Landscape Road Density Analysis Using Weighted Metrics Sensitive to Conservation Effects

Author: Hugh Irwin
Organization: Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition

46 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801-2838
USA

Phone: 828-252-9223
Fax: 828-252-9074
hugh@safc.org

Road density measures play important roles in GIS-based analysis of wildlife habitat and wildlands delineation, representing roads' effects on wildlife (barriers, habitat degradation, edges) and on the quality of wildlands (remoteness). Analysts typically calculate road density by weighting all roads equally, ignoring differences among roads that vary from interstate highways to closed forest roads. In reality, roads have different effects based on width, amounts of traffic, and engineering (e.g., fencing, concrete barriers). In this study, we model road effects with a weighted road density measure that reflects these differences and apply this improved measure to focal wildlife species.