USING INFORMATION ON PAST AND PRESENT FOREST COVER TO GUIDE RESTORATION EFFORTS: AN ANALYSIS OF DATA QUALITY AND LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY IN UNAMA’KI (CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA)

Abstract

Ecological connectivity is the extent to which a landscape supports the movement of organisms and processes between patches of suitable habitat and is necessary for ecosystem functioning. Boreal forests in Unama’ki (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) have experienced reductions in connectivity in recent decades due to an outbreak of spruce budworm and subsequent over browse by moose. Using landcover data from Parks Canada, I analysed present and historical boreal forest connectivity in northwestern Unama’ki. I found that forest stands prior to the outbreak had on average a larger area and perimeter (p<0.05). I identified and prioritized non-forested areas for treeplanting in Zonation software. I developed a novel, user-friendly approach to assess data quality that can be used to assess data suitability and contextualize model results to end users. Information from this research can be used to support ongoing treeplanting efforts to restore connectivity, including in parks and protected areas.