The California Gap Analysis Project: Final Report

The California Gap Analysis Project (CA-GAP) was initiated in 1990 as a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dozens of public and private organizations also provided invaluable support. The objectives of the project were to 1) develop new geographic information system (GIS) databases of land-cover, wildlife habitats, predicted distributions of native wildlife species, and land stewardship and management; 2) identify land-cover types and wildlife species that are inadequately represented in existing biodiversity management areas (i.e., the "gaps"); and 3) make all CA-GAP information available to users to encourage and facilitate its use so that resource managers may be more effective stewards of California's biological heritage.