RSS Latest Content Added to the NALCC
- Climate Stress
- This dataset represents the climate stress metric, which is a measure of the estimated climate stress that may be exerted on a focal cell in 2080. Specifically, the climate stress metric reflects the 2080 departure from the current climate conditions that a cell may be exposed to in relation to its current climate niche breadth. Essentially, this metric measures the magnitude of climate change stress at the focal cell based on the climate niche of the corresponding ecological system and the predicted change in climate (i.e., how much is the climate of the focal cell moving away from the climate niche of the corresponding ecological system) between 2010-2080 based on the average of two climate change scenarios: RCP 4.5 and 8.5. Cells where the predicted climate suitability in the future decreases (i.e., climate is becoming less suitable for that ecological system) are considered stressed, and the stress increases as the predicted climate becomes less suitable based on the ecological system's current climate niche model. Conversely, cells where the predicted climate suitability in the future increases (i.e., climate is improving for that ecological systems) are considered unstressed and assigned a value of zero.
- Weighted Index of Ecological Integrity
- This dataset represents the weighted index of ecological integrity (IEI), which is a measure of relative intactness (i.e., freedom from human modifications and disturbance) and resiliency to environmental change (e.g., as caused by disturbance and climate change). Raw IEI is a composite index derived from 19 different landscape metrics that measure different aspects of intactness and resiliency. For the derivation of this layer, raw IEI is (quantile) scaled by ecological system and HUC6 watershed so that the poorest cell of each ecological system gets a 0 and the best gets a 1 within each watershed. In the layer provided here, scaled IEI has been modified to reflect weights assigned to each ecological system by the planning team, such that the final index gives more emphasis to certain terrestrial and wetland ecological systems deemed more vulnerable or in greater need of conservation (e.g., wetlands, alpine, boreal upland forest). Note that weights were not applied to aquatic systems. Thus, Aquatic Index of Ecological Integrity, which is provided for convenience in displaying the results of the aquatic conservation design but is otherwise equivalent to IEI except that it only has values for aquatic cells (all non-aquatic cells are set to nodata), is technically unweighted IEI. Weighted IEI is a major component of the terrestrial and aquatic core area selection indices and thus the terrestrial and aquatic network of core areas.
- Anadromous Fish Index
- This dataset identifies large and medium rivers within the Connecticut River watershed that provide habitat for five anadromous fish species: American shad, blueback herring, shortnose sturgeon, alewife, and sea lamprey. Habitat includes the mainstem and major tributaries of the Connecticut River from the mouth of the river upstream to the limit of passability for these species. This layer is derived from a product entitled "diadromous fish habitat in the Connecticut River watershed" developed in 2010 by The Nature Conservancy, Connecticut River Basin Program. Digital data updates were performed by Renee Farnsworth working with USFWS personnel through the NALCC. Specifically, river segments identified and known to be accessible to the five species listed above were extracted from the diadromous data layer, and each river segment was assigned a score from 1-5 indicating the number of species having known access to the segment. In addition, each segment was scored as “free-flowing,” “impounded” or “unknown.” All river sections with a score >0 for the five focal species are included in the final set of lotic cores.
- Aquatic Selection Index
- This dataset represents the selection index used to create aquatic ecosystem-based cores. The selection index is a continuous surface in which every cell is assigned a value (0-1) based on its relative ecological integrity within each HUC6 watershed. Specifically, the selection index is equal to the index of ecological integrity except in headwater creeks where it is the average of IEI and USGS's stream temperature tolerance index. Aquatic core areas are created, in part, by choosing cells above a certain index value and spreading from these "seed areas" through adjacent aquatic cells to build larger, buffered cores of relatively high ecological value.
- Sea Level Rise
- This dataset represents the sea level rise metric based on a model developed by Rob Theiler and associates at USGS Woods Hole, which is a measure of the probability of a focal cell being unable to adapt to predicted inundation by sea level rise. Specifically, whether a site gets inundated by salt water permanently due to sea level rise or intermittently via storm surges associated with sea level rise clearly determines whether an ecosystem can persist at a site and thus its ability to support a characteristic plant and animal community. USGS examined future sea-level rise impacts on the coastal landscape from Maine to Virginia by producing spatially-explicit, probabilistic predictions using sea-level projections (based on an average of two climate change scenarios: RCP 4.5 and 8.5), vertical land movement (due to glacial isostacy) rates, elevation, and land cover data. The data span the coastal zone from an elevation of 5 m inland to -10 m offshore, and are provided for the forecast year 2080.In the layer provided here, the raw coastal response metric produced by USGS is scaled and inverted so that a cell with high probability of exhibiting a dynamic (or adaptive) response to sea level rise gets a zero (low stress) and a cell with low probability of exhibiting a dynamic response gets a value approaching 1 (high stress). In addition, we set all cells classified as sub-tidal to nodata for consistency with other products.
