Development Of Geographic Information System Research Articles

GIS: An Updated Primer on a Powerful Management Tool

Abstract One of the most significant technological developments for forest and natural resource organizations during the past century has been the advent of geographic information systems (GIS). For a variety of reasons, including increased mapping and analytical capabilities, affordability, and accessibility, GIS has become a standard planning and analysis tool for many organizations. This article presents a brief history of the development of GIS and examines some current challenges and opportunities facing GIS use in forest and natural resource management, including those related to data collection and accuracy, data structures, personnel, legal issues, and user certification. Organizations that use GIS should be aware of these challenges and opportunities, and be prepared to address them if GIS implementation is to be successful.

Internet GIS Development for Educational Purposes

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are important tools for various scientific aspects. Especially sciences related to cartography and geographical analysis should definitely employ GIS technology. In this study an Internet-based GIS is presented that was developed on the MapXtreme platform. This application gives access to numerous web-users through a server that controls both analysis and data retrieval requests. It is a practical and economical method in order to introduce GIS to educational institutions. This Web GIS may operate through a local or wide area network and, apart from educational purposes, offers a low cost information exchange solution between vast numbers of users.

Current United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research on understanding agrochemical fate and transport to prevent and mitigate adverse environmental impacts.

Environmentally and economically viable agriculture requires a variety of cultivation practices and pest management options as no one system will be appropriate for every situation. Agrochemicals are some of the many pest control tools used in an integrated approach to pest management. They are applied with the intent of maximizing efficacy while minimizing off-site movement; however, their judicious use demands a practical knowledge of their fate and effects in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Agrochemical distribution into environmental compartments is influenced by the physical and chemical properties of the agrochemical and environmental conditions, ie soil type and structure, and meteorological conditions. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers working in the area of agrochemical fate have focused on accurately describing those processes that govern the transport, degradation and bioavailability of these chemicals under conditions reflecting actual agronomic practices. Results from ARS research concerning the environmental fate and effects of agrochemicals have led to the development of science-based management practices that will protect vulnerable areas of the ecosystem. The new challenge is to identify these vulnerable areas and the temporal and spatial variations prior to use of the chemical by predicting how it will behave in environmental matrices, and using that information, predict its transport and transformation within an air- or watershed. With the development of better predictive tools and GIS (Geographic Information System)-based modeling, the risks of agricultural management systems can be assessed at the watershed and basin levels, and management strategies can be identified that minimize negative environmental impacts.

Developing a Geographic Information System (GIS) for Mapping and Analysing Fossil Deposits at Swartkrans, Gauteng Province, South Africa

The accumulation of fossil remains, bone tools, and stone tools at the Plio-Pleistocene site of Swartkrans has been attributed to a variety of depositional agents. These agents include hominin activity, carnivore activity, alluvial deposition, and gravitation. Based on recent studies, it is highly probable that the accumulations found at Swartkrans and other Plio-Pleistocene cave sites in South Africa have resulted from a combination of these processes. In order to explore further the taphonomic nature of Swartkrans, a Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed combining all existing information produced from the final seven-year period of C. K. Brain's excavations and a recent survey of the site. The amalgamation of this information into a GIS has resulted in a digital archive of Swartkrans information that allows the user to simultaneously visualize and analyse fossil, artifact, and geological materials within their original spatial contexts allowing a more comprehensive investigation of the site post-excavation. Three-dimensional reconstruction and GIS development for sites such as Swartkrans present many obstacles when using traditional GIS approaches. Due to the presence of overhanging features, certain limitations of conventional GIS software yield erroneous results. These limitations are based on the fact that conventional GIS packages interpret Z values as attributes rather than as true spatial coordinates. A brief overview of GIS and the challenges involved in the mapping and three-dimensional reconstruction of sites such as Swartkrans using traditional GIS approaches are discussed, as well as potential applications of the system.

