Current Distribution of Resources
One of the first questions asked in any assessment is "where are
the most important environmental resources?" It is important to
identify areas where management actions can prevent further damage
and improve conditions. While restoration of degraded areas is
valuable, preservation of areas that are still in good shape is a
critical and cost-effective way to maintain a region's environmental
health. Species diversity is a good proxy for overall environmental
health, since degraded environmental condition often results in
declines in biological populations. Areas with high species
diversity have often been less impacted by stressors while highly
impacted areas show little native species diversity. The duration of
stress will also influence condition; unfortunately historical data
on stressor distributions are rarely available.
This map shows the spatial distribution of aquatic resources
(available data on numbers of native species), and can provide
answers to questions such as: "Where is aquatic biodiversity the
highest?" and "Which watersheds are in decline or degraded?"
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