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Evaluación de Paisaje en el Grado de Protección de la Biodiversidad Territorial de Alaska
Author(s) -
Duffy David Cameron,
Boggs Keith,
Hagenstein Randall H.,
Lipkin Robert,
Michaelson Julie A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1046/j.1523-1739.1999.98063.x
Subject(s) - ecoregion , geography , biodiversity , vegetation (pathology) , protected area , environmental protection , forestry , vascular plant , land cover , agroforestry , land use , environmental science , ecology , archaeology , biology , species richness , medicine , pathology
Abstract: We assessed the degree to which Alaskan lands reflect the state's biodiversity by dividing the entire state into four categories of land protection ranging from highly protected to minimally protected in terms of potential for future development. We then compared the percentage of each ecoregion and plant‐cover type in each land protection class. We assumed that 12% protection represents an acceptable minimum and examined the percentage of site records of rare plants in protected and unprotected areas. Of 28 ecoregions in Alaska, 15 (63.4%) have <12% of their area in highly protected areas. Similarly, 11 of 21 vegetation‐cover types (43.7%) have <12% protection. For 32 rare vascular plants, an average of 27% of records occur on highly protected lands. Seventy‐five percent of the rare plants had <50% of their records from highly protected lands. Less than 1% of Alaska has been permanently altered by human activity. In contrast to the lower 48 states, time remains to plan development that preserves biodiversity while permitting an economically sustainable economy—if the effort is made now.