A GIS for irrigation management

This work describes the development, operational functionalities and spatial modeling applications of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based irrigation management system, to be used by irrigation consortia and local governmental institutions. The system provides tools for the exploration of spatially-referenced databases relevant for irrigation and the evaluation of irrigation scenarios under different soil, climatic and management conditions. The irrigation water management system makes use of ArcView GIS and the Avenue programming language for customization of GIS applications and design of new tools for modeling irrigation water requirements and identifying of areas with water deficit. Irrigation requirements can be estimated taking into account different scenarios of cropping pattern, climatic conditions (from dry to wet year), applied irrigation method, volume of water available for irrigation and hydraulic characteristics of the water distribution system. The irrigation water management system runs on different scales of both irrigation (from irrigation field to irrigation consortia) and administrative (from municipality to region) units. The integration of spatial climatic and soil data is based on the “false-raster” format, a vector layer composed of regular square grid cells. The size of simulation units is a function of the surface area under consideration which means that the exploration of GIS database and development of irrigation scenarios provide more detailed data at field and municipality scale and less number of information at consortia and regional scales. An example of operational functionality of the GIS-based irrigation water management system is given for the Apulia region, in Southern Italy.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

ABSTRACT There is little doubt that geographical information systems (GIS) are impacting society and the discipline of geography profoundly. The nature and force of these changes are shaping the ways in which society views, values and uses spatial information in decision-making processes. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the latest developments in GIS, and to assess the influence of these trends on the sub-discipline in South Africa. Although the situation in South Africa is similar to that in the rest of the world, differences in local conditions, influences, role players and power relations may affect future development trajectories of geography and GISience in particular ways. Major initiatives in the public and private sectors are presently underway that are driving GIS developments locally. Special attention will be devoted to the educational situation and how it is evolving.

The role of geographical information systems in development planning in South Africa

Development planning in South Africa is moving towards a people-centred, democratic approach with a strong emphasis on community involvement, which had previously been lacking. This paradigmatic shift to an integrated and considerate approach lends itself to the inclusion of spatially orientated geographical information systems (GIS) technology. The paper outlines a number of South African planning processes and shows how GIS could be incorporated to the betterment of these processes. Cognisance is taken of a number of concerns surrounding the utilisation of what is traditionally perceived to be a top-down, authoritative, technocratic technology. A number of solutions are proposed, including the development of a participatory GIS and the co-construction of decision-making processes through community communication. A key issue to consider is the need for the planning process to develop a ‘conscience’ and become ‘considerate’, in order to facilitate the development and implementation of a successful process...

Optimal spatial decision making using GIS: a prototype of a real estate geographical information system (REGIS)

In the real estate business, it is a common understanding that the value and potential of a property are fundamentally determined by its location. This emphasises the significance of spatial factors in decision making in real estate. A geographical information system (GIS) is undoubtedly useful in this decision making. This paper reports on the development of a prototype real estate GIS (REGIS) by integrating fuzzy set (FZ) theory, a rule-based system (RBS) and GIS. The role of this system in the real estate business is in assisting decision makers for sellers and buyers, as well as property managers. For real estate agencies, the system can be used as an aid to selling and managing properties. For the buyers, the REGIS can function as a consultant in their decision making in purchasing properties. Methodologies are demonstrated using case studies. Developed as a generic tool with capabilities to deal with uncertainties, this prototype REGIS can also be applied to other fields, which involves optimal spatial decision making.

Negotiating Technology — (Re)considering the Use of GIS by Indigenous Peoples

ABSTRACTGeographic Information Systems (GIS) have been increasingly touted for their ability to help empower indigenous peoples. The opportunity to discuss the development of an iwi‐based GIS with Te Ruunanga O Raukawa provides a platform for reflecting critically on issues that impact the effective use of GIS by indigenous groups. The dialectical context of GIS is explored by (re)considering the opportunities and challenges of applying GIS as a cross‐cultural communication device. A position is negotiated which interprets GIS as conditionally empowering provided that indigenous peoples consider their symbolic representation in, and physical access to GIS before making an initial investment in the technology.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM STANDARDS FOR U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S OIL SPILL PROGRAM

ABSTRACT The Oil Program Center at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters is developing geographic information system (GIS) standards to aid EPA's 10 regions in developing and implementing GIS. GIS can support spill response, contingency planning, risk analysis, training and exercises, inspections and enforcement actions, reporting, incident analysis, cost recovery, and outreach. By developing and promoting standards, the Oil Program Center hopes to ensure that GIS development is targeted at the broadest practical user base and considers all aspects of EPA's oil program. In addition, GIS standards will promote consistency between EPA regions, promote data sharing, reduce duplication of effort, and focus attention on using GIS as an analytical tool rather than just as a mapping tool. The standards also may promote greater consistency between the Oil Program Center and other offices within EPA; for example, standards promote watershed-based analysis, which is consistent with other offices' use of watersheds as units of analysis. The standards address the following issues: Minimum essential data elements Data verification and accuracy standards Standard symbols and icons System design and data structure Because the specific needs of regions differ, the GIS tools that they develop will reflect these differences. GIS data standards, however, will promote compatibility across the regions to facilitate collaboration and expand prevention, preparedness, response, and outreach capabilities.

