The DIVA-GIS platform is a free and open source cross-platform (Microsoft Windows and Mac OSX) geographic information system software package. It was specifically developed for use with biological distribution data by International Potato Center (CIP) in collaboration with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), and with support from the System-wide Genetic Resources Program (SGRP). It is widely used in biological field to map and analyze biodiversity data.
The DIVA-GIS platform can also be used to analyze the distribution of organisms to elucidate ecological patterns. It is aimed at scientists who cannot afford generic GIS software, or do not have the time to use these, and for anyone else who wants a GIS tailor-made to analyze biological distributions. It can help improve data quality by finding the coordinates localities using gazetteers, and by checking existing coordinates using overlays queries of the collection sites and administrative boundary databases.
The DIVA-GIS platform is a relatively new program that is under continuous development and not all parts have been tested completely. This means that users should never blindly believe the analysis results. Instead, users should always test if DIVA-GIS works well, for example by manually calculating the expected results for a small number of grid cells, or by first doing the calculation with a simple sample data set for which users know the results. The software package is provided “as it is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfrigement.
With DIVA-GIS software package, users can map the locations of sites where populations of plant or animal species were observed, and of different characters that may have been recorded for these populations. Users can also make grid maps of the distribution of biological diversity, and identify “hotspots” and areas that have complementary levels of diversity. In addition, users can extract climate data for points, and then predict the presence of species based on climate data.
DIVA-GIS platform provides many modules and tools for display and analysis of biodiversity information. There is no need to find add-ons or plug-ins to extend the analysis capabilities. In addition, although DIVA-GIS platform is a free and open source, there is no application programming interface (API) to help users develop their own applications. A particular useful feature related to extension is that the DIVA-GIS provides many country-level GIS databases, which extends the data access capabilities.
Geographic information science, widely used as a tool for mapping and analyzing biodiversity data, such as the distribution of species, or other point distributions. DIVA-GIS software package was specifically developed for use with biological distribution data such as available from natural museums and gene banks. For a complete list of examples of DIVA-GIS use, please visit the following webpage
http://www.diva-gis.org/articles
The DIVA-GIS is a free and open source cross-platform geographic information system software package. The source code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0. Any users with an internet access can download the software for free. Visit the DIVA-GIS download page to find a legitimate download package for the operating system of your choice.
http://www.diva-gis.org/download