Environmental Stress

New development can put stress and pressure on natural or preserved areas. In the LEAM land use model, the probability that any one quarter-acre plot of land will develop is computed on an annual basis depending on a number of factors happening around it. Taking the top percentiles of probability scores, we identify and rank those areas that are sensitive and, at the same time, highly attractive for development. These become areas that may require special consideration in mitigation planning. This method can be applied to many different development or transportation scenarios and many types of environmentally-sensitive geographies, including:

• wetlands
• watersheds
• threatened and endangered species habitat
• karst areas
• open space or parks
• prime farming soils
• floodplains
• forests
• historic sites

We also use the LEAM land use model and work with our natural resource partners to study the impacts of land use change on changes in species-specific patch connectivity and potential population isolation that could be an indicator of habitat fragmentation. The method involves looking at habitat patches that can sustain populations, estimating population size, and assessing the degree of connectivity and potential gene flow between patches. Selection criteria, including edge disturbance and perimeter to area ratio, determine suitable "origin" patches to support a specific species, and a species dispersal model is used to classify a habitat grid map based on the likelihood of species movement and suitability of the surrounding areas. In a single simulation, we are able to study all potential paths able to be used by a species. Finally, connectivity is determined through exchange of individuals, that is, when individuals from one suitable habitat patch are able to disperse into another and vice versa.

Read more about LEAMgroup's Environmental Stress Analysis...