Conservation and Quality of Life
Attracting new business and growing Indiana's economy rely on improving our quality of life, natural
habitat and recreation opportunities. To capitalize on our natural heritage, conservation planners
need to know: Where are areas with high wildlife and wild plant conservation potential in Indiana?
How can we build support and plans to protect them?
The answer to these questions was provided by the Indiana Biodiversity Initiative (IBI) - a
collaboration of government, academic, and private planners and conservation scientists. IBI
developed the Indiana Conservation Tool, a GIS package that combines maps of high-conservation-potential
areas, free software, and a variety of other layers - aerial photography, topography, county boundaries,
ecoregions, and roads. A guide is linked to information about conservation resources in each area of the map
IBI offers workshops to introduce users to methods of identifying areas with high conservation potential.
Starting with existing protected areas like parks and forests, IBI added areas with the highest
concentration of plant communities and rare species. Then they used models on selected wildlife to
identify areas with enough habitat for species with larger spatial needs. Finally, corridors - narrow
strips of land that connect larger areas - were identified to allow animals to move among conservation areas.
Workshops also include instruction in using the map tools and the accompanying data. CDs are provided with all materials at no cost.
Results
- A single common source of information is available to everyone
- The Conservation Tool provides a basis for prioritizing protection programs
- Planners can maximize efforts by concentrating on high-conservation-potential areas
- Improved quality of life attracts business, grows the economy and staunches "brain drain"
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