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GAP Analysis

 

  1. View the GAP movie at http://www.gap.uidaho.edu/Flash/movie.htm
  2. View the PowerPoint slide show GAP Analysis of Key Landscapes in the Keystone State available at http://www.orser.psu.edu/PAGAP/PA_GAP_pubs.htm
  3. Select five vertebrates and predict the order of  RHIIs for them.
  4. Calculate the RHIIs for your five selected vertebrates.
    1. Open in Excel the appropriate database of Species Habitat Models/Land Cover Intersected with Stewardship Lands available at http://www.orser.psu.edu/PAGAP/PA_GAP_data.htm#usgs
    2. Find your selected vertebrate.
    3. Calculate its RHII.

 

RHII = 100 * (proportion of nonhabitat in state) * (proportion of nonhabitat in status 1, 2, 3)

* (proportion of nonhabitat in other status)

 

proportion of nonhabitat in state = (116216 – Total Potential Area) / 116216

proportion of nonhabitat in status 1, 2, 3 = (17218.43 – (Total [area] in Status-1 + Status-2 + Status 3))

/ 17218.43

proportion of nonhabitat in other status = (98997.57 – (Total [area] in Status-4 + Misc. status 4))

 / 98997.57

 

Sample Calculation: Virginia opossum

 

proportion of nonhabitat in state = (116216 – 113982.1) / 116216 = 0.019

proportion of nonhabitat in status 1, 2, 3 = (17218.43 – (814.18 + 14004 + 2187.9)) / 17218.43 = 0.012

proportion of nonhabitat in other status = (98997.57 – (274.28 + 96701.5)) / 98997.57 = 0.020

RHII = 100 * (0.019) * (0.012) * (0.020) = 0.000046

very little conservation concern

 

Sample Calculation: northern water shrew

 

proportion of nonhabitat in state = (116216 – 1600.1) / 116216 = 0.986

proportion of nonhabitat in status 1, 2, 3 = (17218.43 – (28.21 + 408.3 + 82.67)) / 17218.43 = 0.970

proportion of nonhabitat in other status = (98997.57 – (2.16 + 1078.8)) / 98997.57 = 0.989

RHII = 100 * (0.986) * (0.970) * (0.989) = 94.59

very high conservation concern

 

           

  1. Analyze your data. Did your data match your predictions? Are there any patterns or trends? Discuss your findings.


gap analysis

A. goal—conserve things while still common

B. national

1. determine species distributions

2. determine conservation area distributions

3. look for overlap or gaps

C. PA

1. land cover and disturbance (urbanization) most important

2. GAP status lands

a) 1

(1) human disturbance prohibited and non-human disturbance not controlled

(2) wilderness areas, natural areas, wild areas, conservancies

(3) 1% of land

b) 2

(1) additional development prohibited

(2) state parks, state forests, state gamelands, national wildlife refuges

(3) 12% of land (much previously degraded)

c) 3

(1) additional development restricted

(2) national forest, national parks, national recreation areas

(3) 2% of land

d) 4—no specific provisions

3. high GAP

a) restricted species in unprotected habitat

b) wide-ranging species

4. regional habitat importance index (RHII)

a) overall habitat scarcity

b) scarcity of conserved habitat

c) scarcity of conservable habitat

d) sum for an index of landscape importance

e) leading landscape—important for multiple groups