I am currently a Research Scientist within the Biological Information Group of CALM’s Science and Information Division. My primary role is in the deployment of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to provide information on Western Australia’s biota, particularly within the context of the CALM Herbarium.
I am also responsible for the development and maintenance of a number of computer applications associated with the management of species-based data, particularly the Census of Western Australian Plants.
Programming in the following languages:
Application development within a range of environments including:
Fluency in the following operating systems:
Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering (Curtin University, 1981)
Postgraduate Diploma in Science (Geography) at UWA, 1996
1981-1983: Contract Programmer, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
1984-1987: Computer Systems Officer, Department of Conservation and Land Management
1987-present: Research Scientist, Department of Conservation and Land Management
I am currently a Research Scientist within the Biological Information Group of CALM’s Science and Information Division. I have been with CALM since 1981 (then the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife). After three years initially on contract, I became a permanent Computer Systems Officer. Since then, I have been reclassified as a Research Scientist. Over time, a developing interest in data content (rather than just computer systems development) has resulted in specialisation in a number of key areas for the Division.
The first key area is in the use and deployment of GIS (Geographic Information Systems), particularly the visualisation and spatial analysis of species-based data within the context of CALM estate. This is a key focus of the Science and Information Division as it faces increasing requirements for providing timely and accurate information on the Western Australian biota. The interest in GIS began with my initial contract with CALM, to write a GIS to display Kangaroo Paws for Dr. Steve Hopper in 1981 on a Tektronix 4054, then state-of-the-art. In 1983 I was seconded for nine months to the SIG Rural Joint Project on the applications of GIS within a rural context. That interest has remained to the current time and culminated in the completion of a Post Graduate Diploma in Science (Geography) at UWA in 1996. The thesis focussed on the application of GIS in catchment management and sustainable land-use principles.
Because of the high cost of data acquisition, there has been a need to investigate ways of maximising the value of existing data and prioritising areas for further survey or research. This has resulted in my investigating the use and application of tools such as BIOCLIM and SpModel for predicting species distribution. Initially this involved a study of the species richness of Western Australian frogs in relation to CALM Estate. More recently, I was involved in the Western Australian Regional Forest Assessment in a project entitled "Distribution Mapping and key ecological attributes of plant species present in the south-west forest region." This project resulted in predicting the distribution of over 1400 vascular plant species within the RFA project area and generating a species richness map indicating a number of important biodiversity hotspots.
The other key area of specialisation has been the handling of taxonomic nomenclature within a database environment. Biologists are only too familiar with the problems of name changes and their consequences for data management. There are also profound problems associated with the merging of species data from multiple sources for visualisation and analysis with a corporate environment. To assist in this difficult area, I wrote a DOS-based computer program called Sedit which has been in use for a number of years. This has resulted in the standardisation of species codes and nomenclature, enabling a corporate capacity to our species-based data within the Division, particularly plant data. Sedit has also been used, together with census data from the CALM Herbarium, by external consultants.
Parallel to the development of Sedit has been the development of Herbie, a tool designed to aid herbarium staff and field biologists in maintaining plant specimen data and assisting in the incorporation of those data into WAHerb, the CALM Herbarium Specimen Database.
More recently, I supervised the development of Max, a Windows 95/NT species editing program that incorporates the features of both Herbie and Sedit within a GUI environment.
With the experience gained in dealing with species-based data, by field biologists and within a Herbarium environment, I have also developed skills in understanding and managing species data at an institutional level. I have been employed as a consultant two occasions at the Queensland Herbarium and the State Herbarium of South Australia, to advise on strategic planning for their herbarium information systems.
I have also co-supervised a project involving the management of Phytophthora-associated diseases within Western Australia. This project involved the pulling together of all available information within CALM on the distribution of Phytophthora and other diseases and the visualisation and analysis of those data within a GIS environment. This resulted in the development of a prototype decision support system which could serve as a potential model for future systems within CALM.
(43 items)
Gioia P (2008). NatureMap: a new online window into Western Australia’s biodiversity. Bushland News 68, p. 5
Gioia P (2008). NatureMap: PowerPoint presentation given at: NGO Industrial Environment Forum, 4-5 December 2008, Western Australian Herbarium and Perth Zoo. Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, WA. 1 PDF
Gioia P (2007). The management of network and communications infrastructure to effectively support core business requirements: a discussion paper. Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, WA. 21 p.
McKellar R, Abbott I, Coates D, Gioia P, Keighery G, Maslin B et al. [Williams M, Yates C] (2007). Detailed editorial review of 'The implications of climate change for land-based nature conservation strategies by Odile Pouliquen-Young and Peter Newman, Murdoch University, 1999': prepared for the Australian Greenhouse Office. Department of Environment and Conservation, Kensington, WA. 49 p.
Gioia P (2005). Improving information management within CALM: the results of a study tour in March, 2005 of five other conservation agencies within mainland Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Kensington, WA. 53 p.
