Habitat Mapping Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Le programme CarHAB est un programme de cartographie de la végétation, lancé par le ministère en charge de l’écologie dans le but d’améliorer la connaissance sur la répartition et l’état de conservation des milieux naturels et... more

Le programme CarHAB est un programme de cartographie de la végétation, lancé par le ministère en charge de l’écologie dans le but d’améliorer la connaissance sur la répartition et l’état de conservation des milieux naturels et semi‐naturels. Il a
pour objectif de représenter de manière fine (échelle 1/25 000) la végétation réelle et potentielle de la France métropolitaine selon les approches de la phytosociologie sigmatiste et de la phytosociologie paysagère.
De nombreux acteurs territoriaux, dans le cadre de leurs activités, ont besoin d’accéder à des informations sur les milieux naturels et semi‐naturels. Le programme CarHAB pourrait donc représenter pour eux une importante source
d’information.
Afin de connaitre leur besoins et attentes en matière de cartographie des habitats, le Service du patrimoine naturel du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle a réalisé une enquête auprès d’un large panel d’acteurs territoriaux.
L’analyse des réponses a permis d’identifier non seulement les types d’acteurs intéressés par les milieux naturels et semi‐naturels et leur besoins, mais également les difficultés qu’ils rencontrent avec les outils existants.
Dans un second temps un bilan du niveau de réponse apporté par le programme CarHAB aux acteurs territoriaux ainsi qu’aux principaux programmes en faveur de la biodiversité gérés par le ministère en charge de l’écologie a été réalisé.
Enfin, des propositions et recommandations à destination du Comité technique CarHAB sont formulées sur la base des conclusions de l’enquête et des bilans.

Given the current decline of natural wetlands worldwide and the consequent negative impacts on amphibians, wetlands constructed for the treatment of wastewaters have the potential to play a role in the protection of these animals.... more

Given the current decline of natural wetlands worldwide and the consequent negative impacts on amphibians, wetlands constructed for the treatment of wastewaters have the potential to play a role in the protection of these animals. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the value of constructed wetlands (CWs) to amphibians, particularly relating to the terrestrial phase of their life-cycle. This study compares the terrestrial habitats of natural wetlands (NWs) and CWs as refuges for the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris, [L., 1758]) with the aim of developing recommendations for CWs (both new and existing) to enhance their usefulness as newt-friendly habitats. Terrestrial habitats surrounding NWs and CWs were mapped using ArcGIS. Potential barriers to newt movement in addition to the presence of features such as wood or stone which could act as potential newt refuges were also mapped. Natural wetlands had significantly more terrestrial habitat types than CWs and while w...

The spider fauna of Barangay Sinaloc, in El Salvador City was sampled from three cites (A, B and C) to assess the relative abundance, species diversity, evenness and their habitat preferences. A total of 187 individuals were collected... more

The spider fauna of Barangay Sinaloc, in El Salvador City was sampled from three cites (A, B and C) to assess the relative abundance, species diversity, evenness and their habitat preferences. A total of 187 individuals were collected from three families and nine genera. Most of the species collected came from the family Araneidae, with the two most dominant species being Araneus inustus L. Koch, 1871 and Gasteracantha clavigera Giebel, 1863. The majority of the collected spiders were from Site C, the least disturbed ecosystem. Overall, the species were variably distributed and with a moderate level of species diversity (H1 = 1.68). Spider species from Araneidae and Theridiidae preferred Site C as its habitat over the two other sites because it offers larger space for web construction in bushes and herbs, and because it is the least disturbed site. Several spider species collected did not show habitat preference because there was no significant difference in their distribution in the three sites sampled. Based on evidence from the collected data, Barangay Sinaloc in El Salvador City can still support spider life and diversity but regular follow-up studies must be conducted to further assess the condition of spider fauna.

Pakistan's periled treasures of Coral reefs require protection from devastating anthropogenic activities, which can only be achieved through the identification of their habitat. The primary objective of this study is to identify the... more

Pakistan's periled treasures of Coral reefs require protection from devastating anthropogenic activities, which can only be achieved through the identification of their habitat. The primary objective of this study is to identify the potential habitat of coral reefs along the coastline of Pakistan with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. The results indicate that coral reefs are present throughout along the coastline, proving that Pakistan is rich in these diverse ecosystems. Pakistan being at important geo strategic position can also benefit from its vast coral reef and other coastal resources such as mangroves and fish varieties. Moreover, coastal zone management through involvement of the local community and establishment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) is the need of the hour to avoid destructive fishing, which can prove to be deadly damaging for the coral reefs near popular spots like Churna Island.

