Over the past century, Southwestern rangelands have experienced land cover shifts with shrubs displacing grasses and forbs. Increases in the type and abundance of woody plants, collectively termed woody plant proliferation (WPP), alters ecosystem structure, function and services while thwarting objectives of public management agencies and private landowners. Here, we present a geospatial modeling effort using multi-sensor, multi-platform remote sensing products to determine the extent to which sites are approaching their bioclimatic maximum potential woody cover and are at risk for future increases. Assessment of WPP risk at the landscape-scale provides a cost-effective approach for proactive ecosystem management.
