Document: PAT-3-82-31

Using a knowledge-based system for selection of regional conservation networks as a communication tool.

BOURGERON, P.S.* ¹, H.C.HUMPHRIES ¹ and K.M.REYNOLDS ²

University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA ¹
USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA ²

Abstract:
The recent emphasis on conservation-area networks that are representative of conservation targets in large regions requires the integration of two seemingly contradictory aspects of conservation planning. First, the process of implementing such a network necessitates integrating large amounts of data in complex analyses to address three steps: (1) Delineating ecologically meaningful land units from which conservation areas are selected, (2) determining the suitability of the land units for conservation, and (3) selecting those that are most suitable. Second, the successful implementation of regional conservation networks requires the involvement of multiple partners, including the general public. Therefore, methods to prioritize and select areas for conservation should be explicit, repeatable, flexible, and easily visualized to facilitate the use of scientific data by decision-makers and to communicate the consequences of conservation decisions to both decision-makers and the general public. For these reasons, we have developed a model contained in a knowledge-based system (KBS) for determining land-unit suitability for conservation. We present results obtained from running the model in the 58 million-hectare interior Columbia River basin (ICRB). The KBS operates within a GIS-integrated application framework, which links the KBS with 12 spatial databases, produces output suitability maps, and provides data for optimization procedures to select land units based on their suitability. The model provides the ability to synthesize data available for the ICRB as a set of hierarchically-arranged fuzzy-logic networks, which characterize logical relationships among land-unit attributes contributing to conservation suitability. The structure of the model, as an explicit expression of our current understanding of ecological relationships, is readily communicated and easily changed to accommodate comments and reviews. The strengths of the framework are its ability to integrate current knowledge and available data concerning a conservation target of interest in an explicit and flexible manner, as well as its ability to provide visualization of the spatial implications of decisions as a platform for discussion with land managers and planners.

Keywords: knowledge base, GIS, conservation, optimization procedure

This abstract is being presented at: 9:30 AM in session:
Oral Session #2: Conservation Ecology.