Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions The purpose of this page is to provide a very brief overview of different aspects of gap analysis. For more detailed information please follow the links provided. What is GAP? How did GAP get started?  What is the goal? What is a conservation GAP? What is biodiversity? Why do we need Gap Data? How is a Gap analysis done? Who uses Gap Data? How do we use Gap Data? How many partners? How many projects? Why are some Gap projects regional? Is Gap only interested in vertebrate animals Why map aquatic environments? Are other countries interested in Gap Analysis? What is NatureMapping? What products result from Gap Analysis?   What is GAP? GAP is the acronym used to refer to the Gap Analysis Program of USGS. It could also refer to the fact that GAP is a geographic approach to planning.Gap Analysis is a proactive approach to protecting biodiversity. It seeks to identify gaps between land areas that are rich in biodiversity and areas that are managed for conservation. The gap approach is based on three main assumptions:  » The best time to save species is while they are still common; » it is cheaper to maintain natural populations, than it is to intensely manage endangered populations; and, » while we cannot perfectly model biodiversity, we can use what we know about the distributions of vertebrate species and vegetation types to assess biodiversity at local, state, regional and national levels. How did GAP get started? The gap analysis process was conceived in the 1980s. The roots of the program originated with application to Hawaiian bird conservation by J. Michael Scott. Later he and other researchers at the University of Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit initiated Idaho GAP as the first pilot under the US Fish and Wildlife ServiceUntil this approach was developed there was no broad scale way to assess the level of protection given to areas rich in biodiversity. Michael Scott first used the methodology to focus on endangered birds in Hawaii. He began by mapping the distribution of each species individually. Then he combined the individual maps to create a map of species richness throughout the island. As shown in the map below,  Scott found that fewer than 10 percent of the ranges of endangered forest birds were protected.  Map of Hawaii showing distributions of endangered birdsFigure 1. Distribution of endangered Hawaiian finches in relation to existing nature reserves on the island of Hawaii in 1982 (adapted from Kepler and Scott 1985). The areas of highest species richness for these endangered birds were not protected. Since these data have become available. the 6,693 ha (17,000 acre) Hakaiau Forest National Wildlife Refuge has been established in one of the areas of highest species richness. Additional refuges and preserve areas for endangered Hawaiian bird and other species are planned.Since the completion of this study, several of the areas of high endangered bird species richness have been protected by The Nature Conservancy and state and Federal agencies (Scott et al. 1987h). Map of Hawaii showing protected areasWhat is the goal?  Gap Analysis has many goals. The primary goals are: » to keep common species common by identifying conservation gaps; » to provide information about conservation gaps and biodiversity to the public so that informed resource management decisions can be made; and, » to facilitate the application of this information to resource management activities. In the past there was little information on ordinary species; their habitat needs had not been systematically documented, and there was little information about their overall distributions on lands that were being managed for conservation. There was no standardized classification system for species assemblages; and no institutional capability to develop or use the kind of information needed to manage biological diversity as a resource. These are the issues that gap analysis addresses. What is a Conservation Gap?  A“conservation gap” is the lack of representation or under-representation of a plant community or vertebrate species on the lands that are being managed for conservation.  For example: in this image of the habitat of Grace's Warbler, Dendroica graciae, in New Mexico, the bird's predicted habitat is highlighted in purple. However, the lands managed for conservation in New Mexico are marked in green and blue. The habitat areas rarely overlap with the protected areas. In fact, only 7.3% of the bird's range is predicted to occur in protected land. This is a conservation gap. Distribution or Grace's Warbler What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is usually defined as biological diversity in an environment as indicated by the numbers of different species of plants and animals. It can refer to the variety of life in any area from small areas such as a pond to large such as the whole earth.  In addition to shear numbers of animals, biodiversity can refer to landscape diversity within a region and genetic diversity within a species. Why do we need GAP data? There are many reasons why this data is important. » Conservation areas have often been set aside often without regard to their biodiversity content. As a result, many protected areas have little significance in terms of biodiversity, and many areas that are highly significant lack protection. » Human population is predicted to double in the next 50 years. As the human population increases, there will be less habitat for other species. As a result, without planning biodiversity will drop sharply » The extinction crisis is real and it is here. If we wait until species are endangered before we take steps to protect them, we will perpetuate this crisis. » Because lack of information leads to poor land use decisions. » Provide land stewards with the information to be the best stewards of biodiversity that they want to be. » You cannot adequately manage an element without knowing its status throughout its range. How is a Gap analysis done? Gap Analysis consists of three main data layers, a landcover layer, a layer showing the  predicted distributions of vertebrate species, and a stewardship layer. The first step is to map land cover of the dominant plant species.  