Data Summary

Landscape Indicators for Mapped Wetlands in Pennsylvania

2017 - The Pennsylvania State University


Metadata | Download | Preview | Add to ArcMap: Image or Feature | Add to ArcGIS Pro

API
REST:

WMS:


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Web Application: CLICK TO SEE APPLICATION


ABSTRACT
A Level 1 Landscape Assessment using spatial analysis was conducted to characterize all mapped wetlands from the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA. Wetland sites, comprising more than 168,000 polygons, were defined as 1-km radius landscape circles around the center point of each wetland polygon. Landscape composition was summarized by extracting information of a set of patches of the same type (i.e., a NLCD land use class) within each circle. The following NLCD land use classes were studied: (1) water, (2) developed, open space, (3) developed, low intensity, (4) developed, medium intensity, (5) developed, high intensity, (6) barren, rock/clay/sand, (7) forest, (8) shrub, scrub, (9) pasture, hay, (10) cultivated crops, and (11) wetlands. In addition, four indicators of human activity -Total Core Area Index, Road Density, Landscape Development Intensity Index, and Impervious Surface- were quantified by integrating land cover and road network information.