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Land Management Rating Scale
Getting Started
Definition
Purpose
Organizing
Examples & Links
Terms
Network Design
Vision and Goals
Network Scale
Integration
Design Principles
Application
Land Ratings
Design Checklist
Tips & Advice
Tools & Resources
Implementation
Acquisition
Incentives
Stewardship
Outreach
Funding
Maintenance
Many different types of land
and management strategies may contribute to conserving biodiversity
across the landscape. Reserves, wilderness areas, and refuges are important
for some species of plants and animals. Some elements of biodiversity
persist on lands used primarily for agriculture, forestry, or recreation.
Even within highly developed lands, natural and semi-natural spaces may
support ecological processes, and some species of fish and wildlife. When
designing a conservation network, it is helpful to begin with a clear
picture of current land use and management, in order to identify the place
where changes may be needed.
The Oregon Biodiversity Project
developed a classification system to
characterize landscapes in terms of their contributions to long-term biodiversity
conservation, rather than simply labeling as "protected" or
"unprotected." Lands rated at the upper end of a 10-point scale - based on
ecological values, management objectives, security, and size - make up the existing
conservation network. Most lands, both public and private, fall somewhere in the middle of
the scale. Mapping of the ratings can be used to quantify changes in land management
across the landscape over time. The 10-point scale can also be used to describe desired
changes (e.g., moving a particular property from a 3 to a 7).
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