ROAD DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING GROWTH, AND LANDSCAPE FRAGMENTATION IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN: 1937-1999.

The article investigates the effects of road network dynamics to landscape patterns in northern Wisconsin, and identifies relationships between road changes and other land-use shifts. The researchers mapped roads from aerial photographs between 1937 and 1999 from 17 towns in a densely forested landscapes in the state. They used both patch-level landscape metrics in calculating terrestrial area outside 15-meter road-effect zone and generalized least-squares regression models in relating road density shifts and landscape pattern to concurrent housing density changes. Their findings revealed that road density increases attributed to landscape fragmentation. They stressed that recognizing road network dynamics is significant for forecasting their ecological impacts over time.