General Natural Landscape Blocks

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Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Spencer, W.D., P. Beier, K. Penrod, K. Winters, C. Paulman, H. Rustigian-Romsos, J. Strittholt, M. Parisi, and A. Pettler. 2010. California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project: A Strategy for Conserving a Connected California. Prepared for California Department of Transportation, California Department of Fish and Game, and Federal Highways Administration.
Publication_Date: March 2010
Title: General Natural Landscape Blocks
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Online_Linkage: <http://www.bios.dfg.ca.gov>
Description:
Abstract:
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) commissioned the California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project because a functional network of connected wildlands is essential to the continued support of California's diverse natural communities in the face of human development and climate change. The Essential Connectivity Map depicts large, relatively natural habitat blocks that support native biodiversity (Natural Landscape Blocks) and areas essential for ecological connectivity between them (Essential Connectivity Areas). This coarse-scale map was based primarily on the concept of ecological integrity, rather than the needs of particular species. Essential Connectivity Areas are placeholder polygons that can inform land-planning efforts, but that should eventually be replaced by more detailed Linkage Designs, developed at finer resolution based on the needs of particular species and ecological processes. It is important to recognize that even areas outside of Natural Landscape Blocks and Essential Connectivity Areas support important ecological values that should not be "written off" as lacking conservation value. Furthermore, because the Essential Habitat Connectivity Map was created at the statewide scale, based on available statewide data layers, and ignored Natural Landscape Blocks smaller than 2,000 acres squared, it has errors of omission that should be addressed at regional and local scales.
Purpose:
The Essential Connectivity Map shows a statewide network of 850 relatively intact Natural Landscape Blocks (ranging in size from 2,000 to about 3.7 million acres) connected by 192 Essential Connectivity Areas (Table 3.1). There are fewer Essential Connectivity Areas than Natural Landscape Blocks, because each Essential Connectivity Area serves to connect at least two, and as many as 15 Natural Landscape Blocks. Due to the broad, statewide nature of this map, and its focus on connecting very large blocks of mostly protected natural lands, the network omits many areas that are important to biological conservation. The purpose of the map is to focus attention on large areas important to maintaining ecological integrity at the broadest scale. Natural areas excluded from this broad-brush Essential Connectivity Network can therefore not be "written off" as unimportant to connectivity conservation or to sustaining California's natural heritage.
Supplemental_Information:
The California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project report is available for download at <http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=18366> , <http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=18376> , <http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=18377> , and <http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/bio/program_efforts.htm>
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: March 2010
Currentness_Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -124.441493
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -113.600370
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.062573
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 32.429310
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword: California
Theme_Keyword: Essential
Theme_Keyword: Habitat
Theme_Keyword: Connectivity
Theme_Keyword: Natural Landscape Blocks
Theme_Keyword: Essential Connectivity Areas
Theme_Keyword: Linkage
Theme_Keyword: Corridor
Theme_Keyword: Linkage Design
Theme_Keyword: Connectivity Conservation
Theme_Keyword: Least-cost Corridor
Use_Constraints:
The user accepts sole responsibility for the correct interpretation of this report and the correct use of its accompanying data sets in environmental documents.
The Essential Habitat Connectivity map delineates lands likely important to wildlife movement between large, mostly natural areas at the statewide scale based on available data and assumptions provided in this report. It omits small natural areas and does not reflect movement needs of particular species. It is a decision-support tool to be refined by finer-scale analyses and local linkage designs. DO NOT assume that lands outside Natural Landscape Blocks or Essential Connectivity Areas are unimportant to wildlife populations or movements.
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Standard_Parallel: 40.500000
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Metadata_Date: 20101109
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Generated by mp version 2.9.6 on Tue Nov 09 11:00:18 2010