This indicator provides information on the area and extent of forest by ecosystem type, age class or successional stage protected to safeguard biological diversity and representative examples of forest ecosystem types. This indicator will also help identify forest types of conservation value that are in need of protection. The level of formal protection given to forests is a reflection of the importance society places on their conservation.

Native forests are likely to provide the best quality habitat for native wildlife and plants. Forest fragmentation can limit wildlife movement/occupancy and ecological processes. This indicator reports on the fragmentation of native forests as a threat to native biodiversity.

Forest fragmentation can affect richness and distribution of various wildlife and plant species. If native forest occurs primarily in small size class fragments (e.g., 10-100 Ha), it is likely that species dependent on large forest patches will be absent or in decline.

This indicator provides information about the change in native plant cover between some past time period(s) and the current time. This is one proxy for the amount of major habitat types for biodiversity available over time.

This indicator will provide tabular and graphical information about forest vegetation. A forest vegetation map is also desirable, but such a map will be a product of future assessment work and not a product of this indicator. The composition, diversity, and structure of vascular plants are important factors in assessing biological diversity of forested ecosystems. Vegetation is the source of primary production and a primary determinant of habitat for many species.

Fragmentation is the breaking up of a landscape into smaller pieces by natural processes (e.g., fire, plant community variation) or by artificial processes (e.g., logging, dam construction) or features (e.g., roads). Fragmentation can cause a wide range of ecological harms, from species endangerment and local extinction to disruption of natural processes (e.g., natural flooding).

Subdivision of large private parcels into smaller ones can lead to an increasing diversity of decisions on how to use a landscape and an increase in the number and distribution of artificial barriers (e.g., houses, roads) and human population. One of the first steps in permitted natural land development is subdivision of parcels (covered under the Subdivision Map Act), which can then be zoned and developed further. This land division and development negatively impacts biodiversity.

Setting land aside from development and extraction is a classic method for protecting biodiversity and habitats. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on the amount and distribution of reserved forest.

The amount of forest land in the U.S. monitored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has remained nearly constant over the past century, but the patterns of human land use have affected its distribution from one region of the U.S. to another. Forest fragmentation involves both the extent of forest and its spatial pattern, and is the degree to which forested areas are being broken into smaller patches and pierced or interspersed with non-forest cover. Forest fragmentation is a critical aspect of the extent and distribution of ecological systems. Many forest species are adapted to either edge or interior habitats. Changes in the degree or patterns of fragmentation can affect habitat quality for the majority of mammal, reptile, bird, and amphibian species found in forest habitats

This indicator provides information on the area and extent of forest ecosystem types, including successional stage, age class and the nature of tenure or ownership. The sustainability and stability of forest ecosystems may depend on their size and diversity. If these are not maintained, forests may become vulnerable to habitat degradation and loss. Tenures or ownership types may have a variety of management regimes associated with them - each with a different impact on biological diversity.