GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)

Geographic Information Systems (GIs) correlate the presence of species or suites of species with many concurrent habitat variables. Habitat variables in the marine environment include water depth, temperature and turbidity, current strength and wave action, and sediment type the nutrient status of the water, and latitude. In GIs systems these factors are considered as transparent maps that can be overlaid to produce areas of similarity that correspond with record of species presence or absence. The habitat requirements that correspond to species presence are then induced (from detailed facts to general principles) to mean the presence of the species in other similar GIs habitats. This induction has even been extended to species suites, where the conservation of a habitat type defined by the knowledge of a few species, is proposed to conserve most of the species within that habitat type.

The use of GIs is valuable and popular because large amounts of geographical and geophysical data are readily available, particularly that produced by satellites (water depth, temperature, plankton concentration, forestation, land elevation etc.). GIs systems have even more potential more information becomes available. However, the accuracy of the predictions of GIs analysis for conservation is limited by the quality of information. Even the distribution of many species is poorly known, with range and habitat requirements even less known. In addition some species are recorded from a range of very diverse habitats. In some cases these records may be vagrants; many pipefish (Deep-bodied pipefish; Kaupus costatus) have preferred habitats where they exist in high densities but are found as dispersed individuals over large areas of marginal habitat, or species may inhabit quite dissimilar habitats in different geographical zones (Tiger snakes Notechis scutatus mainly inhabit coastal swamps in South Australia but inhabit highland forests and are rarely found in coastal swamps in coastal NSW, Australia.

For the successful use of GIs systems in wildlife management detailed information on the distribution, range, and habitat of many representative species must be available. This information can only be obtained though extensive surveys within each biogeographical region.