Application of Geo-informatics to Trans- boundary Biodiversity Conservation across Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia

The objective of this paper was to elaborate the application of Geo-informatics for trans-boundary biodiversity conservation across Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia under the Pha Taem Protected Forests Complex (PPFC) Project Phase I (2001-2004). This involved monitoring land use/land cover change, mapping distributions of selected wildlife species, and defining management zones. The results predict that forest cover in the PPFC landscape will continue to decline in the future, while agricultural area, especially in the buffer zone, will significantly increase. In addition, protected areas in the south of the complex and areas across the national borders contain relatively high to high suitability for landscape species while protected areas in the northern part provide relatively low suitability due to intensive human pressures. However, further clearing of forest could jeopardize the viability of rare large mammal species. Furthermore, ecological management zones were developed to provide a framework for trans-boundary biodiversity conservation in the adjoining protected forests and reducing the conflict of resource uses by local residents in the buffer zone. The outputs of Geo-informatics applications were providing valuable inputs to formulate long-term management plan of the PPFC and the formulation of the Project Phase II.