Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 46, 2010 (Special Issue): S50–S53

GIS Design for in situ Conservation of Rare and Endangered Species

R. Hauptvogel1, R. Kuna2, P. Štrba2 and P. Hauptvogel1

1SARC – Research Institute of Plant Production Piešťany, 921 68 Pieštany; 2Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, , 949 74 Nitra, e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Two projects: Conservation and use of genetic resources of non-traditional crops, related wild spe- cies and wild species for food and agriculture; and Characterization and evaluation of diversity of wheat and their wild relatives and utilising in breeding involve research into rare and endangered species in the territory of Slovakia. In Slovakia, many threatened and rare plant species occur. In this group of plants, Aegilops cylin- drica Host and Arctous alpina (L.) Nied are also listed. They are registered in the Red Data Book of Slovakia. To locate the occurrences of these species, we have used a GPS system. In this article, we illustrate using GIS (Geographic Information System) in plant conservation.

Keywords: Aegilops; Arctous; endangered species; GIS; in situ; rare species

GIS (Geographic Information System) is a system Moreover, the modern human in the present utilising both technologies and instruments which computer era is used to getting large quantities can make decision-making process easier. It follows of information in the shortest possible time. For from the name itself, as it is a system of information these reasons, the GIS products are being used technology, containing some geographic charac- more and more for geographic data processing. teristics. According to several authors (Guarino These products enable the manipulation of geo- et al. 1995; Tuček 1998), GIS can be defined as an graphic data and the presentation of results in organized system of computer hardware, software, digital or visual forms. The computer processing of and geographic data (filled databases) designed geographic data of course does not mean the end for the effective acquisition, storage, processing, of classical maps. Both forms of processing have management, analysing, and display of all forms their advantages and disadvantages (http://www. of geographic information. gis.sudolska.sk/). GIS stands for Geographic Information System, The main parts of a GIS are as follows (Haupt- and indicates a computer system oriented to vogel 2005): geographic data processing presented through – Data input, verification, and modification. maps. Before the start of the computer era, all – Data maintenance, acquisition, and manage- information of this type had been manually pro- ment. cessed. The resulting maps showed the results of – Manipulation of the data, data analysis, and the mutual effects of several data sets. In case of output. the need to interconnect the data in yet another In a very simplified way, we can say that within way, or to enter new data, the map had to be re- a GIS one has the possibility to add collected drawn. This procedure is very time and money informational data to various graphic objects intensive. into a digital map; and/or based on this data one

