| Downloadable | Landscape-scale forest connectivity for the Northeast | Using NLCD rasters, computed contagion through FragStats. | Forest connectivity is an assessment of how connected large areas of forests are on the landscape. Forest blocks that are separated make it harder for animals and plants to move between patches. Forests with higher connectivity allow for the exchange of water and nutrients, movement of wildlife, dispersal, genetic interchange between populations, and long-distance range shifts of species, such as in response to climate change. Maintaining functional connectivity is critical as forests become more fragmented with urban expansion. Here, forest connectivity is measured using the “Contagion Index” calculated using FragStats software. | 2001-01-01 (ongoing) |
