Iracambi GIS Project

The Iracambi Geographic Information System

IIracambi GIS Background

Though the Brazilian environmental protection law gives special recognition to the Mata Atlântica region, it has been unable to prevent continuing deforestation. Measures are needed that address the problem of land degradation, not just the symptoms of deforestation. This requires a systematic approach that involves the participation of all the people concerned in the diagnosis of its causes and the development of appropriate technical measures to combat it. Research at the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research Center has focused on two major themes: sustainable land management technology, and the development of alternative products from forest land that can generate income and provide an incentive for forest conservation. With an integrated approach to forest conservation and land management, the program aims to develop the center's capacity to bring in more researchers to work on the problem of land degradation. To strengthen its support to land management, Iracambi is expanding its ongoing education to both present and future land managers, to raise awareness of conservation issues, to show how environmental concepts relate to real-life situations, and what steps can be taken to reduce land degradation. Land Management Project The overall objective of this project is to provide the local institutions involved in biodiversity conservation planning (local communities, local government, teaching and research institutes) with the tools that will equip them to make appropriate decisions concerning the preservation and use of the natural resources in their respective areas of influence.

The specific objectives are: For the Development Territory of the Serra do Braigadeiro, to provide maps and other information resources to identify the critical areas for conservation and the environmental degradation hot spots (erosion, deforestation), to train potential users in how to use this material, and to provide local planning agencies with the technical assistance that will allow them to make rational decisions on conservation management and planning;
To provide the local institutions involved in land use planning with geographic information, based on the Iracambi GIS, and as widely accessible as possible, for: (i) planning biodiversity and land management activities (ii) helping to identify the causes of and solutions to the problem of land degradation (iii) using as teaching aids in Iracambi's environmental education program

Project activities include:

1. Work with farmers in identifying land management problems, helping them to propose their own solutions using technical support based on research work at the Center.
2. Land use mapping: to help understand how natural resources are currently used, and to visualize the potential optimal land use pattern.
3. Developing educational materials based on maps and GIS data, to assist learning about problems of land management and land degradation, for use in local schools and in community groups
4. Setting the I-GIS as an on-line system, accessible to all users within the Territory and elsewhere.

Geographical Information System

A GIS (Geographical Information System) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analysing and displaying data related to positions on the Earths surface. Typically a GIS is used for handling maps, represented as several different layers containing information about the particular features contained within them. The Iracambi GIS system, which is described fully on this page, is used for this purpose, as a location guide of geographical features and attributes, but also as a store of relevant data. For example wildlife survey data is stored within the GIS and can be not only viewed in a graphical image of a map but analysed both spatially and statistically. This ease of access to the data allows efficient use for land management and planning. Storing data in this way allows the user to zoom in and out to view a map at any scale; to view any combination of themes; to retrieve information about themes, such as area, distance or results of fieldwork, and to update and add themes easily. The map beside showing land use on Fazenda Iracambi illustrates the use of maps for resource planning

Aims

The GIS project at Iracambi aims to build up a system that will create a full and accurate picture of the state of biodiversity and conservation in the area. The information will tell us where the forests are, what their state of health is, and where the critical hotspots that need priority attention lie. The GIS will not only help Iracambi plan its own conservation activities, but will also serve as a basis for future decisions on land use amongst both individual and community land users. It will provide the means to assess the progress of the Land Management Project, and may also be the foundation for a future land use plan, to be drawn up by the municipal economic development council.

Objectives

To map land use in accordance to the land management project:- To develop and produce a comprehensive coverage of topographical and land use maps for the Iracambi Project Area and surrounding forest in the conservation area. To identify existing land resources and land use patterns, especially those of high conservation priority.
To use the GIS as a research tool for current and future projects.
To use the GIS as a directory for projects carried out at Iracambi, storing information and containing links to reports and research.
To provide land use information to local authorities to aid the decision making process.
To Integrate GIS into Iracambi work across the range of projects. Allowing users with a low level of GIS technical experience to benefit from the tool.
Use GIS to illustrate the spatial influence of processes acting in the area, allowing a graphical representation for a wide audience. The map of mining claims below illustrates this.

Resources

As the GIS project is developing so are the resources we have access to:

Software:

ArcView GIS Version 3.3, with various extensions.
ArcGIS - ArcView 8.3
ArcGIS - ArcInfo 9
Erdas Imagine 8.5 Hardware
5 P.C.s running GIS software.
4 Garmin GPS 12 Personal Navigator units with download cables. These GPS units operate on 12 channels with a built in antenna for fast positional acquisition. They are designed for basic use with user friendly operation. The positional accuracy however is not optimal but is sufficient for field work operations at Iracambi.

