Description: Tropical habitats may contain more than a third of the world's plant and animal species; Costa Pica alone is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity per unit area in the world, and stands at center stage in worldwide conservation efforts. Within such regions, the use of state-of-the-art digital mapping technologies represents the future of conservation planning and policy. These methods, which employ satellites to obtain visual data on landscapes, allow environmental scientists to monitor encroachment on indigenous territories, trace park boundaries through unmarked wilderness, and identify wildlife habitats in regions where humans have limited access.

Focusing on the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica, the contributors of this book demonstrate the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to enhance conservation efforts. They give an overview of the spatial nature of conservation and management and the current status of digital mapping in Costa Rica; a review of the principles behind digital mapping technologies; a series of case studies using these technologies and the results of the Costa Rican gap analysis project.

For specialists in such areas as geography, conservation biology, and wildlife and natural resource management, the combination of conceptual background and case examples make this book a crucial addition to the literature.

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