Forest dynamics in the U.S. indicate disproportionate attrition in western forests, rural areas and public lands.

ABSTRACT: Forests are experiencing significant changes; studying geographic patterns in forests is critical in understanding the impact of forest dynamics to biodiversity, soil erosion, water chemistry and climate. Few studies have examined forest geographic pattern changes other than fragmentation; however, other spatial processes of forest dynamics are of equal importance. Here, we study forest attrition, the complete removal of forest patches, that can result in complete habitat loss, severe decline of population sizes and species richness, and shifts of local and regional environmental conditions. We aim to develop a simple yet insightful proximity-based spatial indicator capturing forest attrition that is independent of spatial scale and boundaries with worldwide application potential. Using th

SUBMITTER: Yang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5321268 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature