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At some point
you have to stop with the inventory, prioritize what
you have, and begin to sort out what
implications there are for conservation goals and
implementation of those goals. Prioritization is
critical for bringing knowledge into action. The
following process is organized around natural
heritage elements. While using this page, it may be
useful to go back and forth with the Elements
section to ensure you understand the different
levels that we're operating on. Large scale elements
such as core forests and connecting lands are
different to prioritize than a discrete area that
has a specific rare plant, for example. Contact
Us
for help in moving your process
from inventory to prioritization.
Some
suggestions in defining a process for
prioritization. There's no
one-size-fits-all way of doing this. But here are
some ideas of different techniques that might be of
use.
Create a
database to accompany your maps. This might be
an Excel file or an Access DB. On each of your maps,
number or code each natural heritage element for
each layer on the map. So look at your wetlands,
number or code each wetland or cluster of wetlands
in that layer. Then look at the core forests layer
and assign a code to each big block of forest. Do
the same for important element occurrences (Heritage
hotspots), priority aquatic features and other
layers (prime agricultural soils, rare natural
communities). You'll also need to do this for
corridors, linking areas that connect core forest
blocks or other important heritage elements as well
as wildlife road crossings. Enter these codes into
the database. Create columns for values and assets
as well as for justifications to be assigned later.
top
Assign
Assets or Values for each coded heritage
element. In the Database record the assets present
for each coded heritage element. Sometimes this is
done by creating a subcommittee of people for each
map. Bring in experts for each subcommittee and list
the assets or functions (both natural such as a
wetland that functions to improve water quality or
cultural such as a forest area that's important for
hunting). Note what a different process it is to establish and assign community values than it
is to evaluate the ecological functions and
importance of an area. As the assets are
recorded in the database for each element you can begin to prioritize within
each map layer which are the highest priority
elements and which are of less importance based on
the number of assets or values assigned. Corridors
are often tough to prioritize since they may include
a variety of habitats some of which are less
suitable habitat than others. Even still, their
importance must be recognized in the final
evaluation.
Rank Coded
Elements. Look at one layer at a time and
establish the highest ranked areas within each
layer.
Now you can
combine this information in a variety of ways. A
simple co-occurrence model might just layer all the
priority areas from each map on top of one another.
Where it's darkest, i.e. where there are their are
elements from a variety of layers in one place could
be lumped into overall priority areas since you get
a lot of different values expressed in a finite
area. This is a practical approach but only loosely
targets priority ecologically significant
areas.
Of course you
can also make very sophisticated models that assign
weights (priority) to the different priority
elements within each layer and produces a single
file output showing hotspots. Unlike the other, this
model looks more closely at ecological priorities.
Regional Planning Commissions as well as a variety
of
The final Priority
Areas Map should show the highest priority areas
from each of the layers used or the output of the
modeling process. Justifications for why each area
was selected for the final map as well as the
values/assets that those areas were chosen with are
critical to maintain as the final map goes public.
The database provides transparency in the process
and reminds participants of the steps taken in the
process.
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