In the light of the "Biological Diversity" concept, habitats are cardinal pieces for biodiversity quantitative estimation at a local and global scale. In Europe EUNIS (European Nature Information System) is a system tool for... more

In the light of the "Biological Diversity" concept, habitats are cardinal pieces for biodiversity quantitative estimation at a local and global scale. In Europe EUNIS (European Nature Information System) is a system tool for habitat identification and assessment. Earth Observation (EO) data, which are acquired by satellite sensors, offer new opportunities for environmental sciences and they are revolutionizing the methodologies applied. These are providing unprecedented insights for habitat monitoring and for evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. This paper shows the results of a novel approach for a spatially explicit habitat mapping in Italy at a national scale, using a supervised machine learning model (SMLM), through the combination of vegetation plot database (as response variable), and both spectral and environmental pre-dictors. The procedure integrates forest habitat data in Italy from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA), with Sentinel-2...

This project was carried out within the course Satellite Oceanography under the academic supervision of Konstantinos Topouzelis. The main object of this study was to classify and map the underwater habitats in a shallow coastal area... more

This project was carried out within the course Satellite Oceanography under the academic supervision of Konstantinos Topouzelis. The main object of this study was to classify and map the underwater habitats in a shallow coastal area northeast of the Greek island Lesvos. This was done by a combination of high spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery and in-field observations, after applying atmospheric and water-column corrections. Focus was, to survey the meadows of Posidonia oceanica, which form the major benthic ecosystem dominating the soft bottom of the sublittoral zone in the Mediterranean Sea.

The aim of the work was to map and analyse benthic habitats in the Polish zone of the Baltic Sea using the Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The habitats definitions were analogous to those proposed in the HELCOM classification,... more

The aim of the work was to map and analyse benthic habitats in the Polish zone of the Baltic Sea using the Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The habitats definitions were analogous to those proposed in the HELCOM classification, which is based on two concepts—the euphotic zone has no clearly defined boundaries and the bottom sediments are defined on the basis of their fractions. The mapping was done using the theory of fuzzy sets.The fuzzy set map for each HELCOM category was created as a result of an intersection operation on two fuzzy set maps—the first showed bottom position relative to euphotic depth, and the second described the presence of a given sediment type on the bottom. The maps obtained were used to create a thematic map of habitats, which was generated at a pre-set significance level from the statistical analysis of a set of random realizations of habitat maps generated by stochastic simulation. The GIS-based analyses of the thematic map allowed a map of habitat groups to be developed and also allowed to find whether and to what extent the definitions proposed by HELCOM were applicable to the mapping of benthic habitats in the study area.

Grassland ecosystem is dynamic and productive ecosystem and it always has key role to provide suitable habitat of rare and threatened wildlife species. Reliable and updated information about number and extent of grasslands of Chitwan... more

Grassland ecosystem is dynamic and productive ecosystem and it always has key role to provide suitable habitat of rare and threatened wildlife species. Reliable and updated information about number and extent of grasslands of Chitwan National Park was insufficient. The main objective of the study was mapping grasslands, update grassland area, find extent of coverage and also find out the major grassland pre-defined attributes. For field data collection, both core and Buffer Zone area were divided into eight survey blocks. Grasslands within each block were mapped using GPS. Field survey team walked along the perimeter of individual grasslands with GPS and major grass, shrub, invasive and tree species were also recorded.
Altogether 425 grasslands patches with a total area of 10497.2 ha (6.24% of the total area) were recorded in Chitwan National Park and its Buffer Zone. In core area, 8955.2 ha area was covered by grasslands which equals 9.6% of total core area. Similarly, in the Buffer Zone, 1541.9 ha (2.06% of total Buffer Zone area) is covered by grasslands. Themeda (Themeda villosa) followed by Narkat (Arundo donax) were prominent grass species for tall grasslands habitat above 3m whereas dubo (Cynodon dactylon) and Siru (Imperata cylindrica) covered significantly at ground level.
Most of the grasslands were found to be severely invaded by Mikania micrantha species. Invasion of woody vegetation and livestock grazing are main threats to the grassland habitats. Most of the grasslands in western and southern part of Chitwan National Park were found shrinking due to widespread proliferation of shrub land and woody vegetation along with natural succession. Grasslands habitat might be gradually confined to limited area if not properly managed in time. Management intervention includes regular grass cutting and uprooting trees together with controlled burning. These kinds of woody invasions can be controlled through allocation of adequate budget and effective habited management prescription. Composition of tall and short grasslands distributed into scattered patches is crucial for wildlife conservation but the grassland management is challenging as diverse species are living together in the same habitat.