GIS and geostatistics: Essential partners for spatial analysis

Initially, geographical information systems (GIS) concentrated on two issues: automated map making, and facilitating the comparison of data on thematic maps. The first required high quality graphics, vector data models and powerful data bases, the second is based on grid cells that can be manipulated by suites of mathematical operators collectively termed “map algebra”. Both kinds of GIS are widely available and are taught in many universities and technical colleges. After more than 20 years of development, most standard GIS provide both kinds of functionality and good quality graphic display, but until recently they have not included the methods of statistics and geostatistics as tools for spatial analysis. Recently, standard statistical packages have been linked to GIS for both exploratory data analysis and statistical analysis and hypothesis testing. Standard statistical packages include methods for the analysis of random samples of cases or objects that are not necessarily co-located in space—if the results of statistical analysis display a spatial pattern then that is because the underlying data also share that pattern. Geostatistics addresses the need to make predictions of sampled attributes (i.e., maps) at unsampled locations from sparse, often expensive data. To make up for lack of hard data geostatistics has concentrated on the development of powerful methods based on stochastic theory. Though there have been recent moves to incorporate ancillary data in geostatistical analyses, insufficient attention has been paid to using modern methods of data display for the visualization of results. GIS can serve geostatistics by aiding geo-registration of data, facilitating spatial exploratory data analysis, providing a spatial context for interpolation and conditional simulation, as well as providing easy-to-use and effective tools for data display and visualization. The value of geostatistics for GIS lies in the provision of reliable interpolation methods with known errors, methods of upscaling and generalization, and for supplying multiple realizations of spatial patterns that can be used in environmental modeling. These stochastic methods are improving understanding of how errors in models of spatial processes accrue from errors in data or incompleteness in the structure of the models. New developments in GIS, based on ideas taken from map algebra, cellular automata and image analysis are providing high level programming languages for modeling dynamic processes such as erosion or the development of alluvial fans and deltas. Research has demonstrated that these models need stochastic inputs to yield realistic results. Non-stochastic tools such as fuzzy subsets have been shown to be useful for spatial analysis when probabilistic approaches are inappropriate or impossible. The conclusion is that in spite of differences in history and approach, the linkage of GIS, statistics and geostatistics provides a powerful, and complementary suite of tools for spatial analysis in the agricultural, earth and environmental sciences.

Organizational (soft) GIS interoperability: lessons from the U.S.

Despite the numerous difficulties, many agencies and institutions in the United States and worldwide practice sharing of geographic information systems (GIS) and data, amounting to local, regional, national and international spatial data infrastructures. While the evidence on coordinated GIS development and spatial data sharing accumulates, there have been a few systematic evaluations of mechanisms and factors that facilitate or obstruct interorganizational GIS efforts. Moreover, the issue of “interoperability” has been addressed primarily in technical terms with its “soft” or organizational side mostly neglected. This paper presents results from several recent studies in the U.S. context. It explores the nature and effectiveness of interorganizational interaction, coordination and implementation processes, and assesses the benefits from achieving organizational interoperability.

Interactive GIS Instruction Using a Multimedia Classroom

This paper discusses the design, development and use of a multimedia classroom for the instruction of undergraduate courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Waterloo. The classroom, which seats 50 students, was custom-designed and co-developed by the School of Accounting, Faculty of Arts and the Mapping, Analysis and Design Unit of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES), with input from other groups on campus. The FES uses the room to teach 'hands-on' undergraduate GIS courses, ranging from introductory coverage of GIS technology use to advanced courses dealing with GIS application design and development. Instruction is facilitated by use of a high-resolution, large-screen video display connected to a networked computer running one of three operating systems (Windows NT, Mac OS and Unix). The paper discusses the pedagogical issues involved in the use of multimedia technologies for GIS instruction and outlines the design of the room, its costs and configuration, and how the room is used for live computer-based presentations. The paper concludes with a discussion of desirable, but not currently operational features.

