ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the application of geomatics techniques to the study of eagle ecology and movements, including nesting movements, breeding displays, foraging, dispersal and migration. These include coarse resolution satellite images for the quantification of landcover character and change, and habitat distribution dispersal, sharper resolution images and global positioning systems (GPS) technology for recording eagle behavior and movements and geographical information system (GIS) based tabulation and analyses of data. The umbrella terms geomatics (usually used in North America) and geoinformatics (used mostly in Europe) refer to these technologies, including spatial data acquisition, assessment and analysis, the technologies used for these methods the related natural and social science methodologies and theoretical frameworks. Concepts in this application include space, pattern, place, integrated analysis and analytical mapping. Geomatics techniques enable the detection, recording, analysis and prediction of patterns. For eagles, such patterns include nesting, mating, foraging, migratory and other movements, and how these link to patterns such as habitat characteristics, prey species distributions and more indirect ecological features such as climate and topography. Such analysis is particularly useful for habitat suitability models, population trend analysis, predictions of eagle presence and conservation studies.
