ecoinformatics application in wildlife conservation and management

1. ECO-INFORMATICS
APPLICATION IN WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION
AND
MANAGEMENT
SUBMITTED BY ,
TESSA RAJU
M.Sc. ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE

2. WHAT DOES WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
MEANS ?
• • According to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, wildlife
includes any animal, bees, butterfly, crustacean, fish and
moth and aquatic or land vegetation, which form part of
any habitat. • Therefore, wildlife refers to living organisms
(flora and fauna) in their natural habitats. • Example: lion,
deer, crocodiles, whales, trees and shrubs in dense forests
etc.
• BENEFITS OF WILDLIFE
• • Wildlife is an essential component of various food chains,
food webs, biogeochemical cycles and energy flow through
various trophic levels. • Preserves vitality and health of
environment and provides stability to various ecosystems.

5. ECOINFORMATICS
Ecoinformatics, or ecological informatics, is the science of
information in ecology and environmental science. All
planning decisions made are based on timely and accurate
knowledge. Information systems are a primary mechanism
for gathering, integrating, summarizing and disseminating
this knowledge. Our focus is on research into new and
improved information and knowledge management
techniques, particularly within the domain of biodiversity
and ecology

6. Wildlife management
Is interdisciplinary that deals with protecting
endangered and threatened species and
subspecies and their habitats, as well as the non-
threatened agricultural animals and game species.
The Wildlife Management program emphasizes
both applied and basic research in wildlife
ecology, management, education and extension.
Wildlife management takes into consideration the
ecological principles such as
•carrying capacity of the habitat,
•preservation and control of habitat,
• re forestation,
• predator control,
•re-introduction of extinct species,
• capture and reallocation of abundant species
management of “desirable” or “undesirable”

7. There are two general types of wildlife
management:
Manipulative management involves
regulating numbers of animals directly by
harvesting or by influencing numbers by
altering food supply, habitat, density of
predators etc.
Custodial management is preventive or
protective and minimizes external
influences on the population and its
habitat. It is done by setting up national
parks where ecological conditions are
protected and threatened species are

8. Forms of Wildlife Management
Habitat Restoration and Management
Habitat management is a primary tool wildlife biologists use to
manage, protect, and enhance wildlife populations. Increased
wildlife diversity in an area may be a wildlife management goal. It
is difficult to develop strategies for managing each species
separately. Several wildlife species can benefit when a complete
ecosystem is improved or preserved intact to meet the needs of
threatened or endangered species or groups of species.
Managers may enhance grassland areas by clearing brush
(prescribed burning, cutting, herbicides) and removing trees, as
well as over-planting them with native prairie species. This helps
reduce cover used by edge predators (skunks, raccoons, red-tailed
hawks) and improves the quality of the habitat for grassland
animals.

9. Harvest
Managers may strive to reduce or maintain populations so
animals conflict less with human activities. For example,
white-tailed deer are abundant in urban areas. This
presents challenges for wildlife managers because hunting
with firearms is not allowed. The most effective solution has
been controlled hunts. Monkey population in urban India
can be controlled by capture and release in wild areas.
Endangered Species Management
Endangered or threatened species require intensive
management. Critical habitat and locations of existing
populations must be identified so they can be managed
successfully. An animal species is considered endangered
when its numbers become so low that experts think it may
become extinct unless action is taken to save it.
Threatened species’ populations are showing signs of
unnatural decline or they are vulnerable to becoming
endangered. Many endangered or threatened species are
specialists that have very restrictive habitat needs and eat
specialized foods. The leading cause for a species becoming
endangered or threatened is habitat loss.

10. Current research in eco informatics focuses on 4 major
features :
1 . Understanding information processing and
evaluation in ecosystem
2. Computational management of ecological
data
3 . Computational analysis and synthesis of
ecological data
4 . Hybrid modelling of ecological data

11. ECOINFORMATICS AND SOIL
In order to study the feasibility of
monitoring Chromium contaminated
field, a database was designed to
compare the soil complex dielectric
constants
The database provides data about
chromium pollution concentration, soil
water content and void ratio
By careful comparisons we can evaluate
and monitor the chrome pollutants
Study of phosphorus cycle

12. ECOINFORMATICS AND AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the basic livelihood of many people
Plays a major role in GDP and exports of a country
Eco informatics studies the relationship between many
aspects. For example Lygus hesperus and bloom bud
maintenance of cotton
Studies about the potential to encourage a quantum
leap in agricultural exploration for the development of
Columbian savannas
Soil nutrient database: to assess the fertilizer
requirement
Past information about sources to control pests
Assess the dispersal in plant communities
Eco informatics also provide concepts, methods and
standards in order to guide and analysis ecological data
relating to soil plant formations

13. ECOINFORMATICS APPLICATION
Documented data achieves can be effectively used
for data discovery, access, retrieval, analysis and
integration.
Helps to find solutions for many environmental
monitoring systems and mathematical models with its
complexity, importance and inter- disciplinary nature.
 Helps in the management and analysis and
management of ecological information and
facilitation of large scale ecological res earch with
the application of computer technology.
• Data can be exchanged coll aboratively between
the US Environmental Council of the State, NSF
and USGS by the geographical information with the
development of coastal policy.

14. Include policy data presentation, data
gaps, tools and indicators.
Case studies are conducted and used as
models.
Researches is done and the problems can
be approached in an interdisciplinary
manner and prioritize strategies.