Comparing land cover and interior forests on contaminated land and the surrounding region: Oak Ridge Reservation as a case study.

Pressure from expanding populations has resulted in a need for protection, reclamation, and restoration of damaged land to productive, beneficial health uses. The objective of this investigation was to 1) compare land cover on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) with the surrounding region, 2) select an indicator to evaluate ORR's protection of ecological resources, and 3) develop and implement a method to compare the amount of the indicator on ORR with the regions using National Land Cover Database (NLCD). Data demonstrated that ORR has a higher % of forests (deciduous, coniferous, mixed) than the 10 km and 30 km areas surrounding ORR, suggesting that obligations are being met to protect the ecology and environment. The findings also indicate that the interior forest at ORR is fragmented more than is the interior forest in the 30 km buffer zone, suggesting a need for DOE and managers of other lands to take into consideration the importance of intact interior forest when developing land or planning roads. The study describes the basis for specific ecological parameters such as interior forest that are important to consider when planning and executing remediation, restoration, and other management actions.