Terrestrial Connectivity

The Terrestrial Connectivity dataset is one of the four key components of the California Department of Fish and Wildlifes (CDFW) Areas of Conservation Emphasis (ACE) suite of terrestrial conservation information along with terrestrial Biodiversity, Significant Habitats, and Climate Resilience. The Terrestrial Connectivity dataset summarizes information on terrestrial connectivity by ACE hexagon including the presence of mapped corridors or linkages and the juxtaposition to large, contiguous, natural areas. This dataset was developed to support conservation planning efforts by allowing users to spatially evaluate the relative contribution of an area to terrestrial connectivity based on the results of statewide, regional, and other connectivity analyses.

Each hexagon (2.5 mi2) is ranked into one of the following categories based on the identification of corridors and linkages in statewide, regional, and species-movement studies:

ACE Rank 1-5, where 5 indicates highest connectivity conservation priority.

Rank 5:

1. Hexagon contains a known priority species movement corridor. This may include known road crossing locations based on gps collar or roadkill data. -OR-

2. Greater than 25% of the hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) -OR-

3. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND is identified as a statewide or regional habitat linkage. -OR-

4. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND no species-specific regional habitat connectivity data is available for the area. -OR-

5. Hexagon intersects one or more high use ungulate migration corridor polygons.

Rank 4:

1. Greater than 25% of a hexagon is mapped as a statewide or regional habitat linkage AND hex is not assigned Rank 5 by above rules. -OR-

2. Hexagon intersects one or more moderate use ungulate migration corridor centerlines AND hex is not assigned Rank 5 by above rules.

Rank 3:

1. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a statewide or regional habitat linkage AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR-

2. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized or intensified by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR-

3. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a core habitat by a regional habitat connectivity study AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR-

4. Hexagon intersects one or more ungulate migration corridor centerlines AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules.

Rank 2:

1. Greater than 25% of a hexagon is mapped as a CEHC Natural Landscape Block AND no more than 50% of the hexagon is mapped at urbanized based on recent landcover maps AND hex is not assigned Rank 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR-

2. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a CEHC Natural Landscape Block AND mean CBI Intactness score is moderate or high AND hex is not assigned Rank 3, 4, or 5 by above rules.

Rank 1:

1. Greater than 50% of a hexagon is mapped as urbanized based on recent landcover maps AND hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR-

2. Mean CBI Intactness score is low AND hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR-

3. Hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules (e.g., lakes).

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated February 28, 2025, 07:37 (UTC)
Created February 28, 2025, 07:37 (UTC)
category /Biodiversity Conservation/Community Integrity
collection_name California Landscape Metrics
creation_method The California Department of Fish and Wildlifes (CDFW) Areas of Conservation Emphasis (ACE) is a compilation and analysis of the best-available statewide spatial information in California on biodiversity, rarity and endemism, harvested species, significant habitats, connectivity and wildlife movement, climate vulnerability, climate refugia, and other relevant data (e.g., other conservation priorities such as those identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), stressors, land ownership). ACE addresses both terrestrial and aquatic data. The ACE model combines and analyzes terrestrial information in a 2.5 square mile hexagon grid and aquatic information at the HUC12 watershed level across the state to produce a series of maps for use in non-regulatory evaluation of conservation priorities in California. The model addresses as many of CDFWs statewide conservation and recreational mandates as feasible using high quality data sources. High value areas statewide and in each USDA Ecoregion were identified. The ACE maps and data can be viewed in the ACE online map viewer, or downloaded for use in ArcGIS. For more detailed information see [https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Analysis/ACE ](https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Analysis/ACE)and <https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=24326> .
data_units Categorical; 5 (listed above)
data_vintage last updated 03/2024
element Community Integrity
encoding utf8
file_name TerrestrialConn_202403_202407_T1_v5
format Shapefile
harvest_object_id 0b4685bb-5a28-4726-b68a-0dedcfcb59cf
harvest_source_id a2637971-af12-457f-ae4a-831d2202a539
harvest_source_title WIFIRE Commons
metric_definition_and_relevance The Terrestrial Connectivity dataset is one of the four key components of the California Department of Fish and Wildlifes (CDFW) Areas of Conservation Emphasis (ACE) suite of terrestrial conservation information along with terrestrial Biodiversity, Significant Habitats, and Climate Resilience. The Terrestrial Connectivity dataset summarizes information on terrestrial connectivity by ACE hexagon including the presence of mapped corridors or linkages and the juxtaposition to large, contiguous, natural areas. This dataset was developed to support conservation planning efforts by allowing users to spatially evaluate the relative contribution of an area to terrestrial connectivity based on the results of statewide, regional, and other connectivity analyses. Each hexagon (2.5 mi2) is ranked into one of the following categories based on the identification of corridors and linkages in statewide, regional, and species-movement studies: ACE Rank 1-5, where 5 indicates highest connectivity conservation priority. Rank 5: 1\. Hexagon contains a known priority species movement corridor. This may include known road crossing locations based on gps collar or roadkill data. -OR- 2\. Greater than 25% of the hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) -OR- 3\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND is identified as a statewide or regional habitat linkage. -OR- 4\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND no species-specific regional habitat connectivity data is available for the area. -OR- 5\. Hexagon intersects one or more high use ungulate migration corridor polygons. Rank 4: 1\. Greater than 25% of a hexagon is mapped as a statewide or regional habitat linkage AND hex is not assigned Rank 5 by above rules. -OR- 2\. Hexagon intersects one or more moderate use ungulate migration corridor centerlines AND hex is not assigned Rank 5 by above rules. Rank 3: 1\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a statewide or regional habitat linkage AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR- 2\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as channelized or intensified by Omniscape (TNC 2018) AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR- 3\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a core habitat by a regional habitat connectivity study AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. -OR- 4\. Hexagon intersects one or more ungulate migration corridor centerlines AND hex is not assigned Rank 4 or 5 by above rules. Rank 2: 1\. Greater than 25% of a hexagon is mapped as a CEHC Natural Landscape Block AND no more than 50% of the hexagon is mapped at urbanized based on recent landcover maps AND hex is not assigned Rank 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR- 2\. Greater than 5% of a hexagon is mapped as a CEHC Natural Landscape Block AND mean CBI Intactness score is moderate or high AND hex is not assigned Rank 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. Rank 1: 1\. Greater than 50% of a hexagon is mapped as urbanized based on recent landcover maps AND hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR- 2\. Mean CBI Intactness score is low AND hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules. -OR- 3\. Hex is not assigned Rank 2, 3, 4, or 5 by above rules (e.g., lakes).
pillar Biodiversity Conservation
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tier 1