Abstract

Mapping and Managing the Important Bird Areas with GIS
Track: Ecology and Conservation
Author(s): David Yun, Julie Messer, Andrea Jones

Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program was created to identify and conserve sites that are vital to birds and other biodiversity. In California, 148 IBAs were identified; however, these sites were mapped as a point layer. Although point layer gives general location, it does not provide simple information such as size and shape. Audubon and Natural Resources Management Department at California Polytechnic State University joined efforts to create a polygon layer of IBA sites using ArcMap and other GIS programs. Using the site descriptions, aerials, topographic maps, and other resources, all IBA sites were mapped as a polygon feature class in a geodatabase. Maps created with IBA sites as a polygon layer provided more clear communication between different organizations. Land ownership and vegetation distribution analysis were performed for each IBA sites providing important management information. Newly created GIS data is also used by eBird online application.

David Yun
City of San Luis Obispo
919 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo , California 93401
United States
Phone: 805-781-7189
Fax: 805-781-7198
E-mail: dyun@slocity.org

Julie Messer
California Polytechnic State University
601 Embarcadero, Suite 14
Morro Bay , California 93442
United States
Phone: 805-543-4244
E-mail: juliekath@aol.com

Andrea Jones
Audubon
601 Embarcadero, Suite 14
Morro Bay , California 93442
United States
Phone: 8057721995
E-mail: ajones@audubon.org