Seagrass meadows cover about 0.05-0.15% of the world’s ocean and are some of the most productive systems on Earth. Direct and indirect human-derived impacts have led to significant seagrass declines worldwide and the alteration of... more

Seagrass meadows cover about 0.05-0.15% of the world’s ocean and are some of the most productive systems on Earth. Direct and indirect human-derived impacts have led to significant seagrass declines worldwide and the alteration of services linked to their biodiversity. Effective conservation and the provision of sustainable recovery goals for ecologically significant species, such as green turtles (Chelonia mydas), are limited by the absence of reliable information on seagrass extent. This is especially true for the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) where many conservation initiatives are under way, but impaired by the lack of accurate baseline habitat maps. To assist with such a fundamental conservation need using high resolution remote sensing data, both environmental and methodological challenges need to be tackled. First, the diversity of environments, the heterogeneity of habitats, and the vast extent of the targeted region mean that local expertise and field data are seldom available. Second, large-scale high-resolution mapping requires several hundred Landsat 5 and 7 images, which poses substantial processing problems. The main goal of this study was to test the feasibility of achieving Landsatbased large-scale seagrass mapping with limited ground-truth data and acceptable accuracies. We used the following combination of methods to map seagrasses throughout the WCR: geomorphological segmentation, contextual editing, and supervised classifications. A total of 40 Landsat scenes (path-row) were processed. Three major classes were derived (“dense seagrass”, “medium-sparse seagrass”, and a generic “other” class). Products’ accuracies were assessed against (i) selected in situ data; (ii) patterns detectable with very high-resolution IKONOS images; and (iii) published habitat maps with documented accuracies. Despite variable overall classification accuracies (45-85%), the resulting thematic maps were deemed acceptable to (i) regionally provide, following their critical evaluation, an adequate baseline for further large-scale conservation programs and research actions; and (ii) regionally re-assess carrying capacity estimates for green turtles. They certainly should represent a drastic improvement relative to current regional databases.

The Merja Zerga lagoon is significant as a stopover site for Trans-Sahara migrants, an over-wintering site for ducks and waders, as well as a breeding site nesting refuge for some rare species in Morocco. The lagoon contains a mosaic of... more

The Merja Zerga lagoon is significant as a stopover site for Trans-Sahara migrants, an over-wintering site for ducks and
waders, as well as a breeding site nesting refuge for some rare species in Morocco. The lagoon contains a mosaic of habitats:
sandbars, tidal mudflats, meadows with Spartina, meadows with Salicornia, meadows with Juncus, wet grassland, semitemporary
stagnant water and permanent streams. Each habitat is characterised by its avifauna: 156 bird species are
ecologically dependent on only one habitat during at least one part of their annual cycle. An analysis of bird diversity showed
that each habitat contains characteristic bird species at least during a given period of the annual cycle. The tidal mudflats
constitute key habitats for birds in winter, due to their large surface area and abundant food resources. The meadow with
Spartina is the preferred habitat for waterfowl during the breeding season, especially for some regionally rare birds, owing to
its inaccessibility and the low level of disturbance. We also make recommendations for conservation management of the
Merja Zerga Biological Reserve.

This review examines the various strategies and methods used to produce benthic habitat maps using acoustic remote sensing techniques, coupled with in situ sampling. The applications of three acoustic survey techniques are examined in... more

This review examines the various strategies and methods used to produce benthic habitat maps using acoustic remote sensing techniques, coupled with in situ sampling. The applications of three acoustic survey techniques are examined in detail: single-beam acoustic ground discrimination systems, sidescan sonar systems, and multi-beam echo sounders. Over the past decade we have witnessed the nascence of the field of

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population of the Okavango Delta has undergone three major periods of human-induced decline in the past century. Combined, these periods have lead to an estimated 50% reduction in the breeding... more

The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population of the Okavango Delta has undergone three major periods of human-induced decline in the past century. Combined, these periods have lead to an estimated 50% reduction in the breeding population of the Okavango Nile crocodile. Although the possibility of population recruitment from two neighboring countries, namely Angola and Namibia, may exist, both countries are currently experiencing a period of major agricultural and economic development. This situation is likely to lead to an increase in crocodile- human conflict and further reduce the likelihood of recruitment into the Okavango Delta from further upstream. Therefore, knowledge concerning the breeding ecology of the Okavango Nile crocodile population and the impact of human disturbance is of critical importance for the long-term survival of this population.

