Ecosystem Alteration Doubles Estimates of Conservation Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Randy Swaty, Kori Blankenship, Sarah Hagen, Joseph Fargione, Jim Smith, Jeannie Patton
Primary Institution: The Nature Conservancy
Hypothesis
How does accounting for ecosystem alteration affect estimates of conservation risk in the conterminous United States?
Conclusion
Considering ecosystem alteration significantly increases the estimated conservation risk across the United States.
Supporting Evidence
- Approximately 29% of the land area of the conterminous United States has been converted to human use.
- An additional 23% of non-converted lands have high levels of ecosystem alteration.
- More than half (52%) of the United States has been highly altered or converted.
Takeaway
This study found that many areas in the U.S. are not just converted for human use but also highly altered, which makes them at greater risk for conservation.
Methodology
The study used remote sensing data to assess ecosystem alteration and calculated a conservation risk index for ecoregions.
Limitations
The analysis may not capture all forms of ecosystem alteration and relies on available remote sensing data.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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