uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all public read doi:10.6073/pasta/5cbd00350c685d4cf62c699d1f1a5854 David Foster https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1171-3762 Glenn Motzkin Alisa Golodetz Researcher Brian Hall Researcher David Kittredge https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8527-0370 Researcher Nicholas Malizia Researcher 2023 English

This study investigated the history of land protection in north central Massachusetts. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Golodetz, A.D. and D.R. Foster. 1997. History and importance of land use and protection in the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts (USA). Conservation Biology 11:227-235). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below: "Evaluating the consequences and future of land protection requires broad temporal and spatial perspectives of ecological and cultural factors. We assessed the development of a system of protected areas comprising 37% of central Massachusetts in terms of changing rates and means of land protection. We compared protected areas to the surrounding matrix in terms of physical, biological, and historical features and used these results to raise issues concerning future planning. The rate, purpose, and means of land protection in the North Quabbin Region (168,312 ha) have been dynamic as a result of changes in cultural values and transformation of the landscape from predominantly agriculture to forest. Protected lands are managed by 25 federal and state agencies, private groups, and municipal departments and commissions and are physically and biologically typical of the regional landscape which results from (1) participation of diverse organizations with varied agendas; (2) predominance of large government acquisitions driven by landscape-scale criteria; and (3) absence of coordination among groups. The large area, relative homogeneity and largely undeveloped status of the North Quabbin Region suggest conservation goals distinct from those in the fragmented and extensively developed neighboring areas of the Connecticut River Valley and Cape Cod and Islands Region. Large tracts of forests, wetlands, and lakes in the North Quabbin Region provide (1) habitat for species requiring extensive, intact areas; (2) the opportunity to maintain broad-scale ecological processes; (3) connections to the regional conservation areas; and (4) recreation. To realize the area's potential, a comprehensive plan must be based on a broad-scale perspective and historical understanding of the landscape."

conservation land use management LTER controlled vocabulary disturbance land use human-environment LTER core area Harvard Forest HFR LTER USA HFR default

This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html CC0-1.0 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf042 Central Massachusetts. Coordinates based on WGS84 datum. -72.8 -71.8 +42.7 +42.0 1900 1993 complete Information Manager Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 hf-im@lists.fas.harvard.edu Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu

All data files are in Idrisi format, Massachusetts State Plane (feet), NAD1927, and describe either the smaller 18-town study area or the larger 36-town study area.

ELEV = elevation in meters above sea level (36-town) ATEMP = interpolated mean air temperature in degrees celsius (36-town) AQ1929 = protected open space parcels acquired 1920-1929 (18-town) AQ1949 = protected open space parcels acquired 1930-1949 (18-town) AQ1979 = protected open space parcels acquired 1950-1979 (18-town) AQ1993 = protected open space parcels acquired 1980-1993 (18-town) MGMT = management intensity levels (18-town)

TOWN18 = town boundaries (18-town) TOWN36 = town boundaries (36-town)

Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu https://ror.org/059cpzx98 pointOfContact The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210. hf042-01-gis.zip zip file contains North Quabbin GIS (Idrisi binary raster and vector files) hf042-01-gis.zip 1602619 e31b5fbc9d12892293fcb1da9961ccc3 zip Idrisi raster https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p04/hf042/hf042-01-gis.zip raster GIS conservation historical regional historical