This paper presents data collected over three consecutive nesting seasons in the “panhandle” region of the Okavango Delta, the primary breeding area for this population of crocodiles. Data was collected on nest location, hatching success and other physical nest site parameters. Results indicate that 50-80% of previous nesting sites are no longer in use. Additionally, nest sites are being selected on the basis of minimal human disturbance, rather than on optimal nesting parameters. Through the use of GIS techniques we propose a nesting sanctuary for Nile crocodiles in the Okavango Delta, highlighting the importance of such an area for the long-term survival of the population.

I sistemi costieri sono aree di notevole interesse turistico e ambientale la cui gestione richiede competenze diversificate per lo sviluppo di strategie sostenibili in grado di coniugare attività antropiche e tutela delle risorse... more

I sistemi costieri sono aree di notevole interesse turistico e ambientale la cui gestione richiede
competenze diversificate per lo sviluppo di strategie sostenibili in grado di coniugare attività
antropiche e tutela delle risorse naturali. L’evoluzione delle coste è regolata sia da processi
oceanografici sia terrestri, che agiscono su una fascia di territorio al contatto tra terra e mare la cui
estensione dipende dalla tipologia costiera e dal regime climatico. Per queste ragioni lo studio di tali
sistemi è necessariamente interdisciplinare e include sia settori emersi sia sommersi.
Il programma Rete Natura 2000 Basilicata, con la redazione di Piani di Gestione dei siti di interesse
comunitario presenti sul territorio in oggetto, soddisfa tali esigenze attraverso il supporto di
istituzioni di ricerca in grado di considerare i molteplici aspetti correlati allo studio del territorio. In
particolare la decisione assunta dalla Regione Basilicata con D.G.R. 1961/09, di estendere in ambito
marino i piani di gestione relativi alle aree territoriali omogenee 7 e 8, permette di integrare
l’ambiente sommerso nel processo gestionale.
In tale contesto l’Istituto per Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC) del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
(CNR) svolge attività di ricerca in grado di fornire un supporto concreto allo sviluppo sostenibile delle
aree costiere. L’IAMC_CNR, costituito da sei sezioni e da un laboratorio di biologia marina,
tradizionalmente si occupa di tematiche inerenti le Scienze del Mare segnatamente ad aspetti di
geologia, biologia, chimica, fisica, e studi mirati alle risorse rinnovabili (pesca ed acquacoltura) ed alle
tecnologie marine. Tra le linee di ricerca più rappresentative delle attività svolte all’interno delle
sezioni dell’IAMC, si segnalano la geologia e la geofisica marina, la climatologia delle coste e delle
dinamiche del trasporto solido litoraneo, la caratterizzazione e mappatura degli habitat marini,
l’ecologia e la biodiversità degli ecosistemi marini, la tolleranza del sistema marino alle perturbazioni
naturali e antropiche, le risorse della pesca e dell'acquacoltura, i rischi ambientali ed il paleoclima.
Tali ricerche risultano supportate dai numerosi laboratori, dalla strumentazione avanzata per la
ricerca a mare e dalla disponibilità di grandi attrezzature marine incluso tre imbarcazioni per ricerche
oceanografiche.

We present the first digital seafloor geomorphic features map (GSFM) of the global ocean. The GSFM includes 131,192 separate polygons in 29 geomorphic feature categories, used here to assess differences between passive and active... more

We present the first digital seafloor geomorphic features map (GSFM) of the global ocean. The GSFM includes 131,192 separate polygons in 29 geomorphic feature categories, used here to assess differences between passive and active continental margins as well as between 8 major ocean regions (the Arctic, Indian, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Atlantic, South Pacific and the Southern Oceans and the Mediterranean and Black Seas). The GSFM provides quantitative assessments of differences between passive and active margins: continental shelf width of passive margins (88 km) is nearly three times that of active margins (31 km); the average width of active slopes (36 km) is less than the average width of passive margin slopes (46 km); active margin slopes contain an area of 3.4 million km2 where the gradient exceeds 5o, compared with 1.3 million km2 on passive margin slopes; the continental rise covers 27 million km2 adjacent to passive margins and less than 2.3 million km2 adjacent to active margins. Examples of specific applications of the GSFM are presented to show that: 1) larger rift valley segments are generally associated with slow-spreading rates and smaller rift valley segments are associated with fast spreading; 2) polar submarine canyons are twice the average size of non-polar canyons and abyssal polar regions exhibit lower seafloor roughness than non-polar regions, expressed as spatially extensive fan, rise and abyssal plain sediment deposits – all of which are attributed here to the effects of continental glaciations; and 3) recognition of seamounts as a separate category of feature from ridges results in a lower estimate of seamount number compared with estimates of previous workers.

