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Gap Analysis Project

How well are we protecting common plants and animals? Gap Analysis is the science of answering this question. Developing the data and tools to support that science is the mission of the Gap Analysis Project (GAP). Check out our SCIENCE section on the left to begin exploring GAP products: Species, Land Cover, and Protected Areas Database of the United States.

Species Data

Forster Tern standing

GAP has delineated species range and predicted distribution maps for more than 2,000 species that occur within the continental U.S. as well as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 

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Land Cover Data

Dense riparian vegetation in Glen Canyon, downstream of Glen Canyon Dam.

The GAP/LANDFIRE National Terrestrial Ecosystems data set includes detailed vegetation and land cover patterns for the continental United States. The data set incorporates the Ecological System classification system developed by NatureServe.

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Protected Areas Data

Usa, National Park, Bryce Canyon, Nature, Rock, Erosion

PAD-US is America’s official national inventory of U.S. terrestrial and marine protected areas (List of National Geospatial Data Assets).

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News

Join upcoming webinars or view recorded webinars to learn more about PAD-US

Join upcoming webinars or view recorded webinars to learn more about PAD-US

Major Update for America’s Inventory of Parks and Other Protected Areas: Protected Areas Database of the United States

Major Update for America’s Inventory of Parks and Other Protected Areas: Protected Areas Database of the United States

GAP Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Richness Maps Released for the Conterminous U.S.

GAP Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Richness Maps Released for the Conterminous U.S.

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Publications

Decoupling of species and plant communities of the U.S. Southwest: A CCSM4 climate scenario example

Climate change is predicted to alter the current climate suitability under which plant species and communities occur. Predictions of change have focused on individual species or entire communities, but theory indicates plants will not respond uniformly to climate change within or between communities. We developed models of the current climate suitability (the baseline) of 66 plant...
Authors
Kathryn A. Thomas, Brett A. Stauffer, Christopher J. Jarchow
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Gap Analysis Project, Southwest Biological Science Center

Gap Analysis Project (GAP) Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Richness Maps for the Conterminous U.S.

The mission of the Gap Analysis Project (GAP) is to support national and regional assessments of the conservation status of vertebrate species and plant communities. This report explains conterminous United States species richness maps created by the U.S. Geological Survey for four major classes in the phylum Chordata: mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. In this work, we focus on...
Authors
Kevin J. Gergely, Kenneth G. Boykin, Alexa McKerrow, Matthew J. Rubino, Nathan M. Tarr, Steven G. Williams
By
Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Gap Analysis Project

Landscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics to inform wind and solar energy facility siting: An Arizona case study

The juxtaposition of wildlife and wind or solar energy facility infrastructure can present problems for developers, planners, policy makers, and management agencies. Guidance on siting of these renewable energy facilities may help identify potential wildlife-facility conflicts with species of regulatory or economic concern. However, existing spatial guidance usually does not consider all...
Authors
Kathryn A. Thomas, Christopher Jarchow, Terence R. Arundel, Pankaj Jamwal, Amanda Borens, Charles A. Drost
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Gap Analysis Project, Species Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
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