Gap Analysis

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-012024",
  "term": "Gap Analysis",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The process of identifying and classifying components of biodiversity to determine which components already occur on protected areas and, conversely, which are un- or underrepresented on protected areas (Scott et al. 1990).\n\n2. A Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology to identify the distribution of biodiversity over large spatial areas. It was developed in 1988 by the U.S. Geological Survey in an effort to ensure that regions rich in species diversity are conserved with the hope that this will eliminate the need to list species as threatened or endangered in the future. The gap analysis approach uses maps of vegetation and predicted animal distributions to locate centers of species richness outside areas currently managed for biodiversity protection. These are considered the \"gaps\" of gap analysis. Thus far, its use primarily has been in the terrestrial sphere.",
  "references": [
    "USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Glossary of Avian Terms For Use in Avian Conservation Biology",
    "NOAA Coral Reef Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/gap-analysis/"
}