A Transparent and Intuitive Modeling Framework and Software for Efficient Land Allocation

John A. Gallo, Gregory H. Aplet, Randal Greene, Janice L. Thomson and Amanda T. Lombard
Additional contact information
John A. Gallo: Conservation Biology Institute, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
Gregory H. Aplet: The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO 80202, USA
Randal Greene: Feaver’s Lane Enterprises Inc., St. John’s, NL A1C1T6, Canada
Janice L. Thomson: The Wilderness Society, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Amanda T. Lombard: Botany Department, Nelson Mandela University, Eastern Cape 6019, South Africa

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 11, 1-29

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to better conserve biodiversity by improving land allocation modeling software. Here we introduce a planning support framework designed to be understood by and useful to land managers, stakeholders, and other decision-makers. With understanding comes trust and engagement, which often yield better implementation of model results. To do this, we break from traditional software such as Zonation and Marxan with Zones to prototype software that instead first asks the project team and stakeholders to make a straightforward multi-criteria decision tree used for traditional site evaluation analyses. The results can be used as is or fed into an algorithm for identifying a land allocation solution that is efficient in meeting several objectives including maximizing habitat representation, connectivity, and adjacency at a set cost budget. We tested the framework in five pilot regions and share the lessons learned from each, with a detailed description and evaluation of the fifth (in the central Sierra Nevada mountains of California) where the software effectively met the multiple objectives, for multiple zones (Restoration, Innovation, and Observation Zones). The framework is sufficiently general that it can be applied to a wide range of land use planning efforts.

Keywords: conservation planning; land-use planning; climate change; connectivity; habitat representation; South Africa; biodiversity; spatial decision support systems; restoration; LandAdvisor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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