National forests on the edge: development pressures on America's national forests and grasslands.

摘要: Many of America’s national forests and grasslands—collectively called the National Forest System—face increased risks alterations from escalating housing development on private rural lands along their boundaries. grasslands provide critical social, ecological, economic benefits to American public. This study projects future density increases at three distances—2, 3, 10 miles—from external boundaries all across conterminous United States. Some 21.7 million acres (about 8 percent lands) located within miles System are projected undergo in by 2030. Nine experience least 25 adjacent one or more distances considered. Thirteen each have than a half-million density. Such accompanying landscape fragmentation pose substantial challenges for management conservation ecosystem services amenity resources lands, including access Research such as this can help planners, managers, communities consider impacts local land use decisions.