Northeast U.S. Forest Intactness

This dataset is a fine resolution (1:24,000 scale) analysis of New England and serves as a companion to the original forest intactness analysis (Heilman et al. 2002), which was uploaded to Data Basin as an ecoregional series of U.S. Forest Fragmentation datasets. This analysis was done using Landsat TM based MRLC (Multi-Resolution Landscape Characteristics) data and 1:24,000 scale road data sets. Forest intactness was mapped within the landunits selected at 1:100,000 scale as having high intactness values (regional landunit score = 20-25). For each landunit, road density was calculated as well as a suite of class and landscape level fragmentation metrics using FRAGSTATS, a spatial analysis software program. For each landunit, road density and four metrics (edge density, mean nearest neighbor, total core area index, and contagion) were assigned ordinal scores from which a cumulative score was calculated to create an overall relative forest intactness score. By assigning all landunits with a quantitative measurement of relative forest intactness based on a uniform dataset, this study (1) identified remaining relatively intact forest; (2) identified landunits that may make good restoration candidates from a regional context; and (3) examined forest fragmentation due to roads which has been omitted from other recent national assessments. This dataset represents only a subset of the information contained in the fine resolution forest fragmentation analysis compiled by CBI. Please contact CBI directly for the full forest fragmentation analysis.