 | | | | |
| | | | | |
|
Coastal change Danube Delta change detectionOil spillsDeforestation Bardia National ParkCongo River BasinKameng-Sonitpur Elephant ReserveKilimanjaroRondoniaShillong and GuwahatiIce Antarctica 2003Climate change and glaciersGlacier analysis using radar imageryGlacial retreat in the AlpsGlacier Ice FlowMonitoring of glaciers in the HimalayasRemote sensing of ice and snowUrbanisation CairoCity of KathmanduCórdobaHimalayasKathmandu ValleyLagosVegetation Annapurna Conservation AreaLost in the AndesNgorongoro Conservation AreaNiger Inland DeltaVegetation in South America
| | | | | | | Habitat suitability evaluation for rhinoceros in Bardia
This GIS exercise is divided into three parts and requires the use of ArcExplorer.
Part 1
Great one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) are a globally threatened flagship species found only in Nepal and India. The Chitwan National Park holds the second largest population of rhinos in the world. Since 1986, 83 rhinoceros have been translocated from Chitwan to Bardia National Park with the hope that Bardia, which is also dominated by Sal forests with a mixture of grasslands and riverine forest, could be developed as a home for a second viable population of rhinoceros in Nepal.
The performance and adaptation of rhinos in their new home was very good. They have a good habitat in the Karnali floodplain and Babai valley, but there are regular reports of crop damage by rhinoceros in the south and east of the park boundary. The local inhabitants often encroach into the park for the collection of forest products and for grazing. All these activities are the cause of conflicts between local people and the park’s authorities. The mapping of a suitable habitat for wild animals is useful in guiding the conservation effort for specific species.
In the following exercises we will use satellite images and GIS layers to further analyse the situation and establish the resources available for rhinoceros. As a result, we will create different types of maps which will help us assess the habitat’s suitability.
GIS Exercise with ArcExplorer
This exercise requires the GIS-software ArcExplorer. You need to download it and install it before starting the exercise.
You will find the files for this exercise in the directory 'GIS_Habitat' of the satellite images you downloaded for the first exercise.
We will use geo-referenced satellite images and GIS layers to create different types of maps to show and study the habitat suitability of rhinoceros. Such a database will help us understand and manage the requirements of a national park.
In order to launch ArcExplorer with all the images and layers, double-click on Bardia_Habitat.AEP, found in the 'GIS_Habitat' directory.
The Bardia GIS archive contains the following shape files:
- BNP (boundary of the Bardia National Park)
- Rhinoceros distribution
- Rhinoceros preferred habitat
- Most Suitable for Rhinoceros
- Suitable
- Less suitable
- Unsuitable
- Highway
- Water body
- Settlements
- Sites of crop raiding by rhinos
- Land cover classified image
- Landsat_2002_bands_453
- Landsat_1990_bands_453
By ticking the different layers on and off you can make these visible. Play with them a little bit with either Landsat 2002 or 1990 in the background.
1. Describe the vegetation along the river course inside the National Park. Find the grassland areas in the park.
2. Describe the land use on the south and west of the park boundary.
| |
| | Bardia National Park IntroductionLocationGeology and soilWeather and climatePeople and settlementsExercises Worksheet introductionOverview - working on paper printsBardia Region Overview - Image processingLandscape and land cover dynamics in the Karnali FloodplainEduspace - Software LEOWorks 3ArcExplorerEduspace - Download bardia.zipbardia_paperprints.zipResources Useful links
|
