Oak Habitat Metric User’s Guide and Calculator
A rapid assessment measuring oak woodland and savanna habitat quality for improved conservation outcomes
March 2012
The metric is encompassed in two documents, this Oak Habitat Metric User’s Guide and an Oak Habitat Calculator, and may be used to measure the impact to oak habitat on a development site, and to measure the habitat improvement on a site managed for conservation. It is part of a larger effort to provide information on the overall ecological context within oak woodland and savanna ecosystems and to implement mitigation programs more strategically. Each assessment may be applied to an area of development or conservation (defined as “project site” throughout this user’s guide and calculator). Experts, advisors, and contractors designed the metric to measure the quality of a project site’s oak ecosystem. Metric users will assess project site conditions using maps, aerial imagery, existing databases, interviews with people who are familiar with the science and history of the project site, and at least one project site visit. During the project site visit(s), data will be gathered which may confirm or correct information obtained from other sources. Resulting data are entered into the calculator to reveal a final score: the Oak Habitat Quality Score. The score is expressed as a percentage of optimum.
Read the Oak Habitat Metric User Guide.
