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<br />Type of Data
<br />
<br />Desc:riptiorJ
<br />
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<br />
<br />AUrJltofbiodiversity,gerJerallyspec:iesorecologicaicornmunities.
<br />
<br />Elements
<br />
<br />ArJ elementata specific iocation; generally delineated species
<br />population or ecological community stand.
<br />Ecological or population trends
<br />
<br />Element Occurrences
<br />
<br />Trends
<br />
<br />A land unit of ecological, sc:ientific, or conservation interest.
<br />
<br />Sites
<br />
<br />Managed Areas
<br />
<br />A land unit under protective or potentially protective natural
<br />resource management.
<br />
<br />Tracts
<br />
<br />A cadastral Oand ownership) unit and itssuITaceboundaries.
<br />generally used for site protection planning.
<br />
<br />Sources
<br />
<br />A source ofinforrn/ltion documenting data included in any of the
<br />above (e.g., literature citation, field notes, museum collection,
<br />photograph,satellite image, etc.).
<br />
<br />So"r=Stein, BRle.A. and FrnnkW. O.vis. 2000. .Oisco_erlng Life in Ameri,a:TooEs ondT&hniqu... ofBlodlveCSity In_eowry.-
<br />PredousHerit~ge; Th~S!MU5ofBlodlvel5ity;nth~UniledStote5.Eds.Brue.A.St.io, Lyno5.KWl.r.aodJonathanS.Adams.
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<br />
<br />GAP analysis. GAP analysiS will supple-
<br />ment NHP inventories. These programs are
<br />proactive,ecosystem-ievelapproachestobio-
<br />diversity protection and conservation that
<br />~e\ectprioritysites. GAP analyses ale carried
<br />out through research centers, state and fed-
<br />eral agencies, and universities throughout the
<br />country.
<br />GAP analysis assesses the representa-
<br />tionofvegetationtypesandspeciesinpro-
<br />tected areas using satellite imagery, vegeta-
<br />tiondata,andwildlifehabitataSsociation
<br />models, and creates geographic information
<br />system (GIS) maps of ecosystems. The goal is
<br />toidentifygapsintheprotectionofrepresen-
<br />
<br />
<br />78
<br />
<br />tationsofspeciesand ecosystems and hot
<br />spots of biodiversity and species richness.
<br />Veget.ationmappingisthefundamental
<br />data \ayerfor GAP analysis. GAP analysis also
<br />uses species range maps and species ric:hness
<br />maps. Other layers for GAP analysis are aquatic,
<br />wetlands, rare species, and iand ownership and
<br />management status, which categorizes the man.
<br />agementstarus of each land parcel into one of
<br />four classes. The first category includes areas
<br />that are managed for natural values such as
<br />mostnationalparks,NarureConservancyand
<br />AudubonSocietypreserves,andsomewiider-
<br />ness areas and nationalwildlifereruges.The
<br />second categqry of management starus includes
<br />areasthatare general\y managed ror narurai val-
<br />ues but also receive some uses that degrade the
<br />naturalenvironmeT1t,suchasmostwildemess
<br />areas,nationalwildJife reruges.,and Bureau of
<br />Land Management(BLM) areas of critical envi-
<br />ronmentalconcem.Thethirdmanagementcate-
<br />gory includes lands with some legal mandate for
<br />con~ervationbutmanypotentiallydamaging
<br />uses, such asnationalforests,BLM lands, and
<br />state and local parks. The fourth category
<br />includes private and public lands without legal
<br />mandates to pmtect or managetlle natural envi-
<br />ronment
<br />Planners need also be aware of the limita-
<br />tions of GAP anaiysIs data. One major limitation
<br />is that the data provide a landscape-level
<br />approach to analyzing environmental informa-
<br />tion, and therefore are light on detail. Habitats
<br />smallerthan the minimum mapping unit, which
<br />
<br />is normally between 100 and 2oohectacreS, are
<br />not shown On GAP analysis maps. Also, there
<br />are no differences between serial stages of
<br />forest5,and ecotones between vegetation types
<br />are not included. Putsimply,the lines that
<br />divide vegetative communities on GAP analysis
<br />maps are defined; on the ground they are rnuch
<br />le.ssso. FLlrthermore, species distribLltion maps
<br />are only predictions; they have not been verified
<br />ii\thefie\d.Thean8lys\salso\gnolesnabitat
<br />quality. GAP analysis mapS are produced ata
<br />scale Of1:100,OOO t01:5oo,ooo-too large for
<br />precise land.use decisions. They can, however,
<br />behelprultoplannersinappro~malingareasof
<br />concem orareasforfuture study.
<br />U.s, Fish and Wildlife Service. Habitat
<br />conservation plans and recovery plans pre.
<br />pared for or by the U.5. Fish andWndlife
<br />Service{PNS) (for aqllatic species, the
<br />NatiOnal Marine Fisheries Service) under the
<br />reqlJirements ofthefecelOl Erlcangered
<br />Species Act (ESA) are a good source of in for-
<br />mationaboutsomefederallylistedthreatened
<br />and endangered species. Recovery plans iden-
<br />tifythe critical habitats ofspecies,site-spe-
<br />cificmanagementactions,objecliveand
<br />measurable criteria for recovery, and costesti-
<br />mates to canyoutthe plan.
<br />ESA recovery plan information is valuable
<br />foridentlfyingthehabitatreqllirementsofspe-
<br />cieswith approved recovery plans. BlJtaswlth
<br />other sources of habitat data, p\an\\el"S oe'Cd tQ
<br />be aware of its limitations. Few listed species
<br />have recovery plans in place (by one estimate,
<br />onlyabol.lt4o percent of the species listed as
<br />"threatened" or"endangered~ have approved
<br />recovery plans). Furthermore, experts estimate
<br />thathlJndreds,ifnotthousandS, of data- sup-
<br />ported threatened orendangeredspecies have
<br />not been listed. So. while ESA providesvalui9.ble
<br />information for certain species,itshou!d be
<br />supplemented with other information.
<br />Other datu sources. The U.S. Rsh and
<br />Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Inventory
<br />provides information onthe characteristics,
<br />extent, and status of wetlands and deepwater
<br />habitats. Other types of data, such astopo-
<br />graphic maps and aerial photographs, are
<br />available from the TerraServerwebsite at
<br />www.terraserver.com.TheNational
<br />Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration
<br />(NON\) can provide planners with data about
<br />land cover change, habitats, and species in
<br />coastal zones at www.ooaa.gov. The U.S.
<br />Geo\ogicaISurvey(www.usgs.gov)hasdata
<br />on daily stream flow conditions, flooding and
<br />
<br />ZONING PRACTICE 1.07
<br />AMEICANPIJl.NNINGASSOCIATlONj""geq
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