An ecogeographical framework for in situ conservation of forest trees in British Columbia
2005
Hamann, A. | Smets, P. | Yanchuk, A.D. | Aitken, S.N.
We present a comprehensive approach to carry out community-wide assessments of in situ conservation of forest trees based on basic botanical and ecological data. This is a first step, resulting in a consistent framework to set priorities for collection and inclusion of species- specific biological and genetic information. We use botanical sample data to generate high-resolution distribution maps as a basis for a gap analysis of how well each species is represented in protected areas. To account for adaptive genetic variation of tree species we stratify populations by ecological zones that represent different macroclimates. In a detailed example for Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), we show that under certain conditions this approach can pinpoint gaps at the level of genetically differentiated populations without actually using genetic data. In a comprehensive case study, evaluating the outcome of a major protected area expansion between 1991 and 2001 for British Columbia, we demonstrate how extensive results from a community-wide GIS analysis can be summarized and presented for decision-making. We provide methods to identify and efficiently cope with in situ conservation gaps, where lack of data or low protected area coverage requires additional conservation efforts or collection of better data.
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