The first step of gap analysis is to map vegetation to the alliance level. Alliances are natural assemblages of plant species. They are used because the patterns of natural terrestrial landcover are a reflection of the physical and chemical factors that shape the environment of a given land area. Plants are also determinate for overall biological diversity as their structures and composition significantly affect species-levels interactions.   Landcover is mapped using Landsat Thematic Mapper raw and hypercluster imagery from  the Eros Data Center MRLC program. MRLC is the federal consortium for obtaining, processing, and archiving satellite imagery.  Other information sources include: existing maps and other records, air photos; air video; and ground points. An example state project map:  Louisiana Landcover from the Louisiana Gap Analysis Project, Final Project Report. Landcover of LouisiannaFor more information on mapping landcover, see the Gap Analysis Handbook, Landcover section. The second step is to map predicted distributions of vertebrate species. Step two is to map the predicted distributions of all terestrial vertebrate species that breed or use habitat in the state for an important part of their life history. All known, probable, and possible occurrence are used to define range limits. This step requires the active participation of vertebrate experts to determine the geographic range of each species, to help build the habitat relation models, and  to review the draft maps. The information required to create these maps is extensive. In addition to the landcover maps created in the first step; information about the distributions of each species, lists of all native species, specimen collection records,  range maps, and documented habitat affininities for each species must be collected.Mapping predicted distributions starts with establishing the geographic range extent using the EPA's EMAP hexagonal grid or a more refined range map. The next step is to obtain all possible GIS coverages of features or conditions to which vertebrates can be associated. Then a Wildlife Habitat Relationship Model for each species is developed using the available coverage information, published literature and expert input. Finally, a database query is conducted to associate species with their geographic features; maps are output, reviewed, and refined. At this time, the process does not include any assessment of habitat quality or viability. The products that result from this stage of the process include:  » Habitat affinities models for each species, » Range maps showing the distributions of each native species, like the map for the Gray Partridge below, » Specimen collection records for each species.  distribution of Gray PartridgeTo learn more about mapping predicted species distributions, read the Vertebrate Distribution Modeling chapter in the Handbook of Gap Analysis. The third step of a gap analysis is to delineate land stewardship at one of four levels.  Stewardship is not the same as ownership. The following two maps of the western United States show the difference.  The first map shows the ownership category for western lands. Ownership Category for Western Lands Gap analysis assigns a ranking for land parcels. Status one lands have the highest degree of management for conservation, status four lands have the lowest. The following map shows how the management status of western lands.  Management Status of Western Lands Levels 1 and 2 are the ones on which GAP bases its analysis of species protection. This allows identification of biodiversity gaps and can suggest strategies for filling them. In assigning a stewardship ranking, the gap analysis process emphasizes the managing entity over the owner, and bases the ranking on the expressed long-term intent of the managing entity instead of focusing on short-term processes. The criteria for assigning a ranking include:  » Permanence of protection from conversion of natural land cover to unnatural (human-induced barren, arrested succession, cultivated exotic-dominated). » Amount of the tract protected, with 5% allowance for intensive human use. » Inclusiveness of the protection, i.e., single feature such as wetland versus all biota and habitat » Type of management program and degree that it is mandated or institutionalized. To learn more about mapping stewardship, read the stewardship chapter in the handbook. The fourth step is to analyze the representation of vertebrate species and vegetation alliances in areas managed for the long-term maintenance of biodiversity To accomplish this, maps showing animal and plant community distributions are intersected with stewardship maps to create tables of representation for each element.  Types of analyses include:  » compare ownership/managing entities to biodiversity management status to answer the question, "where are the biodiversity conservation lands and who manages them?" » compare landcover types to stewardship to answer the question, "what is the representation of each type according to managing entity and management status?";  » compare animal species distributions to stewardship: what is the representation of each type according to managing entity and management status?" To learn more about analysis, read the analysis chapter in the Handbook of Gap Analysis. Who uses GAP data? Awide variety of people use GAP data. As the chart shows, better than 60% of the users are non-federal. These include universities teaching Gap and training a cadre of scientists State governments are actively using GAP information in making planning decisions. Some key components of Gap data are that they provide standardized definitions, repeatable methods, and a common infomation system.    Some products that are used in making land-use decisions include: digital landcover, species distribution and land stewardship maps; analyses of gaps; maps showing areas of species richness; reports; and cd-roms of data and reports. How can we use the data? The chart below shows some of the many uses of Gap data. Visit our applications page for more information about uses. How many projects? Gap is a nationwide effort conducted at the state level and coordinated by the USGS Biological Resources Division. Projects to map terrestrial vertebrates have been planned or implemented in each of the 50 states. In addition, aquatic,  regional, and international projects have been planned. To see the status of a project in your area, go to our projects page and follow the appropriate link.   