This indicator captures the overall acres of freshwater and saltwater marsh currently present in the South Atlantic geography.
Reason for Selection
Overall acreage of existing freshwater and saltwater marsh provides an indicator of whether marsh being inundated by sea level rise is being replaced or restored somewhere else. It is also well monitored and resonates with a diversity of audiences.
Input Data
– 2016 National Land Cover Database (2016 NLCD)
Mapping Steps
Pixels identified as “emergent herbaceous wetlands” in the 2016 NLCD were considered existing marsh.
Final indicator values
Indicator values were assigned as follows:
1 = Freshwater or saltwater marsh
Disclaimer: Comparing with Older Indicator Versions
There are numerous problems with using South Atlantic indicators for change analysis. Please consult Blueprint staff if you would like to do this (email hilary_morris@fws.gov).
Literature Cited
Homer, Collin G., Dewitz, Jon A., Jin, Suming, Xian, George, Costello, C., Danielson, Patrick, Gass, L., Funk, M., Wickham, J., Stehman, S., Auch, Roger F., Riitters, K. H., Conterminous United States land cover change patterns 2001–2016 from the 2016 National Land Cover Database: ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, v. 162, p. 184–199, at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2020.02.019.
The South Atlantic Conservation Blueprint is a living spatial plan to conserve natural and cultural resources for current and future generations in the face of future change. It spans parts of six states, from Virginia to Florida, including U.S. waters to 200 miles offshore. The Blueprint...