Helping Elephants
Across the African Continent with GIS
African
elephants are the world’s largest land mammals, but are constantly battling for
survival against poachers. With human population increasing in Africa, humans
are expanding into areas dominated by elephants and other species causing an
overlap and direct contact with each other forcing elephants to transfer to
other areas.
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Areas where African Elephants and Humans Overlap
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One
researcher used GIS to create a map to reflect on the areas of Africa that
humans and elephants come into contact with one another. Through this map they
discovered areas that would be most suitable for relocation, giving elephants
up to 500 square miles of distance between human developments. They used
ArcView, which allowed them to use the geostatistical and spatial analytical
tools to form the spatial modeling and geoprocessing they needed to get the
results that are shown in the map to the right.
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Areas with permanent water sources
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The
next step was to develop a map to find areas that would be best for the
elephants survival by finding areas that are not only away from human populations,
but have the necessities like a reliable water source. Through both datasets represented by
individual maps they were finally able to have a reliable conclusion on where
to put the herds of elephants that are away from human habitations and the
suitability of a physical environment.
With
the information finally gathered and put into maps using GIS, researchers could
now express their concerns for the African Elephants and find people welling to
manage projects in hopes of relocating the elephants into reduced conflict
zones, ultimately providing the elephants a better life.
Jeff Romine
I really enjoyed this article. This is a creative way of using GIS to help elephants stay out of danger from humans and environmental struggles. The maps were easy to understand, and you can see by overlapping the 2 where the elephants would be more susceptible to human danger or dehydration.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a really great study to recreate for other animals that are victims of animal poaching. I know that there are a lot of native tribes in developing countries that use animal poaching as their primary source of protein and meat. Utilizing GIS technology to identify which areas are most susceptible to poaching for various animals could be used by conservation biologists to potentially educate the tribes on other sources of protein and meat that would not be negatively affecting species that are at risk for extinction.
ReplyDeleteI wonder where the data on the elephant populations came from. Someone (many groups, likely) had to do years of intensive research to gather this data. I don't know much about elephant migrations, but I wonder if it's very far and how constant movement could be reflected in a map. Also, as wonderful as it is that this research has been done, I worry that it may never be put to good use or to its full use; Africa is such a troubled place and while saving the elephants is a priority for many, it is not for equally as many. GIS is an excellent tool for bringing issues like these to the forefront by putting them in an easily understandable visual context; I hope as the years go by people start paying more attention. I could easily see this same idea used for other threatened and endangered species across the planet.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad and touching way of using GIS. It is great to know that GIS can be used to help endangered animals. I am curious if the safe zones for these elephants are already protected areas. I also want to see if these elephants are remaining in these areas. Researchers could use GIS to map out the before and after of certain migrating elephants once exposed to these safe zones.
ReplyDelete