The GIS laboratory of the Animal and Human Biology Department at the University of Rome La Sapienza is coordinated by Professor Luigi Boitani. It is a leading research group in Italy in mapping habitat suitability for animal species, and in large scale conservation and management planning. In the last 10 years has completed several projects in this field, receiving funds from the European Community, the Italian Ministry of Environment and other institutions for a total amount over € 3,000,000. These include the African Mammals Databank (Boitani et al. 1999), which mapped habitat suitability models for African large mammals; the African Vertebrates Databank, mapping habitat suitability models for all African mammals and amphibians, and building a gap analysis and systematic reserve selection on it; the Italian Ecological Network, based on habitat suitability models for all Italian Vertebrates and including gap analysis and systematic conservation planning. The laboratory is currently involved in the Southeast Asian Mammals Databank, applying the same techniques to all mammals of Southeast Asia.