Download Mapping terrestrial species

Mapping standards
for IUCN Red List assessments
Vineet Katariya
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
Purpose of including species maps on the Red List
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•
•
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Visual representation of the species’ distribution
To inform Red List assessments
EOO/AOO
To identify conservation priorities
A first step in identifying priority areas for protection
(KBAs, PAs)
What are we mapping?
Known or inferred limits of the species’
distribution range
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•
Distribution depicted as polygons
•
Means species probably only occurs
within the polygon
•
Does not mean species is distributed
equally within the polygon or occurs
everywhere in the polygon
Mapping Protocols
The protocols differ slightly for species in different ecosystems:
Terrestrial
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Marine
Freshwater
Mapping terrestrial species
1.
2.
3.
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Plot observation / locality data
points
Expand the distribution
considering knowledge of habitat
preferences
Remove unsuitable/unoccupied
habitat based on availability of
suitable habitat, elevation limits,
climate/temperature restrictions,
other expert knowledge
Mapping terrestrial species
Dark green: Tree cover, broad
leaved and ever green
Light green: Tree cover,
broadleaved, deciduous &
closed
Preferred habitat is
broadleaved, evergreen and
deciduous forest.
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Mapping terrestrial species
Extrapolation of observation records and expert knowledge suggests
that the species is limited to these 2 habitat types.
Consider other factors that may limit the distribution (e.g. elevation,
temperature, natural physical barriers)
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Mapping terrestrial species
Purple: Managed an cultivated land
Exclude unsuitable habitat
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Mapping terrestrial species
Inferred
range ?
EOO
AOO
Extent of Suitable
Habitat (ESH)
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Mapping terrestrial species
Final Species distribution map
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Examples of unacceptable maps
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Mapping terrestrial species
If there are less than 3 points, a minimum convex polygon
cannot be created.
•
Use habitat information to inform the map
OR
If no habitat data is available and experts have no
idea where the species might be found, draw a
circle with a 10 km (radius) buffer as a polygon
around the points.
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•
•
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For coastal species, must exclude
the sea (clip to the coastline).
For small islands, capture the
whole island
10 km
Mapping Marine species
1.
2.
3.
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Mapped using essentially the
same process as terrestrial
species
Bathymetry can be used to
delineate species ranges
limited by depth (much as
elevation is used for terrestrial
species).
For coastal species: draw a
buffer of 50 km around the
coastline.
Mapping Freshwater Species
Species are mapped to catchments as they are considered to be
the minimum management unit for freshwater conservation.
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Add known observation/
locality points to map
Intersect points with catchment
layer to identify “Extant”
catchments
Use expert knowledge to
identify presence codes for
other catchments
Redefine range to take into
account environmental factors,
if necessary, and to buffer
around rivers and estuaries.
Mapping Freshwater Species
Base layer : WWF Hydrosheds (average basin size of 100 km2)
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Mapping Freshwater Species
1. Plot known observation/location point data on the basins.
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Mapping Freshwater Species
2. Select those basins as “native extant”.
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Mapping Freshwater Species
3. Use expert opinion and published data to define probably extant
(inferred) basins.
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Mapping Freshwater Species
For species found only in a main river channel and not in the tributaries: use a
10 km buffer (20 km wide).
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Mapping Freshwater Species
For species only found in brackish water, estuaries and costal lagoons: add a 10
km buffer (10 km in width).
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Requirements for all maps:
• Data required in GIS format (Shapefile, Mapinfo, KMZ)
• Files are named by the scientific name: genus_species
• All polygons should be smoothed and checked for irregularities before
being submitted.
• Attributes are required with spatial data.
• GIS data required in Geographic coordinates
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Extent of occurrence (Criteria A and B)
• The area contained within the shortest
continuous imaginary boundary which can be
drawn to encompass all the known, inferred or
projected sites of present occurrence of a
taxon, excluding cases of vagrancy.
• This measure may exclude discontinuities or
disjunctions within the overall distributions of
taxa (e.g. large areas of obviously unsuitable
habitat).
• Extent of occurrence can often be measured by
a minimum convex polygon (the smallest
polygon in which no internal angle exceeds 180
degrees and which contains all the sites of
occurrence).
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Area of occupancy (Criteria A, B and D)
• The area within its 'extent of occurrence‘
which is occupied by a taxon, excluding cases
of vagrancy.
• The measure reflects the fact that a taxon will not
usually occur throughout the area of its extent of
occurrence, which may contain unsuitable or
unoccupied habitats.
