The Nature Conservancy’sContribution to the IABIN

Ecosystem Thematic Network

The Nature Conservancy’sContribution to the IABIN

Ecosystem Thematic Network

Steven R. Schill, PhDSenior Geospatial ScientistMesoamerica & Caribbean

ProgramThe Nature Conservancy

Organizational CapacityOrganizational Capacity

• 450 offices in 32 countries

• Protection of– 120 million acres

– 5,000 miles of river

– 100+ marine conservation projects

• Global Initiatives in Forests, Freshwater, Marine, Climate Change, Invasive Species, Fire

• Expansion of Conservation Information Systems (CIS)

TNC’s 2015 GoalTNC’s 2015 Goal

By 2015, The Nature Conservancy will work with others to ensure the effective conservation of places that represent at least 10% of every Major Habitat Type on Earth.

2006:Started inSE. Africa

9 Conservation Regions – 7 in the Americas

GLOBAL

BIOGEOGREALM

MHT

ECOREGION

LOCAL

SITE

DATA SCALE

REGION

GLOBAL

ORGANIZATIONALLEVEL

OPERATINGUNITS

AN

AL

YS

IS

Region

Mexico CENTRALAMERICA

CARIBBEAN

EXTERNALRegional UnrestrictedData Clearinghouse

(Panama)

Each level responsible for their respective SCALE: Data gathering, Data standardization (metadata), Data upload to serverIdentification of regional data PARTNERS to share burden of network infrastructure and data disseminationSystem is DYNAMIC so that it is continually ingesting new data as it becomes available

GlobalCoordinator

SeniorGeospatialScientist

OU GISAnalysts

DataManager

GeospatialScientists

STAFFIN

FO

RM

AT

ION

FL

OW

PUBLICINTERNET

(Search Nodes)

DATA COLLECTION STANDARDIZATION DISSEMINATION

INTERNALRegional CompleteData Clearinghouse

(Costa Rica)

TNCINTRANET

FIELDOFFICES

WorldwideOffice

Ecoregional AssessmentsEcoregional Assessments

Expert/Partner driven:

• Targets (Biodiversity)• Threats• Protected areas• Conservation portfolio• Strategies to abate threats

TerrestrialTerrestrial

MarineMarine

FreshwaterFreshwater

Habitat MappingHabitat Mapping

Geodatabase Structure

BathymetryClimateFreshwater featuresGeologyImageryInfrastructureLand coverMarine FeaturesModelsPoliticalProtected AreasSocioeconomicSoilsTargets (Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine)Terrestrial FeaturesTopographyTopoMaps

Geodatabases(with FGDC metadata)

• Caribbean Region• Lesser Antilles

• Puerto Rico• Dominican Republic• Bahamas• Jamaica• St. Vincent & the Grenadines• Grenada• Haiti

Mesoamerica/Caribbean ECOREGION ASSESSMENT

STATUS

ENVIRONMENTS REALM MHTECO-

REGIONERA

COMPLERA IN PROG

ERA NOT STARTED

TERRESTRIAL 2 11 76 30 42 4

FRESHWATER 2 7 43 7 21 15

MARINE 4 3 18 8 3 7

 TOTAL     137 45 66 26

Ecoregional Roll-Up

1. Spatial correction and inventory of ERA datasets

2. Identify the minimum attribute fields and create data model

3. Standardize targets/threats based on common taxonomy

4. Integrate and roll-up all terrestrial ERAs into one seamless region-wide product

REALM MAJOR HABITAT TYPE

COUNTRY SITE

NEOTROPICAL FOREST

HISPANIOLA PINE FOREST

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LOWER MONTANE RAIN EXTRUSIVE FOREST

FINE FILTER HABITATS and SPECIES OCCURRENCES

Ecoregional Roll-Up

Ecoregional Roll-Up

Ecoregional Roll-Up

Raw Data:Major Habitat Type

MHT Intersected withRemaining “Natural Areas”

Ecoregional Roll-Up

Moist

Dry

Mangroves/Marine

Ecoregional Roll-Up

Ecological Roll UpEcological Roll Up

Level 1:Habitat Realm

Level 2: Major Habitat Type

Level 3:Ecosystems

Level 4:Fine Filter Habitats

Marine

Shelf

Reef Habitat

Fore Reef

Inter-tidal Reef Flat

Reef Flat

Shallow Terrace

Shoal

Shelf StructureOuter Slope

Shelf Slope

Seagrass Seagrass

Lagoonal HabitatLagoon Terrace

Nearshore

Enclosed Lagoon

Rocky Shore Rocky Shore

Beaches

White Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach

Leatherback Nesting Sites

Hawksbill Nesting Sites

Mangroves Mangroves

GEODATABASEData Model

• Boundaries• Assessment Units• Conservation Targets• Suitability Index• Marxan Files• Portfolio Solutions• Verification Data• Threat Information• Relationship Class• Access Queries

1. Relates spatial features to each other

2. Features defined by their qualities in context with other features

3. Features are dynamic4. Multiple user editing

AssessingAssessingEffective Effective

ConservationConservation

Elements Biodiversity Viability Status

Threats Status

Conservation Management

Status

Effective Conservation

Future Threat Scenarios

Criteria • Size

• Condition

• Landscape

Context

(RBI, NDVI, Metrics, Optimization Models)

• Scope

• Severity

(Impact and spatial extent)

• Tenure,

• Intent (IUCN)

• Capacity

• Very High

• High

• Fair

• Poor

• Vulnerability (climate change, invasives, fire, development, accessibility, conversion to agriculture, grazing pressure, NDVI change)

Assessment of Effective Conservation

Mapping Mapping the Status the Status of Effective of Effective ConservatioConservatio

nn

• Use of ERA Products and Geodatabases

• Support to identify data gaps

• ESRI partnership (software/consulting)

• Assistance with classification cross-walk

• Help with development of data standards and data sharing through external portal (free access)

• Capacity building (e.g. training in methods/tools)

Efforts that Support ETN