Document Type
Report
Date of Original Version
1-2020
Department
Natural Resources Science
Abstract
This research brief was prepared by the University of Rhode Island (URI) in response to a request from the RI Woodland Partnership to provide data on recent loss of forest in RI. Specifically we were asked to estimate the extent of recent loss of forest in large unfragmented blocks of forest with an area of at least 250ac. These large unfragmented blocks are important for many wildlife species, and were mapped by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) during the preparation of the 2015 Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan. We were also asked to (a) estimate how much of the recent loss of forest in these unfragmented blocks was in areas that were not classified as wetlands, conservation land, or within the Urban Services Boundary; and (b) to describe the 2018 land uses to which these forested areas had been converted. The report was updated in January 2020 to include an estimate the loss of forest in these blocks by town.
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Buffum, Bill. "Research Brief: Loss of forest in large unfragmented blocks of forest in Rhode Island." (2020). https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/nrs_facpubs/925