The International Archives o] the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B4 v Beijing 2008
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The powerful tools of GIS can easily lead to misinformation
and misinterpretation, particularly by someone unfamiliar with
their use. Ecological fallacies, problems of scales, and
propagation of error are frequent, and should be given serious
consideration. GIS is not a magical solution to all the
information difficulties, but is a powerful tool capable of
transforming the way with which information is dealt.
Elephant Movements, Waza NP
Tchaskirou ,
■ *
NC
*
10 0
10
20
30 Kilometers
• Carolina March 2000
• Carolina May 2000
CireHna F«bn*ary 2000
Carolina April 2000
Saleh May 2000
Saleh June 2000
• Saleh July 2000
Saleh Auflutt 2000
Saleh September2000
Mahamat April 2000
p Mahamat May 2000
Mahamat June 2000
MahamatJuly 2000
• Mah am at Au gu at 2000
Maham at Septem ber 2000
/v' Road*
• Village*
'■•>! Village Name*
River*
’M River Name*
Contour Line*
Contour Line*
| i;:} National Parks
/S/Cameroon International Boundary
! i Cameroon
Figure l : Elephant movements in Waza National Park - Cameroon 4
(http://www.nczooeletrack.org/elephants/loomis_maps/waza.html).
4 Method: Researchers attached satellite and radio transmitters to free-ranging elephants in Cameroon. The equipment
monitored the elephants' activities during a five-year time span, providing data that recorded and analyzed to
determine each herds habitat requirements and movement patterns. Radio transmitters allowed wildlife biologists to
follow the elephants on the ground in the study areas.
These data have been used to formulate strategies that allowed both elephants and people to maximize their sustainable
use of these land areas. Data on the elephants ’ movements have been sent to WWF-Cameroon where it will be used to
document the elephants' travel patterns and land use. This data will then be interpreted to identify areas where
elephants should be protected and to develop strategies to assist elephants living outside of protected areas.