GIS Methodologies for Developing Conservation Strategies : : Tropical Forest Recovery and Willdlife Management in Costa Rica / / ed. by Thomas Lacher , Jr., Basil Savitsky.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Columbia University Press eBook-Package Archive 1898-1999
• MitwirkendeR: Allen, Jeffery S.,; Bishop, Joseph A.,; Burnett, G. Wesley,; Carr, Margaret H.,; Chacón, Johnny Rodriguez,; Fallas, Jorge,; Lacher, Thomas E.,; Lambert, J. David,; Leclerc, Grégoire,; López, Wilfredo Segura,; McCoy, Michael,; Morgan, Jennifer N.,; Nations, James D.,; Savitsky, Basil G.,; Sánchez-Azofeifa, G. Arturo,; Vaughan, Christopher,; Wentz, Elizabeth A.,
• HerausgeberIn: Lacher , Jr., Thomas,; Savitsky, Basil,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : Columbia University Press, , [1998]; ©1998
• Year of Publication: 1998
• Language: English
• Series: Biology and Resource Management Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (278 p.) :; 73 illus, 28 photos

Tropical habitats may contain more than a third of the world's plant and animal species; Costa Rica alone is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity per unit area in the world, and stands at center stage in worldwide conservation efforts. Within such regions, the use of state-of-the-art digital mapping technologies-sophisticated techniques that are relatively inexpensive and accessible-represents the future of conservation planning and policy. These methods, which employ satellites to obtain visual data on landscapes, allow environmental scientists to monitor encroachment on indigenous territories, trace park boundaries through unmarked wilderness, and identify wildlife habitats in regions where humans have limited access.Focusing on the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica, the contributors demonstrate the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to enhance conservation efforts. They give an overview of the spatial nature of conservation and management and the current status of digital mapping in Costa Rica; a review of the basic principles behind digital mapping technologies; a series of case studies using these technologies at a variety of scales and for a range of conservation and management activities; and the results of the Costa Rican gap analysis project. GIS Methodologies for Developing Conservation Strategies provides powerful tools for those involved in decision-making about the natural environment, particularly in developing nations like Costa Rica where such technologies have not yet been widely adopted. For specialists in such areas as geography, conservation biology, and wildlife and natural resource management, the combination of conceptual background and case examples make the book a crucial addition to the literature.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- Part One. Overview -- 1. The Spatial Nature of Conservation and Development -- 2. Conservation Mapping in Costa Rica -- Part Two. Digital Mapping Technologies -- 3. Digital Mapping Technologies -- 4. GIS -- 5. Image Analysis -- 6. GPS -- Part Three. Uses of GIS-Examples in Costa Rica -- 7. GIS Design and Implementation at La Selva Biological Station -- 8. Use of Digital Elevation Models in Tropical Rain Forest Basins to Extract Basic Hydrologic and Land Use Information -- 9. Using a GIS to Determine Critical Areas in the Central Volcanic Cordillera Conservation Area -- 10. Application of the HEP Methodology and Use of GIS to Identify Priority Sites for the Management of White-Tailed Deer -- 11. The Paseo Pantera Project: A Case Study Using GIS to Improve Continental-Scale Conservation Planning -- Part Four. The USAID Case Study in Gap Analysis -- 12. Overview of Gap Analysis -- 13. Wildlife and Habitat Data Collection and Analysis -- 14. Error and the Gap Analysis Model -- 15. A GIS Method for Conservation Decision Making -- 16. Using the Gap Analysis Model for Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Management in Developing Countries -- 17. Application of the Gap Analysis Model in Regional and International Programs in the Tropics -- Appendix 1. GPS Receivers with GIS Capability -- Appendix 2. Ordering Information for Map of the Habitats of Costa Rica -- Appendix 3. Description of the Twenty-one Wildlife Species -- Appendix 4. Summary of Wildlife Survey -- Appendix 5. List of Participants at UNA/USAID GIS Workshop (March 6-8, 1995) -- Contributors -- Index