Resilient & Connected Landscapes: Great Lakes & Tallgrass Prairie
The Nature Conservancy, working with partners from eight states and two countries, has completed a large multi-year study to identify and map the climate-resilient sites that could sustain the prairies, potholes, loess hills, shoreline forests and remote peatlands of this remarkably fertile region.
Subject Tags
- Large scale protection
- Climate resilience
- Biodiversity
Abstract
Fertile soils and a historically mild climate make this one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world but also led to widespread land conversion and dramatic losses of natural habitats. A changing climate brings new challenges to the region, but despite these the Heartland continues to hold great promise for nature conservation. Large tracts of connected forests remain a prominent feature of the Great Lakes landscape, helping to protect 20% of the world’s available fresh water. Remnants of the highly diverse prairie ecosystems are scattered throughout the region, and unique wetlands abound, supporting more than 50% of the nation’s migratory waterfowl. Here you will find a report explaining the methods, datasets for download and interactive web tools to explore the results and measure the resilience of places you know.
Additional Resources
Tour Resilient and Connected Sites across the US
Explore the methods in the Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation in the Great Lakes and Tallgrass Prairie Region Storymap
Explore the data in the Resilient Land Mapping Tool
For the most up-to-date data see CRCS’s National Resilient and Connected Network Download Page
Download the original data that accompanies the report:
Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation Data for the Great Lakes and Tallgrass Prairie Region
Citation
Anderson, M.G., Clark M., Cornett, M.W., Hall K.R., Olivero Sheldon, A., Prince, J.. (2018). Resilient Sites for Terrestrial Conservation in the Great Lakes and Tallgrass Prairie. The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Conservation Science and North America Region.
TNC Authors
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Mark G. Anderson
Director of Conservation Science
The Nature Conservancy
Email: manderson@tnc.org -
Melissa Clark
Spatial Ecology Lead, North America Office
The Nature Conservancy
Email: melissa_clark@tnc.org -
Arlene Olivero
Aquatic Ecologist/GIS Analyst, North America Office
The Nature Conservancy
Email: arlene_olivero@tnc.org -
Kimberly Hall
Climate Change Ecologist, North America Office
The Nature Conservancy
Email: kimberly.hall@tnc.org -
John Prince
The Nature Conservancy -
Meredith Cornett
The Nature Conservancy -
Center for Resilient Conservation Science