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A landscape index of ecological integrity to inform landscape conservation

Authors:

Kevin McGarigal

Bradley Compton

Ethan Plunkett

William Deluca

JOANNA GRAND

Eduard Ene

Scott Jackson

+2 more
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Year of Publication:
2018
Secondary Title:
Landscape Ecology
ISSN:
0921-2973
DOI:
10.1007/s10980-018-0653-9
Pages:
1-20
Year:
2018
Date:
8-Jun-2018

Abstract

Conservation planning is increasingly using "coarse filters" based on the idea of conserving "nature's stage". One such approach is based on ecosystems and the concept of ecological integrity, although myriad ways exist to measure ecological integrity. Objective: To describe our ecosystem-based index of ecological integrity (IEI) and its derivative index of ecological impact (ecoImpact), and illustrate their applications for conservation assessment and planning in the northeastern United States.