AFRICA

Project title/name: Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity in Africa.

Country : UK

Project location within the country: Edinburgh University

120,000 US$

Short project description: GIS modelling of the distribution of African mammals in relation to climate change predictions, NDVI ratios and remote sensing indicators of vegetation production.

Description of the research programme: The Company’s active research programme on climate change and mammal distributions in Africa falls within the wider remit of the terrestrial environment programme of the Natural Environment Research Council, which is concerned with investigations of the structure, interactions and productivity of plant and animal populations and communities.

Donor: NERC and MGM

Department:NERC - Higher Education Section, Polaris House, Swindon.

Client: University of Edinburgh

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Title of consulting services provided: Modelling the impact of Climate Change on Mammalian Biodiversity in Africa.

Description of services provided: The Company has initiated a large-scale GIS analysis of the distribution of African mammals in relation to NDVI (measured by earth-observation satellites), and soil, climate and land-use parameters. Predictive models of species richness are being developed which will be used to simulate the effects of climate change on biodiversity and assist in the design of a continental strategy for biodiversity conservation.

Staff provided: David Baird (GIS Specialist); Dr M.G. Murray (Biodiversity Conservation); Mr R.N. Munro (Land-use Specialist).

September 1997

August 2001

120,000 US$