Volume No. 10, 2001
Final Report Summaries
The West Virginia Gap Analysis Project (WV-GAP) was conducted for the state of West Virginia in accordance with national Gap Analysis Program standards. WV-GAP involved participation from universities, state and federal agencies, and non-profit conservation organizations, taking advantage of the expert knowledge and background of many individuals. Specific objectives of WV-GAP included mapping land cover, mapping predicted distributions for vertebrate wildlife species, conducting analysis of representation of wildlife species and cover types with respect to land stewardship, and providing these results to managers and other interested parties.
WV-GAP was conducted for the entire state of West Virginia, encompassing over 60,000 km2 and portions of the Allegheny Plateau, Allegheny Mountains, and Ridge and Valley physiographic regions.
For WV-GAP, West Virginia's land cover was mapped to the ecological complex (multiple Alliance) scale. Twenty-six different land cover categories were mapped, including eight different forested land cover types. Land cover was mapped from classification of Landsat TM imagery acquired between 1992-1994. Land cover classification was augmented through the use of aerial videography flights from 1994-1996, as well as ground sampling plots throughout the state and various ancillary data sets.
Forested cover types clearly dominate the West Virginia landscape. The most common cover type in West Virginia was found to be diverse mixed mesophytic forests (38% of WV's area). Land cover has the potential for future rapid localized change in West Virginia due to mining, timbering, and other land use activities.
Predicted distributions of 434 species of butterflies, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals were mapped using the WV-GAP land cover data set, wildlife habitat relationship models, and general range maps. Accuracy assessment of wildlife distribution maps was conducted by comparing predicted species with known species checklists for various locations around the state.
Species richness varies across the state, with higher species richness in general across the Allegheny Mountains. Species distributions were modeled according to standard GAP methodology, with the exception of wetland and riparian amphibians and reptiles. These species were modeled using a special wetland/riparian habitat model developed by WV-GAP, instead of the WV-GAP land cover model.
Limitations of the various model elements in the animal distribution mapping reflect a general lack of comprehensive statewide information for many species. While the gap analysis mapping techniques used here are not an alternative to more detailed ecological inventory, the "snapshot view" of species provided by WV-GAP is a useful contribution to future work and planning in the state.
WV-GAP compiled a map of current land stewardship within the
state, as of 1999. Each parcel was associated with land
steward (managing agency or entity) and available information on
management objectives. WV-GAP then assigned GAP management
status rankings to parcels to provide a measure of the
consideration given to biodiversity conservation for each
parcel.
Status 1 denotes the highest level of biodiversity maintenance,
with status 4 representing the lowest level. Approximately 10
% of the state of West Virginia falls under management of either
federal or state agencies, with varying levels of biodiversity
conservation-related management objectives. The largest
single publicly owned entity in the state is the Monongahela
National Forest. The majority of the status 1 lands in West
Virginia occur in the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountains,
while the majority of the public lands in West Virginia are
classified as status 3, including National Forest lands and other
multiple-use areas.
Gap Analysis seeks to "identify habitat types and species not adequately represented in the current network of biodiversity management areas" (GAP Handbook, Preface, Version 1, Page I.) WV-GAP evaluated the potential conservation status of wildlife species and natural land cover types by tabulating the total land area of each species' or cover type's predicted distribution within various land management status categories (see above).
From this analysis, conservation "gaps" or needs for West Virginia have emerged. Results indicate that species utilizing edge or open habitats are less likely to be protected in West Virginia than are interior forest species. Special analyses of butterflies, wetland/riparian species, and cave-dwelling wildlife also offer perspectives that are unique to the WV-GAP project in relation to other states' GAP work.
Gap Analysis methods are used to identify land cover types and terrestrial animal species that would benefit from additional conservation attention before they become rare or imperiled. While useful as a broad-scale, snapshot picture of biodiversity distribution and conservation needs for the state, WV-GAP is not a substitute for long-term monitoring or extensive biological inventory work. Limitations of the WV-GAP results serve to highlight communities or species in need of more extensive statewide evaluation.
The main geospatial products of the WV-GAP effort are land cover, land stewardship, and predicted wildlife distribution models for the entire state. Associated WV-GAP database products include wildlife/habitat relationship data, wildlife range data, and literature references. Geospatial and database products will be made available through the National Gap Analysis Program on CD-ROM or via Internet download. Selected data products are also available from the West Virginia GIS Technical Center at West Virginia University. The WV-GAP home page (http://www.nrac.wvu.edu/gap/) provides general information for WV-GAP as well as links to the National Gap Analysis Program.
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