- Terrestrial Ecosystem-Based Core Area Selection Index
- This dataset represents the selection index used to create terrestrial ecosystem-based cores. The selection index is a continuous surface in which every cell is assigned a value (0-1) based on its relative ecological integrity and/or biodiversity value within each HUC6 watershed. Specifically, for all terrestrial and wetland cells, the selection index is a composite index derived from a weighted combination of the 1) weighted index of ecological integrity, 2) TNC's terrestrial resiliency index, and a binary representation of 3) TNC's tier 1 floodplains and 4) S1-S3 rare natural communities as defined and mapped by the state Natural Heritage programs. For aquatic cells (which are also included in this layer), the index is equal to IEI, except in headwater creeks where IEIis averaged with USGS's stream temperature tolerance index
- North Atlantic LCC staff and partners to present new research and tools at NEAFWA conference
- The annual Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference in Annapolis, Md., will feature several presentations by North Atlantic LCC staff and partners, including a hands-on workshop designed to introduce biological and GIS staff from state agencies to new information and tools.
- TNC Terrestrial Resiliency, CT River Watershed
- This dataset represents a scaled version of the terrestrial resiliency index developed by Mark Anderson and associates at The Nature Conservancy (Anderson et al 2012), which is a measure of the relative long-term resiliency of a site based on connectivity to a diversity of landforms, elevations and wetlands. Thus, a value of 0.9 in a cell means that it has a resiliency score that is greater than 90% of all the cells of the same geophysical setting in that watershed, and all the cells with >0.9 values comprise the best 10% of all cells across all geophysical settings within the watershed. TNC's resiliency index, as scaled here, is a major component of the terrestrial core area selection index and thus the terrestrial core area network.
- Land Cover, 2011
- The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2011 was created through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium. NLCD 2011 is the most up-to-date iteration of the National Land Cover Database, the definitive Landsat-based, 30 meter resolution land cover database for the Nation, clipped to the Northeast. The data in NLCD 2011 are completely integrated with NLCD 2001 (2011 Edition) and NLCD 2006 (2011 Edition). Also, as part of the NLCD 2011 project, NLCD 2001 and 2006 land cover and impervious data products have been revised and reissued (2011 Edition) to provide full compatibility with the new NLCD 2011 products. This dataset was created on a path/row basis and mosaicked to create a seamless national product.
- Webinar: North Atlantic Vernal Pool Data Cooperative: A Regional Framework to Advance Conservation Planning
- Led by Steve Faccio of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Sean MacFaden of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, this webinar introduces the Vernal Pool Data Cooperative as a framework for geospatial vernal pool data and a means to advance vernal pool conservation on a landscape scale, highlights data gaps where additional vernal pool mapping is needed, and demonstrates the visualization capabilities for the data on the North Atlantic LCC Conservation Planning Atlas.
- April 6, 2016 North Atlantic LCC Steering Committee Agenda
- Agenda for North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative Steering Committee Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Annapolis, MD
- Up to 70 percent of Northeast coast has natural capacity to adapt to sea-level rise
- A new model developed by the US Geological Survey captures the potential for the Northeast coastline to change in response to sea-level rise, rather than simply be submerged.
- What lies beneath lakes and ponds
- The Nature Conservancy's new Northeast Lakes and Ponds Classification System will enable more effective conservation of aquatic ecosystems in the region.
- Webinar: Vernal Pool Data Cooperative Mar 17, 2016 from 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM
- Learn about a new spatial database created to help advance the conservation of vernal pool habitat in the North Atlantic region.
- TidalCrossingsCall_20160202
- Plum Island Ecosystem Marsh Modeling Symposium Apr 11, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
- A one day symposium at Parker River Wildlife Refuge Headquarters to examine the various salt marsh modeling approaches to be applied in the Plum Island Ecosystem.
- TNC Progress Report Dec 2015
- TNC Progress Report Dec 2015
- New tool directs more effective actions to restore aquatic habitat
- A new online tool will help resource managers identify fish habitat conservation projects that offer the greatest long-term conservation benefit in the face of threats from climate change and development.
- Webinar: Fish Habitat Decision Support Tool Mar 09, 2016 from 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM
- Take a tour of a new online tool designed to help resource managers identify locations in the Midwest and Northeast where actions to protect and restore habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms will have the greatest impact.
- Terrestrial Cores and Connectors
- Included in this download are a set of Tier 1 terrestrial core areas and their connectors, grassland bird core areas, and additional tier 2 cores and tier 3 supporting landscapes. In combination with the aquatic core areas, they spatially represent the ecological network derived from the Connecticut River Landscape Conservation Design (CTR LCD) project. Terrestrial Core and Connectors: The network is designed to provide strategic guidance for conserving natural areas, and the fish, wildlife, and other components of biodiversity that they support within the Connecticut River watershed. Connectors represent “corridors” that could facilitate the movement of plants and animals (i.e., ecological flow) between terrestrial tier 1 core areas. Grassland Bird Cores: Represents a set of terrestrial core areas for grassland birds based on the eastern meadowlark as a representative species for grassland birds. Terrestrial Core Tiers: This layer depicts the terrestrial tier 1 cores (encompassing 25% of the landscape), nested within tier 2 cores (encompassing 50% of the landscape), nested with tier 3 supporting landscapes (encompassing 77% of the landscape). The tiers reflect the arbitrariness in selecting thresholds for designating priority core areas.
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