Imagery:

ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) One 3 band image from 2001.
Landsat imagery for the Iracambi Area, Row 74 and 75, ranging from 1973 to 2001. Also a range of Landsat for a wider area of Brazil from the Global Land Cover Facility. http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu
CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite). 20m spatial resolution 5 band satellite. Iracambi area, image 150 and 151, 4 images, complete 5 bands, from 2004. Because it is Brazilian Government owned, access to this data is good for Iracambi.
Aerial photography - of the Fazenda and surrounding area, commission by Iracambi. Proving to be very useful despite problems with rectification and image matching.
1:50,000 IBGE topographical map detailing altitude, roads, streams forest and buildings. However, this was printed in 1975 so many features have since changed. This map has been used frequently and certain features such as junctions and altitude are reliable.
A collection of maps created throughout the lifetime of I-GIS is steadily increasing. These are all stored on the central network for easy access. Some of the initial maps created during the project are becoming dated but do hold some value. More recent maps are becoming refined due to the development of skills and resources available.
Basic Iracambi data for Fazenda including main themes such as roads, buildings, rivers. § Topical data collected at Iracambi by researchers and volunteers for the different research projects. For example themes based around ecological surveys, locations of medicinal plants, hydrological themes. This set of data is increasing over time.
External data, collected from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa. A large dataset originating from the IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - National Geographical Institute) of all topographic data for the 9 surrounding municipalities. Incorporated in this is a set of raster elevation data including DEMS, TINs and Grids.

GIS project development

Mapping work at Iracambi began in 2000 when basic land use, trails and buildings on the farm were mapped. Data was collected using a Garmin Etrex GPS receiver, and these points were plotted using AutoCad, to produce a skeleton map of the area, at a scale of 1:5000. However, it became obvious that Iracambi needed a more powerful way of storing and retrieving this data, so the Iracambi Geographical Information System (I-GIS) was developed. In 2001, ArcView was installed at Iracambi, and work began on the Iracambi GIS. A map of Fazenda Iracambi was produced in September 2001. Several databases were created for the purpose of recording animal sightings and displaying the information on the GIS. However, the area identified by the land management project was not mapped. The Graminha valley area was mapped in 2002. Linked to existing and potential projects (under the Iracambi goals of land use, community, forestry and medicinal plants), the land use of seven farms was mapped, in accordance with the land management project. The map was created using data from the GPS, existing maps and satellite images (but many of the land use types in the Graminha valley are relatively small, and the satellite images were not clear enough to be able to identify features). Streams were digitised over the scanned map and then adjusted according to GPS points. The altitude theme was created from an earlier geo-referenced map.

GIS project status

Iin 2004 aerial photography was obtained of the area immediately surrounding Iracambi. This has helped with land identification in community based work with a very innovative participatory mapping project and has been invaluable in land use classification. In 2005 a clarification of land use on Fazenda Iracambi pulling together existing work was done, resulting in an up to date map with area statistics. In 2004 work began in the Serra das Aranhas Environmental Protection Area, Area de Proteção Ambiental (APA), and in continued in 2005 in a second APA, Babilônia, both in Rosário da Limeira Municipality. Land management plans are being developed for these areas by Iracambi in conjunction with Rosário da Limeira County Government. I-GIS also provides support to other areas of Iracambi's research. A restructuring of the datasets including an integration of a large amount of external data, from IBGE, covering a wide surrounding area to Iracambi was completed in 2005. There has also been a large amount of GIS input into the Hydrology Project, during the establishment of the water monitoring system in 2005. The Hydrology Project has a requirement for water shed mapping, impacts of the ominous bauxite mining in the region will become important for the IGIS, mapping of species distribution is important as a means of monitoring ecosystem health, as a few examples. As time progresses, both old and recent maps will prove invaluable in identifying change.

Future work and Conclusions

The IGIS project is under continuous development. Our main goal for the future is the development of the I-GIS into an on-line GIS for the whole of the Serra de Brigadeiro Territory covering the nine municípios (counties) that surround the State Park. The basic map is complete, and we are adding more features as our capacity grows. We envisage this a a major tool to help in the conservation planning of the Territory as well as being an invaluable educational aid: it will be the first of its kind in this region. We recognize that this is very ambitious but with the help we have already had from others leads us to believe that it is possible. If you would like to be part of this pionering and innotive project, too, then please let us know - we'll be delighted to have you with us!

To download summary of the Iracambi GIS work, click here

See the Serra do Brigadeiro Territory on Google Earth, click here: click here to see Iracambi GIS projects in Microsoft's Live Earth.