• In some cases (e.g. irreplaceable colonial nesting
sites, crucial feeding sites for migratory taxa) the
area of occupancy is the smallest area essential
at any stage to the survival of existing
populations of a taxon.
• The size of the area of occupancy will be a
function of the scale at which it is measured, and
should be at a scale appropriate to relevant
biological aspects of the taxon, the nature of
threats and the available data.
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Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy
• (A) is the spatial distribution of known,
inferred or projected sites of occurrence.
• (B) shows one possible boundary to the
EXTENT OF OCCURRENCE, which is the
measured area within this boundary.
• (C) shows one measure of AREA OF
OCCUPANCY which can be measured by
the sum of the occupied grid squares.
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Data attributes requirements
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Field
ESRI Field Type
Description
ID_NO
Integer
Internal Record ID
BINOMIAL
String
Scientific name of the species
PRESENCE
ShortInt
Is/Was the species in this area, codes listed below
ORIGIN
ShortInt
Why/ How the species is in this area, codes listed below
SEASONAL
ShortInt
What is the seasonal presence of the species in the area, codes listed below
COMPILER
String
Name of the individual/s or institution responsible for generating the polygon, if not
IUCN.
YEAR
ShortInt
Year in which the polygon was mapped or compiled, or modified
CITATION
String
Individual/s or institution responsible for providing the data
SOURCE
String
Source of distribution range given.
DIST_COMM
String
Distribution comments that refer directly to the polygon.
ISLAND
String
Name of the island the polygon is on
SUBSPECIES
String
Epithet
SUBPOP
String
Epithet
TAX_COMMEN
String
Taxonomic comments that refer directly to the polygon. Includes notes on polygons
pertaining to subspecies or subpopulations.
Coded values for Presence, Origin & Seasonality
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Presence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Extant – The species is known or thought very likely to occur presently in the area, usually
encompassing current or recent (post 1980) localities where suitable habitat at appropriate altitudes
remains.
Probably Extant – The species’ presence is considered probable, either based on extrapolations of
known records, or realistic inferences (e.g., based on distribution of suitable habitat at appropriate
altitudes and proximity to areas where it is known or thought very likely to remain Extant). ‘Probably
Extant’ ranges often extend beyond areas where the species is Extant, or may fall between them.
Possibly Extant: The species may possibly occur, and should be searched for, but there are no known
records and less than probably occurrence. ‘Possibly Extant’ ranges often extend beyond areas
where the species is Extant (q.v.) or Probably Extant (q.v.), or may fall between them.
Possibly Extinct – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area, but it
is most likely now extirpated from the area because habitat loss/other threats are thought likely to
have extirpated the species and/or owing to a lack of records in the last 30 years.
Extinct – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area, but there have
been no records in the last 30 years and it is almost certain that the species no longer occurs, and/or
habitat loss/other threats have almost certainly extirpated the species.
Presence Uncertain – The species was formerly known or thought very likely to occur in the area but
it is no longer known whether it still occurs (usually because there have been no recent surveys).
Notes:
• 1. These codes are mutually exclusive; a polygon coded as “Extant” cannot also be coded as “Extinct”.
• 2. To obtain the total historical range of a species, one would sum polygons for Extant, Probably Extant,
Possibly Extinct, Extinct and Presence Uncertain, but not Possibly Extant.
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Origin
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Native – The species is/was native to the area
Reintroduced - The species is/was reintroduced through either direct
or indirect human activity.
Introduced – The species is/was introduced outside of its historical
distribution range through either direct or indirect human activity.
Vagrant – The species is/was recorded once or sporadically, but it is
known not to be native to the area.
Origin Uncertain - The species’ provenance in an area is not known (it
may be native, reintroduced or introduced)
Notes:
• These codes are mutually exclusive; a polygon coded as “Native” cannot also be
coded as “Introduced”.
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Seasonality
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Resident – the species is/was known or thought very likely to be
resident throughout the year
Breeding Season – The species is/was known or thought very likely to
occur regularly during the breeding season and to breed.
Non-breeding Season – The species is/was known or thought very
likely to occur regularly during the non-breeding season. In the
Eurasian and North American contexts, this encompasses ‘winter’.
Passage – The species is/was known or thought very likely to occur
regularly during a relatively short period(s) of the year on migration
between breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Seasonal Occurrence Uncertain – The species is/was present, but it is
not known if it is present during part or all of the year.