Conservation Targets - BioRAP Toolbox

The BioRAP Toolbox constitutes a complex series of computer programs (ANUDEM, ANUSPLIN, ANUCLIM, PATN and TARGET). This was first assembled in 1994 – 1995 by the Environment Resources Information Network (ERIN), Great Barrier Reef Management Park Authority (GBRMPA), Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (CRES) of Australian National University and CSIRO (Division of Wildlife & Ecology). In 1997, the Australian Consortium of Australian National Herbarium (ANH), CRES of the Australian National University and CSIRO (Division of Wildlife & Ecology) successfully completed the pilot phase of the project. The PNG partners, were the PNG Forest Research Institute (PNGFRI), National Weather Service (NWS), Land Use Section of Department of Agriculture & Livestock and the Department of Environment & Conservation. Although most of the work done by CRES was in ArcInfo, the standard display program used during the project, was IDRISI
Hence, much of the emphasis in this report is on the use and application of BioRap tools such as ANUDEM, LAPGRD, BIOCLIM and PATN. BioRAP (or Biological Rapid Appraisal Project) tools were developed by the Australian Consortium (ERIN, GBRMPA, CRES and CSIRO) to produce a 16.8 %
biodiversity priority area (bpa) map (see Figure 1) for PNG within a 14-month period (Nix, 2000). The application of each of the programs, is astounding and can cover features e.g. terrain and climate, other than biodiversity. According to Nix et .al (2000), these tools support high spatial resolution biodiversity assessments e.g. 1 km grids that are readily integrated with existing spatial distributed planning information, such as PNGRIS. BioRAP outputs such as the biodiversity priority area (bpa) map can also be
incorporated into PNGRIS.