Resilient Terrestrial Sites (Southeast Blueprint Indicator)

Reason for Selection Resilience scores quantify a combination of landscape diversity and local connectedness, stratified by geophysical setting and ecoregion. These measures represent the number of microclimates available to species and the current state of the landscape. This builds on research from Anderson and Ferree (2010), who showed geophysical diversity and elevation range were associated with biodiversity in the Eastern United States. Resilience emphasizes diverse landscapes where species are likely to be able to move and adjust to changing conditions. Input Data * The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) combined terrestrial and coastal [resilient sites for the conterminous U.S.] in geodatabase format ([resilient_sites_national.zip]), accessed 12-3-2024 * [Southeast Blueprint 2025 extent] Mapping Steps * Clip the TNC data to the bounding box around the Southeast Blueprint 2025 extent. * To extract the terrestrial component of the analysis, reclassify the “type_des” field to assign “Terrestrial Resilience” a value of 1 and everything else a value of NoData. * Reclassify the “CONUS_Legend” field into the final indicator values: * 11 Most resilient = 7 * 12 More resilient = 6 * 13 Slightly more resilient = 5 * 17 Average/median resilient (terrestrial or coastal) = 4 * 18 Slightly less resilient (terrestrial or coastal) = 3 * 19 Less resilient (terrestrial or coastal) = 2 * 20 Least resilient (terrestrial or coastal) = 1 * 91 Developed = 0 * As a final step, clip to the spatial extent of Southeast Blueprint 2025. Note: For more details on the mapping steps, code used to create this layer is available [in the Southeast Blueprint 2025 Data Download] under > 6_Code. Final indicator values Indicator values are assigned as follows: 7 = Most resilient 6 = More resilient 5 = Slightly more resilient 4 = Average/median resilience 3 = Slightly less resilient 2 = Less resilient 1 = Least resilient 0 = Developed Known Issues * This indicator does not account for the occurrence and timing of disturbance processes, particularly fire. Without fire, resilient sites in many terrestrial ecosystems will not serve as biodiversity hotspots. This is particularly problematic in pine and prairie ecosystems in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Disclaimer: Comparing with Older Indicator Versions There are numerous problems with using Southeast Blueprint indicators for change analysis. Please consult Blueprint staff if you would like to do this (email [hilary_morris@fws.gov]). Literature Cited Anderson, M.G., A. Barnett, M. Clark, C. Ferree, A. Olivero Sheldon, J. Prince. 2016. Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation in Eastern North America. The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Conservation Science. [[https://easterndivision.s3.amazonaws.com/Resilient_Sites_for_Terrestrial_Conservation.pdf]]. Anderson, M.G., Ferree, C.E., 2010. Conserving the stage: climate change and the geophysical underpinnings of species diversity. PLoS One 5, e11554. [[https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011554]]. The Nature Conservancy. Datasets for the Conterminous U.S.: Resilient Sites (Terrestrial and Coastal). Esri File Geodatabase format. Accessed December 3, 2024. [[https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationPractices/ClimateChange/Pages/RCN-Downloads.aspx]].