PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #7: Conservation Planning and Monitoring.
Monday, August 6, 2001. Presentation from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Exhibition Hall
140
Applying Historical Ecology to Conservation: A GIS Approach.
Syfert, Mindy1, 1
ABSTRACT- The relationship between conservation and historical ecology was studied in 17 towns in southeastern Massachusetts. Past studies have shown differences in modern forest composition between primary and secondary forests, which indicates that history may have persistent influence on present forest composition and dynamics. Land cover maps from the 1830s series in Massachusetts were compared to modern land use data, as well as data on conservation lands and rare species habitat. Our results indicate that current conservation lands incorporate a mixture of primary and secondary woodlands. A relatively significant number of 27% of rare species habitats exist in areas forested in the 1830s. Several of these areas are unprotected and adjacent to existing large protected lands. This suggests that these areas might be priorities for future conservation. This study demonstrates that an understanding of the history of the landscape may be critical to understanding the modern landscape and guiding conservation efforts.
KEY WORDS: GIS, conservation