Abrupt collapse of the tropical rainforest biome (Coal Forests) drove rapid diversification of Carboniferous tetrapods (amphibians and reptiles) in Euramerica. This finding is based on analysis of global and alpha diversity databases in a... more

Abrupt collapse of the tropical rainforest biome (Coal Forests) drove rapid diversification of Carboniferous tetrapods (amphibians and reptiles) in Euramerica. This finding is based on analysis of global and alpha diversity databases in a precise geologic context. From Visean to Moscovian time, both diversity measures steadily increased, but following rainforest collapse in earliest Kasimovian time (ca. 305 Ma), tetrapod extinction rate peaked, alpha diversity imploded, and endemism developed for the first time. Analysis of ecological diversity shows that rainforest collapse was also accompanied by acquisition of new feeding strategies (predators, herbivores), consistent with tetrapod adaptation to the effects of habitat fragmentation and resource restriction. Effects on amphibians were particularly devastating, while amniotes ('reptiles') fared better, being ecologically adapted to the drier conditions that followed. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that Coal Forest fragmentation influenced profoundly the ecology and evolution of terrestrial fauna in tropical Euramerica, and illustrate the tight coupling that existed between vegetation, climate, and trophic webs.

Current MSc thesis focuses on the monitoring of seagrass P.oceanica along the northern coasts of Crete Island, Greece, and investigates the application of the remote sensing techniques for the seagrass mapping. This research was... more

Current MSc thesis focuses on the monitoring of seagrass P.oceanica along the northern coasts of Crete Island, Greece, and investigates the application of the remote sensing techniques for the seagrass mapping. This research was articulated in two parts, where the first one involves an ecological approach to the seagrass distribution in various regions around the globe and the experience of seagrass monitoring nowadays. The second part of this work has technical character and investigates the application of the remote sensing techniques towards seagrass mapping. It, furthermore, focuses on the optical properties of the P.oceanica and other seafloor cover types, and studies distinguishability of various seafloor cover types. Studies of the optical characteristics of separate seafloor cover types were made with purpose to clarify, whether their spectral properties change with varying environmental conditions. Special attention has been drawn on the role of environmental factors on the distribution of P.oceanica along the coasts of Crete, and in particular, how the optical properties of the seafloor cover types, i.e. spectral reflectance, are being changed under varying external conditions, e.g. water column, amount of suspended particles and sediments in the seawater, and water temperature. Fieldwork research sites were presented by separate locations on the northern coast of Crete region (Ligaria, Agia Pelagia, Xerocampos). The additional measurements of the reflectance spectra of the seawater with and without sediments have been made in aquarium tank in 2009 by means of Trios-RAMSES spectroradiometer. Parallel to the collection of spectra signatures, we captured the imagery for the seagrass mapping, which consists of the aerial images from the Google Earth website and the satellite Landsat TM and ETM+ scenes.

Bat comes among the least studied and highly misunderstood animal, regarded as evil spirit or omen in Mesoamerican, Oaxcan and East Nigerean mythology, unlike depicted as Fu-Shing (symbology of god of happiness) in Chinese Culture.... more

Bat comes among the least studied and highly misunderstood animal, regarded as evil spirit or omen in Mesoamerican, Oaxcan and East Nigerean mythology, unlike depicted as Fu-Shing (symbology of god of happiness) in Chinese Culture. Several of the bat species are enlisted in various category of CITES and IUCN Red Data Book, unlike in Nepal Wildlife legislation where its status is unclear. The research entitled ―Habitat Suitability Mapping and Species Identification of Chiroptera- A case study from Kaski District‖ was carried out to prepare the Habitat Map and identify the species occurrence in the study area with focus on threats assessment. Predicting species occurrence using a modeling approach based on a geographic information system (GIS) represents a new methodological tool which can be used to endorse conservation policies. Data were collected from miscellany of sources (small samples, non-regular and nonspatially stratified sample designs, samples collected according to an irregular time scale), thus deductive approach for mapping by overlaying of the various criteria viz. Roost, Water, Land use & Road was done. This research prepares a habitat suitability map & Roost site distribution map of Chiroptera in the study area; identifies 7 species of bat (4 species new for Kaski and 1 species new for Nepal) accounting a total of 17 species in the study area. Habitat destruction (caves and forest) is the major factor threatening the bat fauna. Hypothesis testing for independence between the benefit realization and perception resulted in satisfying the null hypothesis. This research concludes that Kaski is a suitable habitat for bat. Most people realize that bat provides benefit and are ecologically valuable, but there still exists misconception about this poor creature & recommends that this animal be kept within the priority of wildlife legislation.

