Including Condition into Ecological Maps Changes Everything—A Study of Ecological Condition in the Conterminous United States

In 2021, the Biden administration signed an executive order to protect 30% of American lands by 2030. Accomplishing this ambitious goal in U.S. requires understanding relative contribution public and private toward supporting biodiversity. New approaches are needed because existing focus on quantity habitat without incorporating quality. To fill need, we developed a 30 m resolution national condition index (HCI) that integrates quality measures habitat. We hypothesized including evaluation at landscape scales, both conservation-focused preserves working would provide better assessment value geographies for conservation. divided conterminous major land cover type into natural cultivated then spatially mapped multiple anthropogenic stressors, proximity aquatic habitat, vegetation departure from expected disturbance regimes. Each map layer was scored site impact distance decay combined final index. Field observations providing ecological conditions were used HCI calibration validation CONUS regional scales. Finally, evaluate management (conservation versus lands) ownership (public private) testing these While found differences across CONUS, functional largely independent protection status: clear other values. These results relevant guiding strategies achieve goals. Where similar data exist countries, analogous modeling could be meet their conservation commitments.