Integrated conservation management using CMSi

Abstract

CMSi (the Conservation Management System international) is a software suite of tools providing a dynamic site management system for important conservation areas. With a modular approach, CMSi enables all aspects of site management to be integrated, from management plans to asset inventories and land ownership transactions. CMSi is a very map-centric solution with integral mapping functionality based on open-source components, as well as offering integration with standard GIS packages: QGIS, ArcGIS and MapInfo.CMSi is owned by the Conservation Management System Consortium (CMSC), an international group of organisations working together to promote best practice in nature conservation and countryside management. The development and day-to-day management of the system is contracted to exeGesIS SDM Ltd — a specialist software development and environmental consultancy.This paper provides an insight into the early origins of CMS and then presents an overview of the system, describing how the key areas of functionality help support a site manager with the day-to-day tasks of planning and managing information. The paper includes particular reference to the spatial components of CMSi and the recently-developed species observations and vegetation mapping module and smartphone app. CMSi is unique in its approach to management planning and is the only system of its kind that integrates so many aspects of site management in a single suite of tools. It is now in use by more than 2000 staff in over 100 organisations to manage thousands of important conservation sites across several countries.