The History of NatureMapping
As demands on the use of natural resources
increase, proper land management and land use planning will
be critical to unsure renewable resources and adequate habitat
for fish and wildlife populations. Unfortunately, species
and the habitats that support them are disappearing at an
alarming rate. Within the United States alone, 1,087 species
of plants or animals have been listed as threatened or endangered.
As a result, "biodiversity" has become a familiar
term and an important issue. How can we ensure adequate protection
of animals and plant species and the habitats on which they
depend?
Past efforts to preserve biodiversity have been reactive
and have focused on rescuing species which teeter on the brink
of extinction. This strategy is difficult, expensive and inefficient,
and has been unsuccessful in slowing the rate of extinction.
Additionally, limited conservation dollars cannot keep up
with the recovery efforts for species currently listed as
endangered. A proactive approach is needed to identify and
protect geographical areas (habitats) that are critical to
individual species or groups of species before their existence
is threatened.
This type of approach is currently being applied throughout
the United States using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
by the National Gap Analysis Program. Gap Analysis focuses
on maintaining populations of native species in their natural
habitats. The analysis involves the use of satellite imagery
to create a current land cover map for each state, on which
the distribution of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
are overlaid.
The Gap Analysis Program, however, works on a coarse scale,
analyzing ecoregions (relatively large geographic areas
of land and water delineated by climate, vegetation, geology
and other ecological and environmental patterns) within
a state, the state itself, ecoregions that span multiple states,
and the entire nation. Counties and other large land unit
managers can use their information to complement the Gap information,
but cities and communities need biodiversity report cards
for their land planning decisions on a finer scale. The information
is available. However, the technological tools to analyze
satellite imagery and GIS maps, and information transfer via
the Internet are still new. It also takes time for land managers,
resource agencies, and teachers to understand how to apply
all this new information to meet the needs of their communities,
policies, and environmental education curriculum.
The Washington Gap Analysis Outreach Program began the process
of educating the public on the products and uses of the Gap
Analysis datasets, by asking the public to become involved
with the project. Audubon members and retired natural resource
professionals were the first volunteers. A pilot project between
the Washington Gap Analysis Project (WAGAP) and the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to include schools
began with 23 teachers in September, 1993, grew to 500 in
1996 and still is growing. Today more than 50,000 people in
Washington have contributed to the program. The Outreach Program
is now called The NatureMapping Program,
and citizens, community groups, city, county and state organizations
have joined to collect data that is available to everyone.
Other states, such as Virginia, Iowa, and Wisconsin have begun
NatureMapping, and many other states are preparing to begin.
Learn about the Iowa NatureMapping
Program
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