Ecologically Relevant Landforms

The ecologically-relevant geophysical (ERGo) landforms dataset is a comprehensive classification of landforms based on hillslope position and dominant physical processes that covers most of North America. Four hillslope positions form a natural sequence of topographic units along the catena: ridges/peaks (summits), upper slopes (shoulders), lower slopes (foot slopes), and valley bottoms (toe slopes). The position within each of these hillslopes as a function of solar orientation to reflect how ecological processes (especially soil moisture and evapotranspiration) are influenced by insolation. Also included are very flat (i.e. areas <2°) or very steep (i.e. “cliffs” >50°). We provide these data here at 30 m resolution,...

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Downloadable, Map Service; Tags: ecologically-relevant, hillslope position, landforms, solar orientation

Landforms, Northern Appalachians

A "landform" is any physical, recognizable form or feature on the earth's surface that has a characteristic shape and that is produced by natural causes (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service). Landforms are largely responsible for local variation in solar radiation, soil development, moisture availability, and susceptibility to wind and other disturbance. They therefore have a large influence on plant productivity and species distributions. This dataset maps 17 landforms that are commonly found in the Northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. This dataset was developed by The Nature Conservancy as part of "Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region" found here: http://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/U...

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Downloadable, Map Service; Tags: Ecoregional planning, Landforms, TNC, Terrestrial

Ecological Land Units

Conservation planning at any scale—regional, landscape level, or local—requires an understanding of patterns of environmental variation and biological diversity. This dataset was developed as a tool for assessing the biophysical character of landscapes, and for mapping the distribution and composition of community assemblages across those landscapes. Informed decisions on where to focus conservation efforts require such tools. Data on biological distributions are very often inadequate to a large-scale analysis of biodiversity. The close relationship of the physical environment to ecological process and biotic distributions underpins the ecological sciences, and in the absence of suitable biological datasets, conservation...

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Downloadable, Map Service; Tags: Ecological Land Units, Elevation Zones, Geology. Ecoregional planning, Landforms, TNC