Gap analysis (conservation)

Gap analysis is a tool used in wildlife conservation to identify gaps in conservation lands (e.g., protected areas and nature reserves) or other wildlands where significant plant and animal species and their habitat or important ecological features occur. This information may then used to improve the representativeness of nature reserves or the effectiveness of protected areas so that it provides the best value for conserving biological diversity ("the biggest bang for the buck"). With the information that a gap analysis yields, the boundaries of these areas may be designed (i) to subsume 'gaps' containing significant populations of wildlife species that can enhance the long-term survival of a larger metapopulation of the species already within the managed or protected area, or (ii) to include wildlife species or ecosystems that merit protection but are inadequately represented in an existing protected area network. Gap analysis employs geographic information systems (GIS) to produce and overlay maps that delineate topography, biological and geological features (forest cover, plains, rivers, etc.), boundaries, land ownership and use, and the distribution of wildlife species.