Priority Locations for Conservation Action - 10km2 Hexagon Planning Units

This is a map of priority locations for conservation action. Each 10km2 hexagon is assigned a priority rank based on the conservation importance (irreplaceability) of the conservation values found in the hexagon, and the threat to those values from human development. This approach is based on a study conducted in the Greater Yellowstone region by Reid Noss at colleagues (Noss et al. 2002).

An Irreplaceability score for each planning unit was assigned using the conservation values identified by the Ecoregional Assessment conducted by TNC and NCC, and the focal species distribution models for lynx, marten and wolf developed by the Wildlands Network. To calculate the irreplaceability scores the site selection software MARXAN was used. Most simply this site selection software selects the planning units that best meet the conservation goals set for each conservation feature or set of conservation features used as inputs.

The Threat score for each planning unit was calculated as the mean score of the CurrentHuman Footprint and three scenarios Future Human Footprint, resulting in four threat scores per planning unit. The Irreplaceability and Threat scores for each planning unit were plotted on a on a graph representing Irreplaceability on the y-axis and Threat on the x-axis. The cutoff between High irreplaceability and Low irreplaceability was set as the median value (61) of the Irreplaceability scores, while the cutoff between High and Low vulnerability was assigned as the median of the Current Human Footprint values (21).

This map highlights the planning units that are currently identified as highly irreplaceable / low threat that are at risk of transitioning to a level of high threat in the future under one under one of the Future Human Footprint Scenarios. CT = FHF Current Trends Scenario, NCL = FHF Rapid Growth North Central Lakes, PNW = FHF Rapid Growth - Pacific Northwest.

This map of priority locations for conservation action is the result of the 2C1Forest Ecoregional Status and Trend Initiative conducted by the 2C1Forest Science Working Group.

 Find out more by reading the full report. Trombulak, S.C., M.G. Anderson, R.F. Baldwin, K. Beazley, J.C. Ray, C. Reining, G. Woolmer, C. Bettigole, G. Forbes, and L. Gratton. 2008. The Northern Appalachian/Acadian Ecoregion: Priority Locations for Conservation Action. Two Countries, One Forest / Deux Pays, Une Fort Special Report 1.