Background
The Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation (COTERC) approached SAIT to explore the possibility of incorporating a GIS into its operation. SRB GIS, composed of three SAIT BGIS students, have taken on the challenge of making this possible. The emphasis of this project is simply creating a basic GIS that can be used for many years to come and can be used in any area of research that is being done by COTERC. This project will be using large mammals, as defined by COTERC, tracks to provide an analysis on areas in which they inhabit in the rainforest, specifically a 40ha plot of land contained in the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge. With the use of satellite imagery, ecosystems will be classified and merged with the tracking data to determine which ecosystems these mammals reside in. SRB GIS plans to create a database that can assist COTERC, help the National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio) in Costa Rica classify the ecosystems that exist in the Caño Palma Biological Station area, and provide base maps, consisting of a digitized topography map and boundaries of the station, the transect that exists, and areas for future transects, for the researches at the station as well. All of this will be integrated into a web based service so that the maximum amount of individuals will be able to benefit
Partnership with COTERC
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is Canada's premier polytechnic where education and training are enhanced through applied research, technology transfer and innovation activities. SAIT conducts applied research based on identified industry need aimed at meeting their objectives.
The Bachelor of Applied Technology Geographic Information Systems Program is collaborating with COTERC to use spatial information tools in support of conservation focused research activities. The initial phase will see this year's group of students providing base digital maps and spatial analysis of large mammals in the Caño Palma Biological Station area. The students will use information provided by COTERC and the Costa Rican Government in completing a major project.
