1. Critical Linkages
Proactive transportation and land protection planning in MA
Interagency Lands Committee, January 14, 2009
• CAPS (Conservation Assessment & Prioritization System)
• UMass Landscape Ecology Program
– Kevin McGarigal, Scott Jackson, Brad Compton, Kasey Raleigh
– “Critical Linkages” (Connectivity)
– Index of Ecological Integrity (Resiliency)
• Applications
– Land Protection Planning
– Connectivity Restoration
– Climate Adaptation
2. Ecological Integrity
…the long-term capability of the ecological
community to sustain its composition,
structure and function and thus its
resiliency to stress
3. UMass CAPS Index of Ecological Integrity
Land cover is mapped based on
several GIS data layers
Roads
DEP Wetlands
Land Use
Land Cover Map
12. Data and Town Maps
http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/
caps/data/dep/dep.html#maps
13. A Comprehensive Biodiversity Assessment
Protecting What we What we
= +
biodiversity know don’t know
UMass
BioMap
PListed element •PHidden biodiversity
• Listed element Common biodiversity
occurrences (fine filter) PAreas not yet
occurrences (coarse filter)
• Conservation planning • adequately inventoried
PConservation planning Hidden biodiversity
for listed species
for listed species • Areas not adequately
inventoried
15. “Critical Linkages”
• 3,000,000 forest acres
• 35,000 mi. of public roads,
30,000 road stream crossings + 3,000 dams
– Habitat fragmentation
– Other challenges:
• Forests: Habitat conversion, pests and pathogens,
climate change, atmospheric deposition
• Rivers: Water withdrawal, sedimentation, climate
change, pollution
16. Large Scale Forest Conservation
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LANDSCAPE (MATRIX) U
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17. “Critical Linkages”: Connectivity questions:
• To restore and maintain habitat connectivity
– What road segments are most important to restore?
– Which areas are most important to protect?
19. Critical Linkages 2008-2009
Phase 1: Local Connectivity (Connectedness)
• Connectedness: connectivity
of a focal unit (grid cell) with its
surrounding landscape context
– to what extent are ecological
flows (e.g., dispersal) from that
unit impeded or facilitated by the
landscape.
• Structural and Functional: Landscape resistance and
distance are parameterized based on multiple species
21. Critical Linkages
Phase 1: Local Connectivity
• Identify priorities for
protection and restoration
of local connectivity
– Statewide analysis
– Automated scenario testing
23. Critical Linkages 2009-2010
Phase 2: Regional Connectivity
• A network of important connections
among protected areas and other
areas of high ecological integrity
(nodes)
– Graph Matrix Model under development
– Random low cost paths
26. Protection
Applications: Priorities
Protection Priorities
• Middlefield IEI
• Other data
– POS
– BioMap
– Etc.
For example only—not actual priorities
28. • Resilient habitats for rare and
Applications common species, and connectivity
Climate Change Adaptation among them
Potential
Regional
Connectivity
Resilience
• The capacity for renewal in a
dynamic environment
– Gunderson 2000
• An ability to resist and recover
from change or disturbance
29. Critical Linkages
• “Critical Linkages” (Connectivity)
• Index of Ecological Integrity (Resiliency)
• Applications
– Land Protection Planning
– Connectivity Restoration
– Climate Adaptation
• Questions
Thank You
