This document summarizes a study that used geostatistics and GIS to model bird diversity in Portugal. Point count data on bird species collected during migration and breeding visits was georeferenced and analyzed using variography and ordinary kriging to create spatial interpolation maps of species counts. Land cover data was also incorporated from the CORINE database. Results showed favored habitats for migratory and breeding species. The study aimed to help identify key conservation areas for protecting bird diversity.

1. Bird Diversity Modeling Using
Geostatistics and GIS
12th AGILE International
Conference on Geographic
Information Science
Abdulhakim Abdi & Anand Nandipati
Erasmus Mundus Master’s Programme in Geospatial Technologies
Universidade Nova de Lisboa | Universität Münster | Universitat Jaume I

2. Introduction: Biodiversity Conservation
The 2002 Rio de Janeiro World Summit on
Sustainable Development set a goal to reduce the
rate loss of biodoversity by 2010
Birds occupy a variety of habitats, many of them
created and/or altered by humans
General overall health of the environment and of
key habitat types
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3. Introduction: Motivation
Europe’s farmland birds have declined by
almost 50% in the past 25 years
Trend caused by EU-wide agricultural
intensification being driven by a policy in need
of urgent reform.
The need to identify key areas for conservation
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4. Introduction: Motivation
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5. Introduction: Motivation
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6. Introduction: Motivation
Donald P F, Green R E & Heath M F (2001) Agricultural intensification and the collapse of Europe’s farmland bird
populations. Proceedings of the Royal Society 268, 25-29.
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7. Study Rationale
Geostatistical Interpolation of
Avian Diversity
+
Land Cover Information
GISys
Characterization of Important Habitats
Assignment of Conservation Priorities
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8. Data
Data provided by Sociedade Portuguesa para
o Estudo das Aves
- Scanned topography maps
- Point counts in excel
CORINE Land Cover Classes of the European
Environmental Agency
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9. Study Area
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10. Study Area: Location of Bird Counts
First/Migration Visit: April 15th, 2007
Second/Breeding Visit: May 18th, 2007
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11. Georeferencing
Images
Data Digitize Points
Preprocessing
DBFs, Common
Headers
Variography &
Methodology EDA
Model Fitting
Ordinary Kriging
Spatial
Interpolation
IDW
Extract Habitat
Spatial Join
Data from LC
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12. Methodology: Original Data
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13. Methodology: Topography Maps
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14. Methodology: Preprocessing
Provided location data Digitized location data
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15. Methodology: Exploratory Data Analysis
Migration
Visit
Breeding
Visit
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16. Methodology: Exploratory Data Analysis
Migration Visit
# of Lags = 10
Lag Distance = 2231m
Nugget Value = 6.10
Sill = 10.272
Range = 6780.29
Breeding Visit
# of Lags = 10
Lag Distance= 2231m
Nugget Value= 3.63
Sill = 9.69
Range = 7625.34
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17. Methodology: Spatial Interpolation
Ordinary Kriging
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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18. Methodology: Spatial Interpolation
Inverse Distance Weighting
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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19. Methodology: Spatial Interpolation
Increase/Decrease in
the number of species
during the migration
visit: April 15th, 2007
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20. Methodology: Spatial Interpolation
Increase/Decrease in
the number of species
during the breeding
visit: May 18th, 2007
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21. Methodology: Land Cover Information
June 1, 2009 European Environmental Agency 21

22. What was the outcome?
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23. Results: Inverse Distance Weighting
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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24. Results: Ordinary Kriging
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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25. Results: Error Calculation
Inverse Distance Weighting
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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26. Results: Error Calculation
Ordinary Kriging
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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27. Results: Prediction Standard Error Map
Migration Visit Breeding Visit
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28. Conclusion
Favored Habitats for Migratory Species
CLC_Code LABEL
322 Moors and heathland
324 Transitional wood-shrub
212 Permanently irrigated land
Favored Habitats for Breeding Species
CLC_Code LABEL
323 Sclerophyllous vegetation
321 Natural grasslands
313 Mixed forest
311 Broad-leaved forest
242 Complex cultivation
Moreira, F., Ferreira, P.G., Rego, F.C., & Bunting, S., 2001. Landscape changes and breeding bird assemblages in
northwestern Portugal: the role of fire. Landscape Ecology, 175-187.
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29. Acknowledgements
Prof. Doutor Marco Painho, Prof. Doutor Pedro Cabral and
Profa Ana Cristina Costa of Instituto Superior de Estatística
e Gestão de Informação, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Ana Meirinho of Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das
Aves
This work was supported by the European Commission,
Erasmus Mundus Programme,
M.Sc. in Geospatial Technologies, project no.2007-0064
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30. Thank you for your attention
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