S50 Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 46, 2010 (Special Issue): S50–S53 can make one’s own digital map, according to – Line, or line element – organized set of coordi- what is needed. Using a GIS, we can analyse and nates in a sequence (stream, contours). interpret various data which describes places, lo- – Polygons, or area element – closed pattern, calities, and objects on the Earth’s surface. These whose perimeter is created by the set of organ- so-called geospaces can be divided into three ized coordinates (settlement, forest, area). The territorial categories: large territorial or regional term topology for this data model is typically geospaces (territories of a state, region), local defined as the relationships between mutual geospaces (cadastre or an area of enterprise), and objects (neighbouring, crossing). micro geospaces (occurrence of an individual, a A raster data model is characterised by a set concrete locality). of points of the same size, regularly arranged in The result is the geospatial information in the rows and columns, similar to any other image in form of a map, visualisation, graph or other dia- a computer. The precision of a given model is grammatic output. When designing and creating determined by the size of a point, which has a such a system, it is necessary to understand that given characteristic colour. the data (in our case the database formed on the The basis of each GIS is a digital map created basis of passport data) forms a substantial part by many attributes. For spatial phenomena, divid- of the system. For this reason, the structure of ing into thematic areas (layers) is typical. Each graphic and descriptive data must be designed writable theme is defined as a set of elements of very carefully, with an emphasis on their mutual a given type, with a common attribute (forests, relationship. In general, the general task of a GIS settlemets, streams, hills). For vector and raster is to answer the question, ‘What is in a given lo- data, it is typical to arrange the information into cality, or where is the locality with the desired geographic layers (coverages). One can imagine characteristics’. It also can attempt to find changes these layers as transparent thematic layers overlay- in a locality over time, to investigate the spatial ing one another. The user decides which layers he background (i.e. to determine the effect of a factor wants to work with, which layers will be displayed, affecting a given population, and to answer the and which not. Such a system offers not only the question, ‘What happens if’?). classical possibilities of questions answered us- In the present rapidly developing technologi- ing a database, but also graphics on vector and cal world, GIS is one of the most dynamic and raster themes. developing information technologies. Especially A GIS offers the ability of geographic modelling in recent years, it has become an integral part and analysis for completely new themes, created on of the development of information systems in the basis of combined selections from the original areas such as: environment, geology, geography, graphical layers. In a GIS, there are contained a geophysics, geodesy, as well as banking, market- set of user tools for working with vector and raster ing, human demographic research, medicine, and data, which further enable the processing and biology. It is also used in the area of plant genetic analysis of the data in detail and in different ways; resources, in either local or the worldwide level using different methods. An integral part of the where, GIS starts to influence the mapping and work with a map is also a transparent presentation surveying of plant genetic resources, the produc- of the processed data. A geographic information tion of phytogeographic maps, and the analysis of system has the ability to integrate sources from populations of particular species in a given locality various areas of interest, and it therefore becomes (http://www.esri.com/). an effective and rational instrument for adminis- Geographic data in a GIS can be organized into trative actions in a given administration unit; at two basic data, specifically by the vector or raster the same time an impulse for further management model. These representations are reflective of (http://www.lesy.sk/). the different possibilities of processing, storage, analysis, and presentation of the data. The vector data model reflects real objects. They MATERIAL AND METHODS can be divided into three basic types of elements in space in a selected coordinate system. During the monitoring and collecting of diaspore, – Points, or point element – characterized by we have collected other passport data, together coordinates in space (tree, plant). with samples of plant genetic resources. These

S51 Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 46, 2010 (Special Issue): S50–S53 were processed as a database in the form of tables. The geographical position of localities were re- The Microsoft Excel program was used; the sets of corded by means of GPS (Global Position System) data and passport data was stored in .xls format from the Garmin Company GPS60CS, with an and then exported in .dbf format (because this accuracy of 5 to 10 m. Processing of phytogeo- format was suitable for our needs). graphic thematic maps, and layers on the basis The passport portion of the database was proc- of the databases created, was accomplished using essed according to the following collected data: ArcGIS 9.1 software from the ESRI Company. We ACRONYM – acronym of collecting expedition, have used the digitally processed maps from ESRI, COLL_DATE – date of collecting, LOCALITY_N especially European global maps. – serial number of locality, ACCESSION – serial number of sample, GENUS – botanical name of genus, CROP_CODE – code of crop, MATERIAL RESULTS – type of collected material (seeds or vegetative parts), LOCALITY – name of locality or data of Within the monitoring and collecting of plant grower, HABITAT – place of occurrence (descrip- data, and using the methodogy of geographic infor- tion of locality), EXPOSITION – exposition in mation systems, we processed the data of selected terrain, SLOPE – slope, LATITUDE – latitude, rare and endangered species from monitoring in LONGITUDE – longitude, ALTITUDE – altitude, the Slovak Republic. The monitoring was focused HOLDER – holder of sample, NOTICE – notes. on Aegilops cylindrica Host (Figure 1) and Arctous Based on the results processed this way we can alpina (L.) Nied. ask questions for the GIS to answer: Aegilops cylindrica Host, jointed goatgrass, – What is on this locality? Poaceae family is a critically endangered species, – Where are the localities with the desired cha- according to the IUCN category. Jointed goatgrass racteristics? is a submediterranean and subcontinental species – What has been changed since …? with a Euro-Asian distribution. The centre of occur- – What spatial background exists? rence is in South-Eastern Europe and Asia Minor. – What happens if …? In Slovakia, it grows on anthropogenic biotops,

Legend ● Aegilops cylindrica ▲ Arctous alpine

Figure 1. Distribution map of Aegilops cylindrica Host and Arctous alpina (L.) Nied. in Slovakia

