GIS Methodologies for Developing Conservation Strategies Part 9 pps

FIG. 15.7 Multiple species gap analysis: summary of Protected area data gap category

(w- h p) for all twenty-one species

FIG. 15.8 Multiple species gap analysis: summary of Unprotected area data gap cate￾gory (w h p) for all twenty-one species

A GIS Method for Conservation Decision Making 195

FIG. 15.9 Multiple species gap analysis: summary of Negotiation area category (w

h p) for all twenty-one species

twenty-one of the hundreds of vertebrate species in Costa Rica. Likewise, these

areas may be negotiable for wildlife conservation, but possibly not negotiable for

other reasons for which parks are created.

Developed areas are indicated in figure 15.10. Note the extent to which the

Developed areas and the park system border each other. This level of information

is useful in identifying priorities for buffers to protect existing parks from the

encroachment of human activity and in selecting additional park lands less likely

to suffer from development pressures.

An additional multiple species gap analysis was performed for five of the

twenty-one species. This process was performed to compare gap analysis results

obtained from the examination of twenty-one species to a multiple species gap

analysis using a smaller set of potential indicator species. The species that were

selected were determined by patterns of habitat utilization, geographic distribu￾tion throughout the country, and frequency of observations (compared to species

utilizing similar habitat). The collared peccary was selected as one of the five

species in order to represent those species that utilize undisturbed forest habitat

as well as habitat in the more fragmented landscape. The white-faced capuchin

was selected as the species to represent the four primate species that utilize

undisturbed forest. The crocodile was selected to represent those species associ-