Habitat loss, global climate change and human disruptions such as pollution and deforestation are threats to our biodiversity and can cause fragmentation and extinction. As human populations exceed the limits of biological resources everywhere, the very fabric of our natural systems is threatened. Sustaining biodiversity and preventing fragmentation, extinction and natural resource depletion are crucial to the conservation of the environment. Thus, there is a growing concern worldwide as how to conserve the environment and its resources.

In this context, geographic information system (GIS) is a vital tool that provides information and knowledge resources to planners and policy makers, in the government and civil agencies, to aid conservation decisions and development planning. GIS, being an analytical tool has the ability to integrate and combine a wide variety of spatial data and information in a formal, logical manner, enabling users to delineate and predict the future of our resources. In addition, GIS consists of computerized tools applied to geographical data for collection, storing, retrieving, transforming and displaying spatial data for solving complex planning and management problems. Today it is also extensively used in areas such as resource assessment, change detection, suitability analysis, scenario study, and impact assessment. GIS combined with remote sensing data and global positioning systems (GPS) is critical to conservation and development planning.