Hopper SD, Gioia P (2005). Scaling up: floristic hotspots and their uses for conservation (ABSTRACT). In Advances in Plant Conservation Biology: Implications for Flora Management and Restoration: Symposium Program and Abstracts 25-27 October 2005 (comps D Coates, A Crawford, K Dixon et al.). Department of Conservation and Land Management, Kensington, WA. p. 6
Hopper SD, Gioia P (2004). The southwest Australian floristic region: evolution and conservation of a global hot spot of biodiversity. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 35, pp. 623–650
Gioia P (2002). Database ownership and access issues: a discussion paper. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 85, pp. 147–150
Spooner A, Gioia P (2001). Gaps in our knowledge of the distribution of our flora. Plant Press: Western Australian Regional Herbaria Newsletter 9, p. 4
Beard JS, Chapman AR, Gioia P (2000). Species richness and endemism in the Western Australian flora. Journal of Biogeography 27, pp. 1257–1268
Gioia P, Pigott JP (2000). Biodiversity assessment: a case study in predicting richness from the potential distributions of plant species in the forests of south-western Australia. Journal of Biogeography 27, pp. 1065–1078
Gioia P (1999). Mapping the future of the herbarium: the role of geographic information systems in enhancing the value of our vouchered science (ABSTRACT). In Dampier 300: Biodiversity in Australia, 1699-1999 and Beyond, 6 to 10 December 1999: Program and Abstracts Royal Society of Western Australia, Perth. p. 44
Gioia P (1998). Biological informatics: the application of information science to the biological sciences: report on a conference held at the Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 6-8th July 1998. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 7 p.
Gioia P (1998). Species biodiversity assessment: a case study in modelling plant species distributions in the forests of south-west Western Australia (ABSTRACT). In Biodiversity, Biotechnology & Biobusiness: 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Biotechnology: Perth, Western Australia, 23-27 November 1998: Programme & Abstracts (eds M van Keulen, MA Borowitzka). Australian Biotechnology Association (W.A. Branch), Perth. p. 70
Gioia P, Pigott JP, Chapman AR (1998). Declared rare & priority flora: south west forest region, comprehensive regional assessment. - Scale 1:1 300 000 (MAP). Department of Conservation and Land Management, 1 map
Gioia P, Pigott JP, Chapman AR (1998). Species richness: comprehensive regional assessment, south west forest region. - Scale 1:1 300 000 (MAP). Department of Conservation and Land Management, 1 map
Gioia P, Pigott JP, Chapman AR (1998). Species richness: comprehensive regional assessment, south west forest region. - Scale 1:500 000 (MAP). Department of Conservation and Land Management, 1 map
Gioia P, Pigott JP, Cranfield RJ, Chapman AR (1998). Distribution mapping and key ecological attributes of plant species in the south-west forest region: final report: Western Australian Regional Forest Assessment. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 26 p.
Gioia P, Podger FD (1998). Development of protocols for priority setting in management systems essential to the protection of native biota threatened by Phytophthora. In Control of Phytophthora and Diplodina Canker in Western Australia: Final Report to the Threatened Species and Communities Unit, Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia, December 1998 Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA. pp. 11–20
Gioia P, Chapman AR, Podger FD (1997). Development of GIS-based decision support tools and the databasing of Phytophthora-sensitive taxa. In Control of Phytophthora and Diplodina Canker in Western Australia: Final Report to the Threatened Species and Communities Unit, Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia, May 1997 Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA. pp. 80–97
Bailey R, Chapman A, Dunn J, Gioia P, Moss J, Pearce C et al. [Soong P] (comps) (1996). The Internet and the CALM Web. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 14 p.
Chapman AR, Gioia P (1996). Critical assessment of the Plant Biodiversity Information System: consultancy report: prepared for the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 150 p.
Gioia P (1996). Supplementing geographic information systems with expert systems in catchment planning. In Conference Proceedings: 10th Annual Australia and 5th Annual South Asia ESRI and ERDAS User Conference: 4-6 September 1996, Radisson Observation City Hotel, Perth, Western Australia ESRI and ERDAS User Conference Committee, Perth. pp. 1–4
Gioia P (1996). The role of GIS and expert systems in developing catchment plans based on sustainable land use principles. Thesis (Postgrad.Dip.Sc.Geog.) -- University of Western Australia. 156 p.
Chapman A, Gioia P (1995). The smart collection. Landscope 10(4), pp. 49–53
Choo HC, Chapman AR, Gioia P (1995). WASPP user manual. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA.
Choo HC, Chapman AR, Gioia P, Farrell CJ (1995). W.A. Science Project Plan system: administrator guide. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA.
Gioia P (1995). Arc/Info users' conference report. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA.
Chapman AR, Gioia P (1993). Queensland Herbarium (BRI): analysis of strategic priorities and database recommendations. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 15 p.
Gioia P (1993). WACENSUS: the census of Western Australian plants: data dictionary. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 11 p.
Gioia P (1993). SEDIT for Paradox (DOS) user guide. Version 1.2. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 64 p.
Gioia P (1993). Perth Environment Plan: briefing paper on data connectivity with CALM. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA.
Gioia P, Burgman M (1993). User manual for the declared endangered flora database management system. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 26 p.
Gioia P (1992). Network user notes. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Woodvale, WA. 35 p.
Gioia P (1992). Standardising species names and codes (ABSTRACT). p. 6
Gioia P (1992). Networking Science and Information Division. CALMScience News 1/92, p. 22
Burgman M, Gioia P (1991). User manual for the declared endangered flora database management system. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA. 21 p.
Gioia P (1991). Herbie: version 2.11: a plant specimen labelling utility. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 35 p.
Gioia P (1991). Declared endangered flora administrator's manual. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Como, WA. 5 p.
Gioia P (1991). Computers, research and pretty pictures. Australian Ranger Bulletin 6(2), pp. 19–20
Gioia P (1990). D.E.F. administration manual. - Rev. 2.0. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 7 p.
Gioia P (1990). Species codes, the census and other problems: a discussion paper. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 9 p.
Crook I, Moore S, Gioia P (1983). Department of Fisheries & Wildlife. In Land Information System Advisory Committee: SIG Rural: Rural Joint Project February-November 1983: Technical Report Land Information System Advisory Committee, Perth. pp. 91–111
Profile current at: Wednesday 19 July 2006
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