GPS in Support of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Databases

GPS in Support of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Databases by Greg Carlino, Ben Schmitz, and Erin Martin

Definitions Biodiversity – “Earth’s rich variety of distinct species, the genetic variability within them, and the natural communities and ecosystems they inhabit. ” (The Earth in Balance) Ecosystem – “A community of plants and animals together with the physical environment they inhabit. ” (American Heritage Dictionary)

Importance of Biodiversity Leads to a sustainable environment – Less susceptible to disease, drought, etc. – Economic value of diversity – Culture and identity Widely researched topic

GPS and Environmental Databases Speed Large datasets Variable accuracy Compatible with remote sensing, GIS, and traditional surveying Economic method of data collection

Biodiversity in Brazil Nature Conservancy Study Needs info about flora (plants) and fauna (animals), and their habitats in order to prioritize conservation efforts. Often needs to make informed decisions quickly Use REA coarse/fine filter approach (6 mo. ) – Remote Sensing (initial classification) – Field Observations (verify classifications) – Overflights (verify areas inaccessible by foot)

Results Assumption that drier highland areas were located outside the existing park was proven correct Total of 148, 200 acres of land identified as prime conservation areas and acquired

Gone Fishing in the Pacific Northwest GPS Used to Map Chinook Salmon Spawning Habitat – Salmon part of identity, culture, religion, and economic system of people Series of hydroelectric dams built on Snake River – Salmon listed as endangered – Corps required to do a study

PNNL Study Search for redds (salmon nests) – One month window – Used GPS, GIS, Underwater Video Method – GIS query to find likely locations – Transects set up Boat location tracked with 12 -channel, L 1, C/A –code Trimble Pro XR GPS receiver Underwater camera Onboard PC for real-time visualization

Redd Spottings… Shore-based surveyor with laser transit and prism on boat – Also depthfinder, current profiler, camera Rebar with survey tape used to mark DGPS later used – Submeter accuracy obtained on a moving boat on a reference-free river with high canyon walls

Results Redds mapped at around 1 m accuracy Corps could plan construction projects and dam operations that would minimize effect on Chinook Salmon Technique has been applied elsewhere

Saving an Endangered Species GPS Used to Monitor and Manage Wild Horse and Burro Herds in West Symbols of the West – By mid 19 th Century, 2 million horses roamed North America – Inhumane capture and destruction for commercial purposes reduced numbers to 17, 000 by 1971 – Congress passes Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act (1971)

Resource Management Jurisdiction of Bureau of Land Management (div. of Dpt. of Interior) Collecting base information 80% of total cost (gather, analyze, display) Tracking Horses – Use GPS in conjunction with PC to provide automated field data collection system Supplies needed reference framework (grounding) for GIS mapping and analysis

Why GPS ? BLM’s findings are often challenged – Need to display current and past flight paths and other supporting data System must be accurate to 40 meters System must be capable of recording data in a downloadable format for use in subsequent Land Information Systems

Using GPS to Research Animal Species – 1995 study of Southern Elephant Seals in Falkland Islands – Goal to reach conclusion about individual variation and evolution of social behavior Why use mapping to study seals? – Space related phenomenon Territorial defense – Tracking of “tagged” individuals provides huge amounts of data (activity, movement) – Study of long-distance migratory species

GPS in Use Mapping perimeter of harems Tracking of Alpha-males and primary breeding females Data used to tabulate census numbers and population density

Advantages of GPS Operates under any weather conditions – Harsh Falkland Island climate Poor land mobility of seals means that spatial relationships must be defined over short distances – Sub meter accuracy required Ease and speed of use Data format easily transformed

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) Another agency that has implemented GPS into many research projects involving marine taxonomy – biodiversity inventory 40 years of oceanographic sampling in New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands, and Antarctica 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity ruled that member nations must inventory habitats and species for sustainable resource management – GPS helped NIWA accomplish this goal. Underwater cameras aided by satellite navigation system to create a biodiversity research library http: //katipo. niwa. cri. nz/taxonomy/

Save the Elephant Organization Charity founded in 1993 by Dr. Ian Douglas-Hamilton who made a pioneering study of elephant behavior Used GPS collars to study long distance movements of herds Needed to determine how elephants make decisions concerning where to roam in order to predict ecological changes on elephants and the biodiversity of the area

Elephant Migration Map created by collecting and plotting GPS coordinates of Stratus (family matriarch) Proved long standing theory that elephants were traveling from Samburu all the way to Il Ngwesi www. savetheelephants. org

Forest Fragment Project Manaus, Brazil Objective to map biomass changes in central Amazonia Relate field data with remote sensing data from Landsat TM images

GPS and Environmental Databases Speed Large datasets Variable accuracy Compatible with remote sensing, GIS, and traditional surveying Economic method of data collection

References The Earth in Balance, Maintaining Brazil’s Biodiversity, GPS World, June 1996. Track ‘em Cowboy! GPS Rides the Range, GPS World, September 1995. Reed Recon: Mapping Chinook Spawning Habitat, GPS World, January 1999. A Very Spatial Relationship, GPS Mapping Aids Understanding of Elephant Seal Behavior, GPS World, July 1999. The American Heritage Dictionary, 2 nd Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1985.