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Abstract
Measuring Forest Fragmentation Using Landscape Metrics in the Northern Rockies
Track: Ecology, Archaeology, and Conservation
Author(s): Bo Wilmer
Conservation biologists are increasingly concerned about maintaining ecosystem connectivity and guarding against the process of habitat fragmentation. Despite a widespread recognition that interconnected patches of habitat can support more resilient populations of native animals, ecologists are struggling to define what fragmentation really means and how to measure it. This paper presents a method for quantifying forest fragmentation by using landscape metrics to measure the "patchiness" or connectivity of habitat across the landscape. The analysis is designed to illustrate changes in forest fragmentation due to human disturbance. By doing so, conservationists can focus protection efforts towards areas of high connectivity.
Bo Wilmer
The Wilderness Society
Ecology and Economics Research Dept.
1424 4th Avenue
Suite 816
Seattle , WA 98101
USA
Phone: 206-624-6430
Fax: 206-624-7101
E-mail: bwilmer@twsnw.org