Description: For more information, see the Aquatic Biodiversity Factsheet at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=150856. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Areas of Conservation Emphasis (ACE) is a compilation and analysis of the best-available statewide spatial information in California on biodiversity, rarity and endemism, harvested species, significant habitats, connectivity and wildlife movement, climate vulnerability, climate refugia, and other relevant data (e.g., other conservation priorities such as those identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), stressors, land ownership). ACE addresses both terrestrial and aquatic data. The ACE model combines and analyzes terrestrial information in a 2.5 square mile hexagon grid and aquatic information at the HUC12 watershed level across the state to produce a series of maps for use in non-regulatory evaluation of conservation priorities in California. The model addresses as many of CDFWs statewide conservation and recreational mandates as feasible using high quality data sources. High value areas statewide and in each USDA Ecoregion were identified. The ACE maps and data can be viewed in the ACE online map viewer, or downloaded for use in ArcGIS. For more detailed information see https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Analysis/ACE and https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=24326.
Copyright Text: ACE 3 Working Group and ACE 3 Development Team, California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Scripting and GIS data product development: Ryan Hill, Sandra Hill, and Melanie Gogol-Prokurat.
ACE 3 conceptual model and source data development: Melanie Gogol-Prokurat, Sandra Hill, Diane Mastalir, Kristi Cripe, Dan Applebee, Janet Brewster, Kristina White, Patrick McIntyre, Todd Keeler-Wolf, Lisa Ohara, Steve Goldman, Peter Ode, Whitney Albright, Ryan Hill, and Karen Miner.
Multiple datasets were compiled and analyzed in the development of ACE, including but not limited to California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) species ranges and distribution models, California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and other Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS) rare species occurrence data, and Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) vegetation maps/landcover data. A full list of the datasets included in the ACE analysis is included in the technical report: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=24326.