Projects ; Base Data ; Maps and Products ; Background and Uses ; Plans ; Resources @ SLWCS

SLWCS has been utilizing basic RS/GIS technology since 1997. This has mostly been for the creation of maps of project areas and visualizing the socio-economic and biodiversity indicators collected by its research teams. The Society, to date, has not utilized the full potential of both the field data we have collected or the powerful analysis and modeling properties inherent to our GIS A union of the two would require our research to be conducted with RS/GIS being a core component. This should not be only at the level of final output and project reports but at a site level where the divergent information sources are presented to communities and local/regional stakeholders/decision makers so that they can make informed decisions. The outputs should not only be in the format of rudimentary maps showing resources (such as crops, electric fences, homes etc) but the technology should be used for modeling and interpreting the effects of poaching, illegal logging, sand mining, fishing, slash and burn agriculture, garbage disposal, industrial pollution, settlement, road/rail development, tourism and other activities which affect the environment (positively or negatively).

Unifying field data with complex data storage and modeling require advanced training. We propose that the society train Chandeep Corea (Operations Director, SLWCS) in advanced RS/GIS use and hires a short term resident consultant to train and transfer this knowledge through Chandeep to project managers/researchers and field research/logistics staff.

Hardware/Software for this purpose should be centralized at SLWCS HQ and also deployed to all field sites.

Some of the potential uses of RS/GIS in SLWCS are

1. Make GIS an important tool in our efforts to develop better strategies for human elephant conflict resolution, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
2. Creation of Habitat suitability index (HSI) models for forest birds in Wasgamuwa and at other important sites.
3. Identification of species rich water bodies for freshwater fish in the Wasgamuwa region
4. Development of meta-population models for leopards in North-central province.
5. Population Viability analysis and threat assessments for key stone species
6. Metapopulation modeling to identify critical resource pathways in relation to habitat degradation and fragmentation.
7. Conservation priority setting at macro and micro scales. Developing both complex raster-based arithmetic models and very simple, yet effective, methodologies for priority setting.
8. Gap analysis –to identify areas containing endangered species that are not protected.
9. Project monitoring. Are conservation activities having the desired effect on land use?
10. Participatory land use planning and community mapping. Satellite imagery and GIS derived maps are often valuable tools as well, particularly for illustrating that deforestation is occurring and forest resources are finite.
11. Patrol planning. Using GIS to maximize patrol efficiency via explicit spatial planning.
12. Ecological research. There are a number of simple and relatively inexpensive ways to use GIS to map wildlife (and human) distributions.
13. Land use/cover change monitoring. Land cover change analyses can be conducted to measure habitat change.
14. The Field Scouts Program can be enhanced by integrating data collected by the field scouts into a GIS, the scouts can see how there data can be used to make maps. This can help encourage participation and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment among scouts.

Despite the complex nature of the above potential activities the primary focus of SLWCS’s RS/GIS will always be the integration of RS/GIS outputs into community level planning that has measurable impact on the sustainable conservation of resources.

3. Background.

With specific regards to GIS, the background of SLWCS can be summarized as follows.
GIS software has been used by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) since its inception to accomplish its research goals. The software that was used mostly was GIS analysis tools which were available online at little or no cost. ESRI ArcGIS 9 software was donated to SLWCS in 2005 by Earthwatch and it has helped SLWCS to achieve its objective of research-based conservation that is rooted in the community. GPS data was collected from the 5 Garmin GPS units currently in use by the society on Windows XP based Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 desktop and laptop computers. Digitization was done using standard multifunction scanners and printed on standard monochrome laser printers, color inkjets or at photographic centers. Course shape files and satellite/aerial images and topographic sheets were collected from the data server of the International Water Management Institute, Google Earth and Terraserver for free. Information that could not be collected from free data sources was purchased from the Urban Development Authority (UDA), Survey Department of Sri Lanka and online systems. All processed and raw data collected by the society is backed up on computers at the SLWCS HQ and on DVDs/CDs and kept offsite. The analysis and collection was carried out by Zeenath Khalid, Chandima Fernando, Mark Weckel and Chandeep Corea.

GIS - General uses

1. Produce quality cartography for reports and presentations
2. Portray, interpret and analyze remote sensing data
3. Relate information from different sources, i.e. socio-economic data with biodiversity data

GIS and Human Elephant Conflict (HEC)/Human Leopard Conflict (HLC)

1. GIS was used in 2003 by SLWCS to conduct a Rapid Assessment of Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) in the North West region of Sri Lanka. Maps were generated to illustrate surveyed areas with high HEC along with additional features such as wildlife corridors, forest cover, village boundaries and other man-made features. This information helped to ‘visibly’ explain the physical and socioeconomic relationship of the selected areas in relation to the larger environment and HEC.
2. Elephant death and human deaths were plotted to see where the conflict was at its worst. Monthly incomes spent on HEC were also put on the map to indicate which areas were the most affected by HEC and who spent the most to protect their crops. Once this information was analyzed using GIS it was easy to identify HEC hot spot zones for future interventions in those areas that would not have been possible without using GIS-Arc-view.
3. GIS maps helped to give a good visual interpretation of the area under study in terms of how natural and man-made resources and conflict relate and integrate. The relevant information from the study areas was fed into the attribute tables and analyzed to show the extent of HEC and other factors affecting and contributing to it from a geophysical perspective
4. In the Central Province, GIS was used to develop a time-based profile of where leopards are found through secondary signs and to calculate zones of intensity/hot spots of conflict similar to our work with elephants.
5. Identification of croplands and homes which are the most vulnerable to elephant raiding in Wasgamuwa by spatial analysis of remote sensing data

GIS and Wetlands

1. Selected wetlands were mapped identifying the various prominent features such as wildlife corridors, waterways, protected areas, administrative districts, human habitations and forest cover.
2. Natural resources used by communities were identified village by village based on wetland-resource harvesting patterns, i.e. collecting firewood, logging, fishing, sand mining, cane harvesting, cattle rearing and bee honey harvesting.
3. This information helped to estimate the number of villages reliant on resources harvested from the wetlands.  For example sand mining is done in a lot more villages than bee harvesting. Hence more active measures need to be taken to prevent people’s reliance on sand mining as it is being carried out illegally.
4. This information can further be used to find alternative measures for natural resources that are threatened due to extensive use and exploitation.
5. The GIS systems developed helped SLWCS to be considered as important partner in the conservation of national wetlands.

GIS and Biodiversity

1. Used spatial analysis to determine habitat types in Kalpitiya wetland
2. Identified and located species in rich areas in the Kalpitiya wetland system by integrating data of different taxonomic groups in the wetland

GIS and Tsunami Monitoring

• Mapped areas of inundation to calculate extent of Protected Areas affected by the Tsunami

Projects ; Base Data ; Maps and Products ; Background and Uses ; Plans ; Resources @ SLWCS