|
ARCS & GIS
Since 1995, ARCS has been intensively involved in a number of government-initiated planning processes for South-East Queensland involving the assessment of forest conservation values, resource values etc, leading to the delineation of new conservation reserves and a transition of the timber industry from a native forest base to a plantation base.
In 2001, ARCS began participation in a Statewide Forests Process that will involve assessments of about 40 million hectares of forest and woodland.
In January 1996, ARCS was provided with the Macintosh version of ArcView 2 as a donation/grant under the ESRI Conservation Program. We have been subsequently provided with upgrades under the conservation program and are now using ArcView 3.2a and Spatial Analyst.
ARCS has been a principal conservation NGO in the government-initiated processes, and is the only conservation NGO directly involved in the Statewide Forests Process. ARCS has acquired a wide range of spatial data including flora and fauna records, vegetation mapping, regional ecosystem mapping, wilderness mapping, geology, rainfall, digital elevation models, modelled species habitat, timber volumes, grazing leases and tenure.
ArcView and Spatial Analyst have been essential tools supporting our participation in these assessment processes. It has been the basic tool for analysing distribution of flora and fauna, (including threatened species), of regional ecosystems and vegetation (including threatened communities) and hence developing reserve proposals. The geoprocessing features of ArcView have been essential for analysis of potential conservation outcomes, for example, the areas of particular regional ecosystems and species habitat contained within the existing conservation reserve estate and captured by proposed new reserves.
ARCS also carries out flora and fauna surveys, maintains an herbarium of collected plant specimens and has compiled a major database containing details of records and survey sites. ArcView is used to analyse these new records which often represent range extensions for the species.
|
What is GIS?
GIS stands for geographic information system. A GIS is a computer-based system for the storage, management, analysis, and display of geographic and associated data. GIS is a powerful tool designed specifically for integrating, analyzing and mapping all types of spatial
information.
ESRI Conservation Program
GIS as a resource and a tool is spreading into all areas of society all over the world. It is slowly becoming an accepted part of public infrastructure, with more and more
spatial services and spatial data becoming available.
The ESRI Conservation Program offers grants and support to non-government organisation around the world. For more information, visit the web sites below.
Esri Conservation Program
The Society for Conservation GIS
|
