New Jersey Highlands CouncilThis layer describes the integrity of forest resources at the the 14-digit hydrologic subwatershed scale for the Highlands region. Forest integrity is defined as an expression of the application of landscape metrics to evaluate the effects of forest fragmentation across the Highlands landscape thereby recognizing the ability of Highlands forests to provide essential ecosystem functions. Clean, high quality water is one of the Highlands most important natural resources, and undisturbed, high integrity forests provide the essential ecosystem functions of surface water filtration and ground water recharge. The 14-digit hydrologic subwatersheds were used as the landscape reporting unit for this layer because it provides a convenient and hydrologic geographic unit that recognizes the importance of forest cover to watershed characteristics and downstream water quality and quantity.ArcGIS FeatureLayerhttps://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/4310a15a89994c059d2fbf0e63c0abd3_1engNew Jersey Geographic Information Network (NJGIN) Open Data PortalPublicForest Integrity Score [New Jersey]Web servicesNew JerseyLast Modified: 2024-01-29