Rebecca Lorig

GEOG 583 - Term Project Outline

Focus on the Species: UpdatingSaipan’s Conservation GIS

ABSTRACT: This project will audit the current GIS system of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Division of Fish and Wildlife Office. Since the primary responsibilities of the agency are to protect endangered species and restore their habitats, the three areas of focus for this report are on database design, species ranking and metrics, and information distribution methods. First, the Fish and Wildlife agency lacks a central relational and spatial database to house species data, and relies on a set of spreadsheets that require manual import into GIS. A repository with an intuitive user interface would standardize data, increase accuracy, and automate GIS integration. Second, the agency needs to rank species based on “greatest conservation need” to justify project funding and to complete wildlife conservation strategy documents. However, there is no consistent evaluation methodology to determine a species “vulnerability” or priority rank. Therefore, a GIS-based model is needed that combines monitoring data, land use, restoration activities, and other pertinent spatial data. Lastly, the agency houses the spatial data on a single computer and users have to manually copy the existing datasets (via thumbdrive) to their workstation. There is no internal network or server to provide easy data access. Thus, a GIS internal server, or a web mapping service that provides data to staff is needed. The latter may provide GIS services to the public as well. This project provides a thorough description of the current system, a proposed implementation process for these three projects, and prioritizes these efforts so that decision makers can easily identify projects to fund.

Introduction

  • Describe the role and responsibilities of the CNMI, Division of Fish and Wildlife Office
  • Explain the purpose of updating current system: create a more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective system, easier sharing, collaboration, limit duplicated efforts
  • Overview of methods that will be used in the product design

GIS Needs Evaluation

  • Describe the current GIS system and data storage methods
  • Overview of users of GIS information and their specific tasks and current limitations
  • Explain which areas could use improvement:
  • Database design
  • Rank and metrics standardization
  • Data sharing
  • Conduct a needs assessment via interviews and scenario-based design methods

Design Development

  • Do current tools/products exist that can meet the need?
  • Evaluate available tools and technology for each of the 3 areas
  • Database/repository:
  • Database design: Existing database(ScienceBase) or open source (PostgreSQL)
  • Data standardization: existing data standardization methods
  • Ranking and metrics:
  • Existing tools (NatureServe, MaxENT, Marxan, Conservation Rank Calculator)
  • New tool creation based on specific user needs
  • Data sharing:
  • Webmap application
  • Internal server
  • Create mockups based on initial user input regarding the 3 key improvement areas, incorporate existing tools, if possible

Evaluation Process and Implementation

  • Prototyping using card sorting, print and digital prototyping, sketching methods
  • Incorporate the feedback from the prototyping methods
  • Design modification based on user feedback
  • Implementation methods and assessment
  • Maintenance schedule and update plans

Conclusions

  • Recommendations to management on final implementation
  • Reiterate why these various components are necessary and what they can do
  • Next steps

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