How many partners? GAP is a cooperative effort among regional, state, tribal and federal agencies, academic and non-governmental institutions, and other private groups as well as the divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 500 different state, federal, local, and private organizations participate.  Cooperating agencies include:  Federal: EPA - Environmental Protection Agency DOD - Department of Defense NPS - National Park Service BLM - Bureau of Land Management USFS - United States Forest Service USFWS - United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS - Unites States Geological Survey State Resource Agencies Private Industry Utilities Local Conservation Corps Academic Institutions Other Organizations The Nature Conservancy Defenders of Wildlife International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Why are some Gap projects regional? Regional land cover mapping provides the context for mapping predicted distributions of vertebrate habitat. The assumption is that a species is likely to occur where its habitat occurs within its range. Compiling habitat descriptions from various parts of its range (different states) provides a refined picture of where the species occur within broad range limits. There are several reasons for creating regional maps. » Vertebrate species and plant communities are not constrained by state boundaries. » GAP maps provide information crucial to problem solving, planning, and decision-making. Land-managing agencies extend beyond state boundaries and decision makers need regional maps. » Regional maps can provide a baseline for reporting changes in the future. We need to provide information that researchers and decision-makers can use to devise a conservation strategy. Example of Regional Project The Southwest ReGAP is a regionalized multi-state, multi-cooperative project to assess biodiversity and conservation gaps across the Southwestern United States. The effort is coordinated among five state-based institution and their cooperators, the U.S. Environmetnal Protection Agency and the Bureau of Land Management. Map showing States in Southwest Regional GAPVisit our regional products page to learn more. Is GAP only interested in vertebrate animals? No, although initial GAP projects focused primarily on animals, the program has always mapped vegetation as well. In addition, many projects have mapped invertebrates including ants, butterflies, mussels, and snails. The following picture shows predicted distributions for two ant species in Colorado. Distributions of Colorado Ant Species Why map aquatic environments? Currently, ten aquatic mapping projects are underway. Aquatic GAP projects are important because biological issues do not end with vertebrates - aquatic mapping includes mussels, crayfish, and other invertebrates. Aquatic resources around the world face serious ecological problems due to impacts from human activity. Problems include loss of wetlands, destruction of riverine habitat due to dams, pollution, and the invasion of non-native species.  Maps of stream and wetlands classification, biodiversity, and conservation status will help local, state, and national agencies  make informed decisions about conservation and land-use. Visit our aquatic GAP pages for more information about these projects.  Are other countries interested in GAP? Yes, many other countries are planning or implementing small and large-scale gap analysis projects. Mexico has committed funds to cooperate on the Lower Rio Grande “texmex” Gap Analysis Project and is pursuing initiation of a nationwide program.  Canada, Australia, and many other countries  have expressed an interest in the program.Visit our international projects page to learn more. What is NatureMapping? NatureMapping is the outreach component of Gap Analysis. People see animals everyday. NatureMapping's goal is to train people in GIS, so that they can document their encounters with animals. Those observations can serve to verify and extend the predicted species distributions maps that are so important to Gap Analysis.  The emphasis of NatureMapping is community participation and the documentation of species location information by non-professionals, but observation from experts is encouraged as well. NatureMapping trains people to monitor and report the wildlife they observe and the habitats they observe them in. This can include wildlife at a backyard feeder, on a woodland or prairie hike, in a school yard, or at your place of employment... anywhere you observe wildlife. The data that is collect is reported to a state project so that it can be used. Through participation in NatureMapping, students, community members and natural resource professionals can become more aware of their surroundings and develop an increased appreciation of nature. Documentation of, and repeated visits to, the same sites increases our sense of responsibility and accountability for what we see. The data collected in NatureMapping can be used for scientific inquiry and to teach biological concepts such as species distributions and habitat associations. Additionally, collecting and analyzing NatureMapping data allows students to use technology such as Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), digital photography and web based education, as well as increase their understanding of Idaho's Natural History. Go to our NatureMapping page to learn more about projects in your area. What products result from Gap Analysis? » Digital Land Cover Map » Digital Animal Distribution Maps » Digital Land and Water Stewardship Maps » Identification of "GAPs" » Identification of species-rich areas » A report of methods and results » Atlases of biotic elements » CD-ROMs of data Visit our products page to learn more. dividing greenBarLiterature  | About GAP | Projects and Products | Tools | Meetings | Search |  Links | Bulletin Boards  USGS || Gap Analysis Program || Disclaimer || Privacy || Accessibility|| GAP Webmaster ||