Conservation Value Summaries allow you to aggregate the element conservation values generated in the previous step across the entire planning area. The result is a map that reveals areas that are opportunities for conservation as well as areas that are less important for conservation. Conservation Value Summaries can be customized in a number of ways. For instance:
you can choose to evaluate a set of elements. For example, you could evaluate all legally protected species, all species within a particular taxonomic group, or all important viewsheds.
you can assign importance weights to individual elements, thereby allowing you to prioritize conservation objectives such as conserving rare species, historical sites, or economic value. Multiple weighting systems can be explored, allowing you to compare conservation priorities for different groups.
you can use the information you collect about your conservation elements to help you identify areas of high ecological integrity or areas where additional surveys or mapping are needed to increase your confidence in the data.
Conservation Value Summaries: Conservation Value Summaries can be customized in a number of ways, allowing you to emphasize different aspects of the element occurrences within your planning region. In the example below, all elements were considered, but each element was given an importance weighting based on its rarity. Additionally, the conservation value summary took into consideration both the integrity of the element occurrences and confidence in the data’s accuracy. The result is a conservation value summary that indicates places that are important for the conservation of rare species, which are of sufficient size and quality to support viable occurrences of the conservation elements being considered, and where there is reliable data to support the analysis. Areas of increasing darkness indicate higher conservation value. Click the image below for a larger view.
