Abstract:
Research projects at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands are increasingly
considering geospatial data as an essential component in answering scientific
questions. A need exists for high resolution geospatial data in both multi- and transdisciplinary
research to better analyse fine-scale biotic-abiotic interactions of the islands’
landscape and ecosystems within the context of climate change and the impacts of
invasive species. However, much of the geospatial data that currently exist either have
limitations in spatial coverage and/or resolution, are outdated or not readily available.
To address these issues, we present an online geospatial database for the Prince
Edward Islands (both islands) produced from a high-resolution digital surface model and
satellite imagery. This database contains vector files, raster datasets, and maps of
topographical and hydrological parameters. It is freely available to download from
Figshare – an open access data repository. With this database we answer the call to
improved data sharing and encourage other sub-Antarctic terrestrial scientists to make
use of similar practices.
