Threat and Status Maps

Freshwater systems are linked to the catchments that they drain. Changes to land cover in those catchments can affect a freshwater system's characteristics, often to the detriment of native species and communities. To assess the relative degree of impact from land cover change, we assessed the accumulation and proportion of human-converted lands by ecoregion. The Global Land Cover 2000 database (GLC 2000) is based on remotely sensed data and describes both natural and converted land cover with global consistency. GLC 2000 classes used to determine 'converted' lands are: cultivated and managed areas, cropland mosaics, and artificial surfaces and associated areas. This analysis does not quantify impact but describes the spatial extents of global land cover conversion within ecoregions.