Iracambi GIS Project
Background
Though the Brazilian environmental protection law gives special recognition to the Mata Atlântica region, it has been unable to prevent continuing deforestation. Measures are needed that address the problem of land degradation, not just the symptoms of deforestation. This requires a systematic approach that involves the participation of all the people concerned in the diagnosis of its causes and the development of appropriate technical measures to combat it. Research at the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research Center has focused on two major: sustainable land management technology, and the development of alternative products from forest land that can generate income and provide an incentive for forest conservation. With an integrated approach to forest conservation and land management, the program aims to develop the center’s capacity to bring in more researchers to work on the problem of land degradation. To strengthen its support to land management, Iracambi is expanding its ongoing education to both present and future land managers, to raise awareness of conservation issues, to show how environmental concepts relate to real-life situations, and what steps can be taken to reduce land degradation.
Land Management Project
The overall objective of this project is to provide the local institutions involved in biodiversity conservation planning (local communities, local government, teaching and research institutes) with the tools that will equip them to make appropriate decisions concerning the preservation and use of the natural resources in their respective areas of influence. The specific objectives are: - To provide maps and other information resources to identify the critical areas for conservation and the environmental degradation hot spots (erosion, deforestation), to train potential users in how to use this material, and to provide local planning agencies with the technical assistance that will allow them to make rational decisions on conservation management and planning; - To provide the local institutions involved in land use planning with geographic information, based on the Iracambi GIS, for: (i) planning biodiversity and land management activities (ii) helping to identify the causes of and solutions to the problem of land degradation (iii) using as teaching aids in Iracambi’s environmental education program Project activities include: 1. Work with farmers in identifying land management problems, helping them to propose their own solutions using technical support based on research work at the Center.
2. Land use mapping: to help understand how natural resources are currently used, and to visualize the potential optimal land use pattern. 3. Developing educational materials based on maps and GIS data, to assist learning about problems of land management and land degradation, for use in local schools and in community groups.
GIS
A GIS (Geographical Information System) is an electronic database, capable of displaying the information contained in it, in exactly the position it occupies in the world. The Iracambi GIS will therefore serve, not only as a location guide to incorporate geographical features and attributes, but as a store for all relevant data, such as wildlife surveys, and current and future projects, which can then be easily accessed and combined for the purpose of land management and planning. With a GIS, the user is able to zoom in and out to view a map at any scale view any combination of themes retrieve information about themes, such as area, distance or results of fieldwork update and add themes easily The map of Graminha rivers below illustrates of the use of maps for resource use planning.
Aims of the GIS project
The ultimate aim of the GIS project is to build up a system that will create a full and accurate picture of the state of biodiversity conservation in the area. The information will tell us where the forests are, what their state of health is, and where the critical hotspots that need priority attention lie. The GIS will not only help Iracambi plan its own conservation activities, but will also serve as a basis for future decisions on land use amongst both individual and community land users. It will provide the means to assess the progress of the Land Management Project, and may also be the foundation for a future land use plan, to be drawn up by the municipal economic development council.
Objectives:
To map land use in accordance to the land management project:- To develop and produce a comprehensive coverage of topographical and land use maps for the Iracambi Project Area and surrounding forest in the conservation area. To identify existing land resources and land use patterns, especially those of high conservation priority To use the GIS as a research tool for future projects. The illustration below shows an example of this use, indicating various research survey areas.
To use the GIS as a directory for projects carried out at Iracambi, storing information and containing links to reports and research. To provide land use information to local authorities to aid the decision making process.
Resources
ArcView GIS Version 3.1. Quick and Dirty (QDIR):- a georeferencing extension to the ArcView program, obtained from the Environmental Science Research Institute (ESRI) web site. Garmin GPS III Plus Global Positioning System (GPS) with download cable. This GPS has been used to collect all the points for the GIS. (The GPS is a system of 24 satellites, which circle the earth in a very precise orbit and transmit information to earth. This information is picked up by a receiver, which uses it to calculate its latitude, longitude and altitude. Points can be recorded and stored in the receiver’s memory ready to download to the computer later.) 1:5000 map of land use, trails and points such as buildings. This is of less use now that the Iracambi GIS is running. 1:50,000 IBGE topographical map detailing altitude, roads, streams forest and buildings. However, this was printed in 1975 so many features have since changed. This map has been used frequently and certain features such as junctions and altitude are reliable. Satellite photos. Initial work found that they were not clear enough to be able to identify features around Iracambi. A skilled interpretation of the images is required. Back up CDs of Iracambi GIS data, also including some of the downloaded extensions. These are made about every one to two weeks when the GIS is being updated.
GIS Project Development to date
Mapping work at Iracambi began in 2000 when basic land use, trails and buildings on the farm were mapped. Data was collected using a Garmin Etrex GPS receiver, and these points were plotted using AutoCad, to produce a skeleton map of the area, at a scale of 1:5000. However, it became obvious that Iracambi needed a more powerful way of storing and retrieving this data, so the Iracambi Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed. In 2001, ArcView was installed at Iracambi, and work began on the Iracambi GIS. A map of Fazenda Iracambi was produced in September 2001. Several databases were created for the purpose of recording animal sightings and displaying the information on the GIS. However, the area identified by the land management project was not mapped. The Graminha valley area was mapped in 2002. Linked to existing and potential projects (under the Iracambi goals of land use, community, forestry and medicinal plants), the land use of seven farms was mapped, in accordance with the land management project. The map was created using data from the GPS, existing maps and satellite images (but many of the land use types in the Graminha valley are
relatively small, and the satellite images were not clear enough to be able to identify features). Streams were digitised over the scanned map and then adjusted according to GPS points. The altitude theme was created from an earlier geo-referenced map. The Iracambi GIS currently holds information on surveys of butterflies, hummingbirds, mammals, insects, vegetation types, locations of medicinal plants, areas of afforestation and soil surveys including nitrogen fixing trees. These data stores, however, are not extensive, and continuous data collection is needed to keep the information up to date, and assess change.
Future Work
The screen below displays the land use map of the Graminha valley, adjacent to Iracambi. This is a vital tool in identifying existing forest fragments: mapping these is one of the current projects, in support of both our Forest Futures Program and our Forest Corridors Program.
Other mapping projects will be carried out as volunteer skills and resources allow. Watershed mapping is important for the development of a water conservation project as well as for assessing the impact of expected future bauxite mining activities. Land use maps are important for the purposes of land use planning and the development of management plans for conservation areas. , for example, the forest
corridors project. Mapping of species distribution is important as a means of monitoring ecosystem health. Mapping work is an ongoing process and the theme properties are a good guide to work that still needs to be carried out. As time progresses, both old and recent maps will prove invaluable in identifying change (deforestation and land clearance, as well as regeneration and afforestation). Collection of data at Iracambi and its incorporation into the GIS will be a continuous task.
Conclusions
One of the main hindrances to progress on the GIS, is the lack of expertise and continuity of those who work on the project. Much of the work is carried out by volunteers, of varying proficiency, who may stay for any time from three weeks to 6 months. There is a need for mapping to be carried out by experienced mappers who have a good understanding of the Iracambi GIS. It is important that if mapping is linking in with other projects, the aims, objectives and methodology are clear before mapping begins. The Iracambi GIS is a vital tool to assist research projects and the goals of Iracambi. However, it is only as good as the data put in, and so it is crucial that it is managed correctly and regularly updated. Research projects should be planned with the GIS in mind to allow clear representation of information.