Hilly Habitats and Highland Hydrology as Conservation Contexts

An approach to initial assessment of prospective needs for conservation of hill zones and scarps is formulated. The approach begins with a digital elevation model (DEM) and elevation contours generated from the DEM. Three types of hill/slope features are recognized for interactive extraction via geographic information system (GIS). The three types of features are regional ridges, dissected domes, and scarp slopes. The extraction is accomplished primarily by removal of contours representing short, slight slopes. The resulting terrain features are then appraised in terms of indicators of landscape ecological importance and partially prioritized for cooperative conservation.