The natural accumulation of logs, branches and other woody vegetation into the stream environment (coarse woody debris (CWD) accumulations) from adjacent stream banks plays an important role in altering the physical and ecological... more

The natural accumulation of logs, branches and other woody vegetation into the stream environment (coarse woody debris (CWD) accumulations) from adjacent stream banks plays an important role in altering the physical and ecological behaviour of rivers. CWD is often used as a tool in restoration projects to create or enhance instream habitat for biota. Research focussing on the influence of

The projected growth in human population, rapid urbanization, and expansion of structures like highways and canals pose a major threat to the future survival of wildlife, particularly large terrestrial mammals. In many cases, wild animal... more

The projected growth in human population, rapid urbanization, and expansion of structures like highways and canals pose a major threat to the future survival of wildlife, particularly large terrestrial mammals. In many cases, wild animal populations have been restricted to fragmented habitat islands due to anthropogenic developments, endangering them to local extinction. Current and future wildlife conservation and management strategies are leading to the implementation of mitigation measures such as creation of wildlife habitat corridors. In this light, novel and interdisciplinary research methods such as approaches in the field of landscape genetics are proving to be increasingly useful and necessary for assessing the status of wildlife populations and furthering efficacy of conservation programs and management efforts. In this 5-year research study, I review literature in the field of landscape genetics, highlighting studies and their applications toward wildlife conservation over the past decade (2005-2014). I then use a landscape genetic approach to understand the potential impact of natural and human-made barriers in and around the northern Sonoran Desert on one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, the mountain lion (Puma concolor). I employ recently developed genetic tools to assess the current population genetic status of mountain lions in this region and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to relate observations to landscape features through interpretive maps. I further investigate the utility of GIS and expert-based models in connectivity conservation and suggest validating them with information on genetic relatedness and functional connectivity among mountain lions. Lastly, in many parts of this document, I emphasize the use of these methods and data sharing in conservation planning as well as wildlife management.

It is difficult to map and quantify biodiversity at landscape level in areas with low data availability, despite demand from decision-makers. We propose a methodology to determine potential biodiversity pattern using habitat suitability... more

It is difficult to map and quantify biodiversity at landscape level in areas with low data availability, despite demand from decision-makers. We propose a methodology to determine potential biodiversity pattern using habitat suitability maps of the understory plant species with highest cover and occurrence frequency in the three different forests types of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). We used a database of vascular plants from 535 surveys from which we identified 35 indicative species. We explored more than 50 potential explanatory variables to develop habitat suitability maps of the indicative species, which were combined to develop a map of the potential biodiversity. Correlation among environmental, topographic and forest landscape variables were discussed, as well as the marginality and the specialization of the indicative species. We detected differences in the

Clearing of forests for settlements, agriculture, industries and for communication purposes has done irreparable damage to the natural system. In particular, many wild species including birds are adversely affected by human induced... more

Clearing of forests for settlements, agriculture, industries and for communication purposes has done irreparable damage to the natural system. In particular, many wild species including birds are adversely affected by human induced changes in land use. Even though wi conservation is practiced according to Protection Act, 1953, Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has been hunted indiscriminately for years. It is reported that the population of GIB at GIB Sanctuary / Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary (Nannaj) was 40 in 1989, whereas it is 9 in 2010. Declining population of GIB the “globall endangered” species is because of hunting, continuing agricultural development and loss of habitats. The paper presents application of remote sensing and GIS technique for Habitat Suitability Modelling for the GIB in Solapur District. Four tehsils viz. Karmala, Madha, Mohol and N.Solapur are considered in this study. Locations for habitats of GIB are located using GPS points. Landuse/land cover, soil, altitude and distance of habitat from road are mapped using ERDAS IMAGINE 9.1 and Arc GIS 9.3. AND Boolean operator is used in this Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem to map suitable habitat for GIB.