Keeping Common Species Common
(Images of Blue bird, Monarch Butterfly, Mule Deer, Garter Snate, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbit).
GAP is the acronym of the Gap Analysis Program.
GAP is also a biogeographic approach to planning and managing for biodiversity.
Biodiversity is the variety of life and all it’s processes. “It is the variety of life that we depend on.” Karen Dvornich, The NatureMapping Program.
The GAP approach is based on the idea that, if we want to preserve diversity, it’s best to protect species while they are still common.
If we wait until they’re endangered or threatened, we’ve waited too long.
It’s helpful to think about the GAP process as a series of steps.
Step 1 Map the distributions of all the plant communities in a region. Put all the land cover types on a map. (Image: Map showing the land cover of Idaho).
Step 2: Research and map the distributions of all the vertebrate and some of the invertebrate species know to exist in the state.
For example, this map shows the range of the Hellbender Lizard in West Virginia. (Image of West Virginia with blue hexagons marking species’ range.)
Most animal species are associated with particular types of vegetation, either because they eat it, their prey eats it, or they use it for shelter. So . . . By putting these maps together with the species’ range maps, we can make a predicted distribution map for each species.
(Image of American Marten: Habitat deciduous mixed or coniferous forests, preferring old-growth. Followed by Image showing predicted distribution in Montana.)
GAP mappers also look at special features such as soils, topography, elevation, and wetlands.
New York GAP used many different layers to put together this predicted distribution map. (Image: of Rock Vole distribution in New York)
Step 3: It’s not enough to know where animals and plant communities are, we also need to know the conservation status of the areas they inhabit.
We need to know who owns the land.
Are the lands privately owned?
Are they owned by the State?
The County?
The Federal Government?
Or some other organization?
Land ownership patterns vary greatly between states. (Image of land ownership maps of Maine and Arizona. Maine is predominantly privately-owned, while Arizona is primarily owned by the Federal government and Native American tribes.)
That’s why we also need to know how the lands are being managed.
The same owner, for example the US Forest Service, could allow different management practices on different parcels of land.
Step 4: GAP assigns a status rank of 1, 2, 3, or 4, to indicate how lands are being managed.
Status one and two lands are managed with conservation in mind. (Image of wilderness area.)
Status 3 lands afford protection to threatened and endangered species for most of their area. They also allow extractive uses such as logging, mining, and grazing. (Image of cattle grazing on forest service lands.)
Status 4 lands are not know to be managed for conservation. Most private lands are considered to be status 4, unless there is a conservation easement on them.
Step 5: The final step in Gap Analysis is to overlay the stewardship maps with the plant and animal distribution maps. (Image showing Desert Spiny Lizard Distribution superimposed over conservation lands in the Southwestern United States.)
By combining this information, we can see if our biodiversity is adequately protected. (Images showing that only while only 10% of the lizard’s distribution is on conservation lands, it’s protection is fairly evenly distributed.)
Gap Analysis is a tool to determine which plant and animal communities are not adequately protected within the current network of conservation lands.
The Southern California Association of Governments used GAP data to identify at-risk plant communities. (Image: showing Southern California with At Risk Plant Communities superimposed over open space, areas zoned for development, and existing developments.)
Using Gap Analysis we can analyze the network of conservation land for communities of special interest.
(Image: Showing distribution of Sage Grouse superimposed over conservation lands. Sage Grouse is currently protected over less than 6% of its western range.)
Using Gap Analysis we can create a map showing priority areas for conservation.
Image showing Oregon’s current conservation network, conservation opportunity areas, and public lands.
Once we know where the conservation gaps are, we can come up with strategies to close them.
The goal of Gap Analyis is to ensure that all ecosystems ensure tha all ecosystems are adequately represented in the planning and management of biodiversity.
The goal of Gap Analysis is to keep common species common.