Fifteen-year changes in the landscape context of FIA forest land in the conterminous United States

Abstract

We assessed historical changes in the landscape context of forest (circa 2016) that occurred between 2001 and 2016. We quantified three measures of context - forest cover fragmentation, anthropogenic interface, and forest edge typology - within a 15.2 ha neighborhood centered on representative forest inventory plot locations in the conterminous United States. Net change of interface area was attributable mainly to privately owned land in the East, amounting to a 4.9 percent decrease of forest area in the agriculture interface and a 3.7 percent increase of area in the developed interface. Overall, net loss of interior forest area was due primarily to losses on Federal land in the West and corporate land in the East. Consistent with the dynamics of interface classes and interior forest area, edge typology revealed an overall increase in forest cover adjacent to developed and shrub/grass covers and a decrease in forest adjacent to agricultural cover.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2022 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA 2022) science stakeholder meeting: grow. adapt. regenerate—monitoring and responding to global change to promote resilient and productive forests

Citation

Costanza, Jennifer K.; Schleeweis, Karen G.; Riitters, Kurt H. 2024. Fifteen-year changes in the landscape context of FIA forest land in the conterminous United States. In: Crocker, S.J., ed. Proceedings of the 2022 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA 2022) science stakeholder meeting: grow. adapt. regenerate - monitoring and responding to global change to promote resilient and productive forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-225. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. p. 2-8.