natural Vegetation Communities (2012; Todd Keeler-Wolf) datasets. 

The DRECP Gila woodpecker model output is limited to areas within 10 km of current species occurrance points and has a spatial resolution of 270m. Areas smaller than 2 pixels were removed from the final product.