Annette Huggins, UK
Annette Huggins, Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, UK 2000-c_p 2000-s_e
2019 Status: Annette E Huggins Durrell Inst. of Conservation and Ecology UK
2018 Paper: "Reintroduction or natural colonization? Using cost‐distance analysis to inform decisions about Rodrigues Island Fody and 
Warbler reintroductions" Davies, Olivia A.M., Huggins, Annette E., Begue, Jean A., Groombridge, Jim J., Jones, Carl, Norfolk, David, Steward, Peter, Tatayah, Vikash, Zuël, Nicolas, Ewen, John G. and others. (2017) Reintroduction or natural colonisation? Using cost-distance analysis to inform decisions about Rodrigues Island Fody and Warbler reintroductions. Animal Conservation, . ISSN 1367-9430. E-ISSN 1469-1795. (doi:10.1111/acv.12378) “We thank the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and National Parks & Conservation Service for support of this research and Dr Bob Smith of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, UK for assistance in python coding the GIS analysis. “
2000 Scgis Conference Paper:
(I) Annette Huggins, aeh6@ukc.ac.uk, "Assessing The Habitat Preferences Of Black Rhinoceros"
2000 Scholar Report
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology
Annette Huggins
Heightening worldwide concern about the earth’s marine ecosystems is directed toward the problems of habitat degradation, marine pollution, and heavy exploitation of living marine resources. The Dover Straits is an area of the English Channel that is difficult to monitor due to the interesting dynamics of its position between two seas. It is also heavily utilized by industries such as shipping and fishing and is controlled by the differing cultures and legislation of the UK and France, but falls under the common framework of the European Union.
Information concerning the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem in the Dover Straits is needed in order to develop strategies required by the Convention on Biological Diversity for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Traditional single species management strategies have failed to support the protection of marine ecosystems and have allowed marine resources such as fish stocks to decline. It has been widely recognized that management strategies need to be implemented at the ecosystem level. Information regarding regions of importance for different species could be used to protect the whole ecosystem by providing marine refuges or protected areas. This research aims to identify regions of habitat that are important to plankton communities, providing information that could help to minimize the impact of anthropogenic activities on the marine ecosystem in this area.
Plankton species abundances are being mapped using various modeling techniques that include the aid of satellite imagery. Modeling will assess the extent to which each species is influenced by various environmental factors and how these factors could be used to predict abundance.
Habitat suitability models and maps are being produced for all species with a large spatial sampling extent from multivariate modeling of the environmental influences. The differing methods used will be compared. Where the data allows, an analysis of change of these models over time will be possible. Comparisons are also possible between the use of quantitative abundance data and the presence/absence of information, to highlight appropriate methodology for future monitoring.
Priority area analysis is to be used to attempt to pinpoint key areas within the study site that are particularly important to plankton communities. This analysis will also allow comparisons between quantitative abundance map use, presence/absence maps, and the use of higher taxa levels of classification, again highlighting differences in approaches to data collection and monitoring methods.
Factors common to these resulting areas will be identified and provide insight into environmental conditions needed by these larger communities and other possible regions that could also be important to plankton communities. This research aims to provide information concerning the biodiversity of the Dover Strait and the priorities for its future management, and has been facilitated by ESRI training given as part of a SCGIS international scholarship. A photo diary of the 2000 scholarship award training and conferences is available at www.conservation-gis.org/scgis. Details of this research and previous work are available at www.conservation-gis.org.
Our other research includes the Darwin Initiative Masai Mara Programme: Human–Wildlife Conflict and Solutions to It in and Around Masai Mara National Reserve.
GIS is being used as a key tool in four areas of study:
1 Spatial patterns of crop raiding by elephants in Trans Mara district.
2 Tourist impact in Masai Mara National Reserve, in particular predicting patterns of offroad driving and assessing the effect of vehicle density on wildlife spatial patterns.
3 Constructing a habitat map of Masai Mara National Reserve and investigating spatial patterns of browse density in relation to browser distribution and competition.
4 Investigating ecological and human correlates of rhino distribution in Masai Mara National Reserve with particular reference to the effect of pastoralism on rhinos, and predictive modeling of rhino distribution under different management regimes.
Kenyan M.Sc. and Ph.D. students are undertaking the work with a UK post doctorate; all are at DICE and analyses are currently underway after two years of fieldwork. Two papers have been published that deal in part with GIS issues, as follows:
Walpole, M. J. (2000) “GIS as a Tool for Rhino Conservation.” Pachyderm 28:33–39.
Walpole, M. J., M. Morgan–Davies,S. Milledge, P. Bett, and N. Leader–Williams (2001) “Population Dynamics and Future Conservation of a Free-Ranging Black Rhinoceros Population in Kenya.” Biological Conservation 99(2):237–243.
