BOSTON (AP) - Valuable Massachusetts ecosystems are continuing to shrink in the face of human development, putting extra pressure on the forests and open land that remains.
That’s the conclusion of a new study from Harvard Forest, Harvard University’s laboratory for ecological research.
Using satellite maps, the research team tracked changes in land cover - such as forest clearing for agriculture or development - across Massachusetts from 2001 to 2011.
They said they found an increase in so-called hotspots, the hardest working ecosystems that filter public drinking water, provide habitat for threatened species and store carbon to combat climate change.
The growth of hotspots was most dramatic in metropolitan Boston.
Researchers say the increase in hotspots reflects the ongoing division of the natural landscape into smaller units, which are expected to do more with less.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.