Conservation GIS: current applications and emerging needs

ABSTRACT

Nature conservationists have long harnessed the power of GIS at all spatial scales from site to global and temporal scales from real-time to geologic. Geospatial tools are used extensively throughout the conservation process, including inventory and assessment, planning and management, and monitoring and reporting. The complexity and diversity of entities, scales, and relationships addressed in conservation make it a unique and challenging application domain. Commercial tools currently satisfy the bulk of conservation GIS applications. However, there are a number of ar-eas where further research and development and practical tools are required, particularly in the areas of Web mapping, distributed data management and editing, metadata management, data cataloging and sharing, flow modeling, and ontologies and data standards.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.8 Database applications
          Subjects: Spatial databases and GIS

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS

  J. Computer Applications
  J.3 LIFE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
      Subjects: Biology and genetics

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Management

Keywords:
GIS, conservation, keynote talk, requirements, web portal