Global Human Modification

The global Human Modification map (HM) provides a cumulative measure of human modification of terrestrial lands across the globe at a 1-km resolution. It is a continuous 0-1 metric that reflects the proportion of a landscape modified based on modeling the physical extents of 13 anthropogenic stressors and their estimated impacts using spatially-explicit global datasets with a median year of 2016.

The HM map was developed by scientists at The Nature Conservancy and Conservation Science Partners. For questions or feedback on this map please contact Christina Kennedy (ckennedy@tnc.org) or James Oakleaf. We welcome the opportunity to hear from and to collaborate with researchers on projects that integrate the HM map into their work.

For a description of the methods and to cite the use of HM map, see:
Kennedy CM, Oakleaf JR, Theobald DM, Baruch‐Mordo S, Kiesecker J. Managing the middle: A shift in conservation priorities based on the global human modification gradient. Glob Change Biol. 2019;25:811–826. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14549

Interactive data viewer available at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/DevByDesign-Web/Apps/gHM/index.html