Wildlife population analysis with GIS: conservation management of royal albatross

Abstract

This paper describes the use of a prototype spatial information system to facilitate exploratory analyses of 60 years of scientific observation data concerning a breeding population of royal albatrosses at Taiaroa Head, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. This system shall form the basis on an on-going data collection, management and analysis effort. Incorporation of breeding records with spatial and landscape data permits the investigation of spatial interactions between the location of nest sites and other phenomena. Three example analyses that explore these interactions are described and discussed.