FIDS 2012

Potential habitat layer for Forest Interior Dwelling Species in the State of Maryland. These data are only the results of a model depicting where FIDS habitat might occur based on certain criteria. These polygons have NOT been field tested or field verified for actual FIDS presence. Please reference GIS documentation for further geospatial details for FIDS.

This file was created for the purposes of planning and analysis for the conservation of a group of species, called Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS), known to require habitat conditions in the interior of forests for optimal reproduction and survival.

CRITERIA DEFINITION: 
Class 1 (Potential FIDS Core Area) =  A forest patch that contains over 200 ha (about 500 ac) of forest interior habitat; on the Coastal Plain also must be over 50% deciduous or mixed forest. (There is no composition requirement outside the Coastal Plain).
Class 2 (High Quality Potential FIDS Habitat) = On the Coastal Plain, a forest patch at least 40 ha (about 100 ac) in size, of which at least 25% is forest interior, and 50% is deciduous or mixed forest containing riparian forest averaging at least 200 m wide and is a minimum of 300 m long OR a forest patch at least 200 ha (about 500 ac) in size, of which at least 25% is forest interior, regardless of species composition or presence of stream.  Outside the Coastal Plain, a forest patch at least 40 ha (about 100 ac) in size that EITHER contains at least 25% forest interior habitat OR contains riparian forest that averages 200 m width and is a minimum of 300 m long.
Class 3 (Potential FIDS Habitat) = A forest patch at least 20 ha (about 50 ac) in size that contains EITHER at least 4 ha (about 10 ac) of forest interior habitat OR riparian forest that averages at least 100 m wide and is a minimum of 150 m long.

GLOSSARY: 
Forest interior habitat = the portion of a forest tract that is at least 100 m from the nearest forest edge.
Forest patch size = based on the total contiguous forest area regardless of property boundaries. Two forest tracts are considered noncontiguous or disjunct if separated by at least 10 m of nonforested habitat (e.g., urban areas, cropland, transmission line right-of-way, road, etc.), about the typical width of a 2-lane, paved county road. 
Riparian forest = a forest bordering a perennial stream, as indicated on the most recent USGS 7.5 minute topographic map as an unbroken blue line. 
(Age of the forest was not possible to include given existing remote sensing data.  Gaps in existing forest due to timber harvest operations were included as part of the forest.)