Geophysical Settings, 2016 Eastern U.S. and Canada
Dates
Publication Date
2016
Citation
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Summary
**Symbology has been adjusted by the Open Space Institute from The Nature Conservancy's original "Geophysical Settings, 2016 Eastern U.S. and Canada" dataset.** The geophysical settings are defined by their physical properties – geology, soil, and elevation - that correspond to differences in the flora and fauna they support. They also differ in ecological character, in their value for agriculture or mining, and how they have been developed by people. For example, the region’s high granite mountains are both largely intact and topographically complex, whereas low coastal sandplains are both more fragmented and relatively flat. The geophyical settings classification enabled us to compare resilience characteristics among sites that [...]
Summary
**Symbology has been adjusted by the Open Space Institute from The Nature Conservancy's original "Geophysical Settings, 2016 Eastern U.S. and Canada" dataset.**
The geophysical settings are defined by their physical properties – geology, soil, and elevation - that correspond to differences in the flora and fauna they support. They also differ in ecological character, in their value for agriculture or mining, and how they have been developed by people. For example, the region’s high granite mountains are both largely intact and topographically complex, whereas low coastal sandplains are both more fragmented and relatively flat. The geophyical settings classification enabled us to compare resilience characteristics among sites that represent similar geophysical settings in order to identify the most resilient examples of each setting. In this dataset, the geophysical settings have been combined with “ecoregions” as defined by TNC based on the subsections delineated by the US Forest Service (USDA FS 2007) and Canadian Provinces (Anderson 1999). Because each ecoregion represents an area of similar physiography and landscape features, it is an appropriate natural unit in which to evaluate geophysical representation and to compare and contrast sites.
This Geophysical Settings is a 30 meter raster grid that contains information in the raster attribute tale about the grid cell's ecoregion, elevation zone, geology, and setting. In the distribution folder there are layer files for each of these attributes with the symbology from the report.
**Symbology has been adjusted by the Open Space Institute from The Nature Conservancy's original "Geophysical Settings, 2016 Eastern U.S. and Canada" dataset.**
Resilience concerns the ability of a living system to adjust to climate change, moderate potential damages, take advantage of opportunities, or cope with consequences; in short, the capacity to adapt. The Nature Conservancy’s resilience analysis develops an approach to conserve biological diversity while allowing species and communities to rearrange in response to a continually changing climate. - See more at: http://nature.org/TNCResilience
Eastern Division scientists analyzed 393 million acres of land for resilience, stretching from Florida to Maine and adjacent areas of Canada. Scientists considered individual landscapes such as forests, wetlands, and mountain ranges as collections of neighborhoods where plants and animals reside. Areas with the most complex neighborhoods in terms of topography, elevation ranges, and wetland density were estimated to offer the greatest potential for plant and animal species to “move down the block” and find new homes as climate change alters their traditional neighborhoods. The resilience study also considered the permeability of landscapes, analyzing where roads, dams, development, or other fragmenting features create barriers that prevent plants and animals from moving into new neighborhoods.
Together, the diversity of physical features and the ability for local movement define a landscape’s resiliency.
Rights
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