Mapping the dynamic component of biodiversity: A

GIS analysis of migratory species diversity

Klaus Riede Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut &

Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK)

Adenauerallee 150-164

53113 Bonn, Germany

Millions of Animals on the Move!

• 5 billion passerine birds migrate to wintering grounds in tropical Africa

• Marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals) migrate to marine zones of high productivity for feeding

• nearly 2,000 fish species migrate within oceans or between fresh- and saltwater (oceanodromous or diadromous)

• the Monarch butterfly is a famous insect migrant

Definitions:

• Migration: “the act of moving from one spatial unit to another“ (Baker 1978, p. 23)

• Political definition: the entire population or any geographically separate part of the population of any species or lower taxon of wild animals, a significant proportion of whose members cyclically and predictably cross one or more national jurisdictional boundaries“ (CMS 1979, Article 1)

• ‘true migration’ : “seasonal movement with return to starting point – the traveller needs a return ticket”(Dingle 1996)

• GROMS: true migration > 100 km (excl. local migrants)

CMS

Global Register of Migratory Species

Geo-database for Migratory Species:

• 4,344 vertebrate species

• 5,600 references

• 1,300 GIS-maps

Thanks to Eva Gerstner (Programming), Birgit Gerkmann, Houssein Yamout, Bedru Sherefa-Muzein (GIS mapping and database entry)

298 migratory mammals

131 bats 45 terrestrial mammals

83 whales and dolphins 39 seals and sirenia

2,203 migratory birds

Migratory birds, turtles, fishes

2,203 migratory birds

10 reptiles (incl 7 sea turtles)

Migratory birds, turtles, fishes

Chelonia mydasGreen Sea Turtle

2,203 migratory birds 10 reptiles (incl 7 sea turtles)

1,926 migratory fishes 1,795 Actinopterygii 93 Elasmobranchii

Migratory birds, turtles, fishes

Ganges shark Glyphis gangeticus

19 Petromyzontidae

Geo-Database on CD-ROM

http://www.groms.de

• Species distribution• (global scale)• Feeeding, wintering,

staging, breeding areas and months

• Combination with other layers:CMS member statesRamsar sitesOilspills

GIS-Maps

1,324 GIS mapped species - 2,522 administrative units

GIS intersection generates a table of 183,500 entries (Species/Province)

Integrating this table into the SQL-database allows queries by - Country/Province

or generation of Range State lists for each mapped species

BELARUS; Bosnia and Herzegovina; BULGARIA; CROATIA; CZECH REPUBLIC; EUROPEAN COMMUNITY(Austria, BELGIUM, DENMARK, FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, LUXEMBOURG, NETHERLANDS,PORTUGAL, SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM); HUNGARY; LATVIA; LITHUANIA; MALI; MAURITANIA;MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF; MOROCCO; POLAND; ROMANIA; Russian Federation; SENEGAL; Serbia andMontenegro; SLOVENIA; SWITZERLAND; UKRAINE; UZBEKISTANcop5

• Elevated diversity of migrants in temperate zones

• Migrants will be lost if conservation is limited to Hot Spots

GIS-Analysis: Global Distribution of Migrants

Number of migratory species in several (890)

ecoregions of the world based on 846migratory species

Ciconia ciconia - White storkSatellite telemetry data 1991-2003

Ciconia ciconia - White storkAnimation of satellite telemetry data 1991-2003

Ciconia ciconia - White storkAnimation of satellite telemetry data 1991-2003

Global Biodiversity Facility - www.gbif.org- point data from specimens incl date

12 (day)month:11

Animation of eel specimen data (Anguilla anguilla)

Thank You !