An updated map of Maryland’s habitats and the pathways that connect them will be used to support Chesapeake Bay restoration and environmental planning.
Produced by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Chesapeake Conservancy, the map highlights a “habitat connectivity network.” That network includes “hubs,” including large natural forests, wetlands, and aquatic habitats; and the “corridors” or pathways that connect them.
“These hub and corridor areas are vital to maintaining healthy wildlife populations across the state because many species require natural habitat areas above a certain size to thrive as well as natural corridors between habitat areas to find food and mating opportunities,” reads a news release from the natural resources department.
Maryland’s human residents also benefit from these habitats, which provide clean air and water, capture and store carbon, and make the area more resilient to climate hazard events.
Maryland’s Habitat Connectivity Network was first produced in 2005, when it was referred to as Green Infrastructure. The hub areas were updated in 2011.
In this latest iteration, the updated map distinguishes between types of hubs and corridors, including forest, wetland, and aquatic; breaks down land cover types found in the corridors; and identifies gaps in the corridors that could be restored.
For example, the map shows an aquatic hub along the Herring Run River in East Baltimore, and an upland hub in southern Rosedale in Baltimore County. There are gaps in the corridor between the two hubs: some are considered restorable, while others — like portions along the B&O Railroad — are not.
The data will be used to aid environmental planning by the state natural resources department and its local government and nonprofit partners; determine which areas to prioritize for protection and restoration; and improve shallow water habitat and increase coastal resilience as part of Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.
“Maryland’s Habitat Connectivity Network mapping is an important element of DNR’s work to preserve ecologically sensitive areas and inform the Rural Legacy Grant review system,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz in a statement. “These upgrades to our data system will improve our efforts to identify and protect land resources in every part of Maryland.”
High-resolution 2017/2018 land use and land cover mapping produced by the Chesapeake Conservancy and its partners helped update the network map.
“Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to partner with the state of Maryland on this critically needed update to habitat connectivity data,” said Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn. “As the state continues to grow and develop, Maryland has responded to the global nature crisis by setting the goal to conserve 40% of the state’s lands by 2040. These data will help planners focus their conservation efforts on the places that matter most for nature to have the space to thrive.”
The updated map can be viewed here.
