History and Importance of Land Use and Protection in the North Quabbin Region of Massachusetts (USA)

Evaluating the consequences and future of land protection requires broad temporal and spatial perspectives of ecological and cultural factors. We assessed the development of a system of protected areas comprising 37% of central Massachusetts in terms of changing rates and means of land protection. We compared protected areas to the surrounding matrix in terms of physical, biological, and historical features and used these results to raise issues concerning future planning. The rate, purpose, and means of land protection in the North Quabbin Region (168,312 ha) have been dynamic as a result of changes in cultural values and transformation of the landscape from predominantly agriculture to forest. Protected lands are managed by 25 federal and state agencies, private groups, and municipal departments and commissions and are physically and biologically typical of the regional landscape which results from (1) participation of diverse organizations with varied agendas; (2) predominance of large government acquisitions driven by landscape-scale criteria; and (3) absence of coordination among groups. The large area, relative homogeneity and largely undeveloped status of the North Quabbin Region suggest conservation goals distinct from those in the fragmented and extensively developed neighboring areas of the Connecticut River Valley and Cape Cod and Islands Region. Large tracts of forests, wetlands, and lakes in the North Quabbin Region provide (1) habitat for species requiring extensive, intact areas; (2) the opportunity to maintain broad-scale ecological processes; (3) connections to regional conservation areas; and (4) recreation. To realize the area’s potential, a comprehensive plan must be based on a broad-scale perspective and historical understanding of the landscape. La evaluacion de consecuencias y futuro de la proteccion de suelos requiere de amplias perspectivas espaciales y temporales de factores ecologicos y culturales. Evaluamos el desarrollo de un sistema de areas protegidas que abarca el 37% del centro de Massachussets en terminos de cambios en las tasas y medios de proteccion de suelo. Comparamos las areas protegidas con la matriz circundante en terminos de sus caracteristicas fisicas, biologicas e historicas e utilizamos los resultados para hacer consideraciones de respecto a planeacion futura. La tasa, el proposito y los medios de proteccion de suelo en la region North Quabbin (168,312 ha) han sido dinamicos como consecuencia de cambios de valores culturales y transformacion del paisaje de predominantemente agricola a forestal. Las areas protegidas son manejadas por 25 agencias federales y estatales, grupos privados, departamentos y comisiones municipales; fisica y biologicamente son tipicas del paisaje regional que resulta de (1) la participacion de organizaciones diversas con agendas variadas; (2) predominancia de grandes adquisiciones gubernamentales motivadas por criterios a escala de paisaje y (3) falta de coordinacion entre grupos. La extension de la region North Quabbin, su relativa homogeneidad y estatus poco desarrollados sugieren metas de conservacion distintas a las de areas vecinas, fragmentadas y extensamente desarrolladas, del valle del Rio Connecticut y las regiones Cape Cod e Islands. Los extensos bosques, humedales y lagos en la region North Quabbin proporcionan (1) habitat para especies que requieren areas extensas e intactas, (2) la oportunidad de mantener procesos ecologicos en dmplia escala, (3) conexiones con areas de conservacion regionales y (4) recreacion. Para que el potencial del area sea realidad se debe utilizar un plan general basado en una perspectiva escalar amplia y en el entendimiento de la historia del paisaje.