S52 Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 46, 2010 (Special Issue): S50–S53 and is also known in some localities (Kamenica CONCLUSION n/Hronom, Chľaba, Dunajská Streda, Sereď, Čierna n/Tisou, and Dobrá). From the ecological point of The knowledge obtained and the results can be view, jointed goatgrass is bound to warm, dry, light, used in studies of the effects of various factors loamy-sandy soils. It is a terophyt with caroypsis and stresses in relation to biological diversity, on overwintering or germinating in autumn. Spikes the updating of the state of biological diversity of decompose at the beginning of summer. The seeds cultural plants in the Slovak Republic (as well as require vernalisation for more than eight weeks. in Slovenia), as well as on promotional activities The crop does not tolerate shadow or treading targeting problems of the environment, agriculture, upon, although it can also occur in cereals as and other areas of concern. a weed. It is a thermophilic plant, occurring in This information can also be used by the: Slovakia on the margins of its natural distribu- – Ministries (e.g. Ministry of Agriculture SR, tion. Jointed goatgrass is endangered, especially Ministry of Environment SR, etc.). by its occurrences on anthropogenic sites close – Institutions dealing with nature and landscape to transportation and vineyards. According to protection. the Red Data Book of endangered and rare plant – Institutions dealing with territorial planning. and animal species in the SR and CR, it is recom- – Scientific institutions. mended to make a collection of seeds or live plants – Other non-governmental organizations. (Čeřovský et al. 1999). At present, this is the subject of genetic and breeding research at leading Acknowledgements. This work was supported by scientific and research institutes involved in the the Science and Technology Assistance Agency under study of wheat evolution and hybridization. contract No. APVT-27-028704; by the Slovak Research Arctous alpina (L.) Nied., alpine bearberry, Eri- and Development Agency under contract No. APVV- caceae family, is according to the IUCN in the 0770-07; and by the National Programme of Genetic category of critically endangered and rare species Resources Conservation for Food and Agriculture (syn. Arbutus alpina L., Arctostaphylos alpina (L.) 2005–2009. Spreng., and Uva-ursi alpina (L.) A. Gray). In Slo- vakia, alpine bearberry is a critically endangered and very rare species. In the Carpathian flora it forms an important glacial relict. It occurs in the Reference s arctic area of Euro-Asia and North America, and also extends to Scotland, Scandinavia, northern Čeřovský J., Feráková V., Holub J., Maglocký Š., Russia, Altay, Tien Shan, Japan, and the mountains Procházka F. (1999): Red Data Book of Endangered of North America. In Europe, alpine bearberry oc- and Rare Plant and Animal Species of SR and CR. curs in the Pyrenees, Alps, and Dinaride Mountains. Vol. 5, Príroda a.s., Bratislava. (in Slovak) In Slovakia it occurs only in the Belian Tatras. It Guarino L., Ramanatha Rao V., Reid R. (1995): Col- grows on rocks with a thin humus layer, on wet lecting Plant Genetic Diversity. CAB International, Alpine slopes, stony slopes, and on places with Wallingford. higher and longer lasting snow cover than normal Hauptvogel R. (2005): GIS – Geographic information (Čeřovský et al. 1999). Alpine bearberry is a systems. In: Genofond 9. Informačný spravodajca. small bush (chamaephyt), which creates carpet- VÚRV, Piešťany. (in Czech) like stands. The leaves are herbaceous, the flowers Štrba P. (2005): Population Biology of Endangered Spe- small and inconspicuous, the seeds are distributed cies Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. (Bear Berry) by birds, and have significant seed rest. The plant and Arctous alpina (L.) Nied. (Alpine Bear Berry) in forms colonies that are carpet stemlets and sprigs. West Carpathian. SPU, Nitra. (in Slovak) The threat to it rests in its rareness and the small Tuček J. (1998): Geographical Information Systems populations of this plant. It occurs in the strictly – Principles and Practice. Computer Press, Brno. protected area of the Belian Tatras, and there- (in Czech) fore, using this form of territorial protection, its http://www.esri.com/ continuing occurrence should be ensured in this http://www.gis.sudolska.sk/ territory (Štrba 2005). http://www.lesy.sk/

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