GAP ANALYSIS OF SPECIAL FEATURES: GENERAL DISCUSSION AND A CASE STUDY OF AMPHIBIANS AND MAMMALS OF WEST VIRGINIA'S CAVES

As part of the overall Gap Analysis mission to compile information in support of biodiversity maintenance, individual Gap projects may cond uct analyses focusing on special features of states or regions. Special feature analysis may be used to capture location information for specialized or localized habitat features such as caves, springs, cliffs, certain tree species, etc. These special fe atures may not normally be found in statewide land cover and habitat datasets but may be important factors in the distribution of certain wildlife species. In addition, the assignment of Gap management status (level of protection) may also be specifically tailored to the special features analyzed. A case study describing West Virginia Gap Analysis (WV-GAP) work on amphibians and mammals utilizing cave habitats will be presented. In addition to standard Gap Analysis methods, WV-GAP used existing datasets for cave locations and cave accessibility to determine the gap analysis status of cave species in the state. Additional examples of special features of interest will also be discussed.