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This page provides a brief description of the current reserach projects of the Landscape Ecology Lab and links to more detailed information about each project.

  • Detailed Research statement (pdf)
Assessment of Landscape Changes in the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative: Decision-Support Tools for Conservation

This project is focused on the development of a landscape change model for the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NALCC) that will ultimately allow us to assess landscape change, assess changes in ecological integrity and habitat capability for representative species, and allow us to identify priorities for land protection and management of existing conservation lands.

nalcc
FRAGSTATS: Spatial pattern analysis software for quantifying landscape pattern

This project is focused on the development of methods for quantifying landscape patterns and is centered around the development of the computer software program FRAGSTATS.

 fragstats
CAPS (Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System): Decision-support for biodiversity conservation planning

This project is focused on the development of a decision-support system (CAPS) for assessing ecological integrity and biodiversity value and prioritizing lands for conservation action (i.e., protection, management, and restoration).

 caps
HABIT@: Modeling wildlife habitat capability

This project is focused on the development of methods for quantifying wildlife habitat capability and is centered around the development the computer software program HABIT@ and its application to species such as the eastern indigo snake in Georgia.

 habitat
RMLands (Rocky Mountain Landscape Simulator): Quantifying dynamics in landscape structure under alternative disturbance scenarios

This project is focused on the development of methods to quantify landscape dynamics and is centered around the development and application of the computer software program RMLands.

 rmlands
Vernal pool ecology and conservation and amphibian metapopulation dynamics in southern New England

This project is focused on the ecology and conservation of vernal pools in southern New England, and more specifically on: 1) quantifying the spatial structure, demographics, and dynamics of marbled salamander populations in a cluster of vernal pools in central Massachusetts, and 2) examining the ecology of eastern spadefoot toads on Cape Cod National Seashore.

 vpools
Landscape ecology of wildfires in the western North America

This project is focused on understanding the landscape ecology of wildfires in western North America and the role of wildland fire use (or prescribed natural fire) on wildfire disturbance regimes and landscape vegetation patterns.

 fire

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Kevin McGarigal
Department of Environmental Conservation
University of Massachusetts
304 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center
Box 34210, Amherst, MA 01003
Fax: (413) 545-4358; Phone: (413) 577-0655
Email: mcgarigalk@eco.umass.edu
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