Web-based mapping of biodiversity, weeds and feral
information
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Fire scar data from NAFI as viewed with Google
Earth. The ability to export data to other viewers will be a
feature of the project.
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This two-year project, funded by the Natural Heritage Trust,
will develop a website that displays maps of biodiversity, weeds
and feral data in the Northern Territory and will provide tools for
land managers and planners to help them manage biodiversity, weeds
and ferals. These maps may show locations where animals and plants
have been trapped or sighted, estimated distributions of plants and
animal species, known locations of weeds etc.
Currently most of this data is held in various Northern
Territory Government databases. Maps provide one of the most
effective means of making NRM information more useful to land
managers and planners and maps presented on websites are
increasingly accessible to a broad range of land managers and
planners across the NT.
The project will collate these varied data sets and store them
in a form suitable for displaying on a website. The project will
develop a website with a suite of tools to make the data useful for
a range of users. These users include land managers, Landcare and
NHT groups, local government, NT government and researchers.
The project will also provide tools for the data managers so
that the website can be responsive to users’ needs.
Project partners
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Tropical Savannas CRC: The TS–CRC has had
experience in developing web-based maps with the North Australian
Fire Information site,
www.firenorth.org.au . It also
has experience in working with a range of land managers and NRM
data users.
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NT Dept of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts:
The divisions within the NT Dept. Natural Resources hold most of
the data that will be displayed on the website, and have
experienced database managers and extensive networks linked to
users of NRM data)
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Northern Territory Land Council Caring for Country
Unit: The unit works with a key user group of NRM
information.
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Ecobyte Systems: Ecobyte Systems helped develop the
NAFI website have been contracted to help develop the info-net
website.)
Timetable
The project starts on July 1 2006 and finishes on June 30 2008.
Much of the data collation and website development will be carried
out in 2006/07 with 2007/08 largely taken up with refining the
website.
Key priorities
Maintaining the integrity of the data through collation,
storage and web-display is a key priority. Users should be able to
easily view the origin, uncertainty and other key attributes of the
data when they are displayed on the website.
Involving end-users to advise on the features of the websites
they want. The website will be developed in stages each stage
being tested by end-users and the feedback then used in the next
stage. This approach will also be used in developing the tools used
by the database managers.
Ensuring the site is compatible with other databses and
websites. It is important that the website produced complements
other websites concerned with Natural Resource Management. The site
will:
- Complement other map sites such as the NT Atlas website by
providing web-based tools and views of biodiversity, weeds and
feral animal data tailored to the practical needs of land managers
and planners.
- Link to national databases associated with museum and herbarium
biodiversity spatial data.
- Aim to provide views and metadata compatible with national
reporting requirements for weeds and bio-security.
- Aim to provide downloadable data and services for other map
viewing platforms.
Ensuring the site is sustainable into the future. Various
aspects of the project have been designed to make sure that at the
end of the project the website can be handed over to a suitable
custodian to manage.
- the website will use generic software and training and
documentation will be provided throughout development.
- The data will largely be held on NT Govt databases so that they
can be maintained into the future.
Project components
1. Data Collation
A person will be employed to help collate the outstanding
biodiversity, weeds and ferals spatial data. There will be a
particular effort to collate weeds data. Care will be taken to
collate data with the appropriate attributes where they are
required by national reporting formats (e.g. weeds data will need
the 15 attributes required for national weeds reporting). The main
groups involved in these tasks will be the DNRETA divisions of
Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation.
2. Data coordination
The spatial data will be stored on an Oracle Spatial database
and data management will be compatible with the NT
Government’s spatial data accessibility procedures. The main
groups involved in these tasks will be the database specialists in
the DNRETA divisions of Natural Systems and Biodiversity
Conservation as well as Ecobyte Systems.
3. Website development
The website will be developed in stages with a basic web
interface being developed early in the project so that it can be
tested by end-users and then gradually improved upon through
subsequent stages. This development will focus on identifying and
responding to “use-cases” or specific examples of tasks
or functions that end-users want from the website. The main groups
involved here will be Ecobyte Systems and the Tropical Savannas
CRC.
For more information contact project manager, Peter Jacklyn,
details below.
