The Landscape Fragmentation Tool maps four types of fragmentation present for a specified land cover (i.e. forest). These value-added map layers can be used to quantify and assess the amount of fragmentation present in a landscape and evaluate potential habitat impacts. “Core” regions are solid nondegraded areas of specified land cover, “edge” and “perforated” occur along the periphery of core areas, and “patch” regions make up small fragments that are completely isolated from core areas. Additionally, the core regions are split into three size classes.
Features
- Analyzes types of fragmentation present in a land cover feature of interest
- Quantifies the amount of each fragmentation category that can be related to the potential impacts of fragmentation on habitats
- Creates value added data layers for fragmentation present in the geography of interest
Technical Specifications
- Microsoft .NET and ESRI .NET Support for ArcGIS
- ESRI ArcView 9.3 (most recent Service Pack)
- Two versions of the Landscape Fragmentation Tool v2.0 are available; one requires the Spatial Analyst extension, the other does not
Data Requirements
- Land cover data in a grid format
Stories From the Field
Connecticut’s Changing Landscape – Forest Fragmentation Analysis Project
The Center for Land Use Education and Research’s (CLEAR) land fragmentation tool was applied to analyzing forest cover in five dates of land cover (1985, 1990, 1995, 2002, 2006) for the state of Connecticut. Results provide a sense of the health and function of the state’s natural resources. Users can view results in several formats, including interactive maps.
Support
While the Landscape Fragmentation Tool was designed to analyze fragmentation in forest, it can be used to map fragmentation in any land cover of interest. The tool is based on research done by Vogt et al (2007).
CLEAR’s Land Fragmentation Tool homepage
Gives users an overview of the tool, explanation of the data required, and links to publications
Forest Fragmentation Background Information and Resources
Provides an introduction to forest fragmentation and an explanation for how the various categories of fragmentation are applied to forests
Jason R. Parent and James D. Hurd
Laboratory for Earth Resources Information Systems
Center for Land use Education and Research
Department of Natural Resources Management and Engineering
University of Connecticut
(860) 486-4610