Integrating Demographic and GAP Analysis Biodiversity Data

Given that humans are a dominant force in habitat change, consideration of relative levels of anthropogenic threat to the landscape may allow for better informed conservation policy decisions. This paper outlines a project designed to incorporate demographic data into an existing conservation management tool, the aim being to better reflect development pressures upon natural habitat. Spatially explicit secondary data reflecting housing density from Census 2000 are merged with indicators of biological richness from the National Biological Service's Utah Gap Analysis Program; The intersection of the two data layers allows identification of biodiversity "hot spots" within Utah, areas characterized by high levels of species richness, combined with high levels of housing pressure. Additionally, several areas are identified as potential conservation targets, given their high levels of species richness and relatively low housing density. Implications are discussed, both with regard to the research methods and the project's results

Biodiversity · Biology · Business · Cartography · Census · Conservation biology · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Gap analysis (conservation · Geography · Habitat · Identification (biology · Intersection (aeronautics · Population · Service (business · Species richness · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Ecology

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