The steps forward of GIS in China

Researches and applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in China started in the early 1980s. In the early period, the development of GIS was mainly depended on the progress and applications of remote sensing, aerial photography, as well as computer aided design (CAD). In recent years, with the development of Global Positioning System(GPS) and Internet technology, GIS has being developed vigorously in the county. Looking ahead to the 21st century, a new era of “Digital Earth” and “Cyberspace” is coming, which will provide a great opportunity as well as a challenge to the China’s GIS circles.

‘Making More of Maps’: Geography and Geographical Information Systems

Geographical information systems (GIS) have not only bad a profound impact on the way in which commercial and public sector organisations handle and utilise geographical data, but have also influenced research and teaching in geography. The emergence and development of GIS are partly ascribed to the methodological upheavals of geography in the 1960s and partly to technical advances in communications and information technology. Parallels between regional geography and the conceptualisation of a GIS as a series of thematic data layers are examined. Teaching GIS is related to enabling students to develop skills in the application of the technology to geographical problem solving. The versatility of GIS methodology derives from its ability to apply a generic set of spatial questions to a wide range of ‘geographical problems’. GIS technology continues to evolve, particularly in respect of the integration of cartographic with image-based environmental data and in the development of multimedia systems, which are opening up new opportunities to apply GIS in geographical education and to spatial problems.

Mapping the milk industry: towards a comprehensive Geographical Information System

The Topographic Science Section of the Department of Geography and Topographic Science, University of Glasgow, has been involved in a number of mapping projects related to the milk processing industry in Britain and a number ofhigh quality coloured maps nave been published since 1992. The establishment of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) related to the dairy industry has been afurther area of development and research. This paper summarizes the earlier projects and then describes, with examples, the current work on GIS development and map production.

Issues in GIS development: adapting to research and policy-needs for management of wet grasslands in an Environmentally Sensitive Area

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) represent a rapidly changing technology, and awareness of their capabilities outside the GIS arena has grown rapidly during the last few years. As part of a wide-ranging ecological research programme on wetlands in Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) developed a GIS for the examination of lowland wet grassland landscapes, and the potential for their restoration (the 'Wetlands GIS'). A flexible approach to the development of the GIS was necessary to accommodate changes in technology and in the needs and interests of the key 'stakeholders' in the project: the research ecologists who supplied much of the data for the GIS and the policy-makers concerned with the application of research findings to land-management problems. This paper explains the rationale behind the use of GIS in the context of ESA-management and its evolution over a three year period. Examples of output are used to demonstrate the benefits of map displays for encouraging communication between developers and users, the data-storage, handling and analytical capabilities of the GIS and its role in matching the needs of researchers and policy-makers.

The Evolution of Public Participation GIS

(1998). The Evolution of Public Participation GIS. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 65-66.

Automated soil inference under fuzzy logic

Soil information is essential to any terrestrial ecological modelling and management activity. Polygon soil maps produced from soil surveys are currently the major source of information on the spatial distribution of soil properties for a variety of land analysis and management activity. However, there are some major problems regarding the use of current soil maps in geographic analysis and especially in geographic information systems (GIS). These problems include limited coverage at a fixed scale, locational errors, attribute errors, and insufficient information in the mapping units. Much of these problems are due to the crisp logic and cartographic techniques with which soil maps are produced. Under crisp logic standardly used in soil classification and mapping, an area belongs to one and only one soil mapping unit, and is separated from other mapping units by sharp boundary lines. However, soil in a landscape is a continuum and the discretization of such a continuum into distinct spatial and categorical groups results in a significant loss of information. This paper presents a methodology to infer and represent information on the spatial distribution of soil. The methodology combines fuzzy logic with GIS and expert system development techniques to infer soil series from environmental conditions. The methodology for every point in an area produces a soil similarity vector (SSV) showing the similarity of the soil at the point to a prescribed set of soil series. The SSV produced from this methodology can be used to infer local soil properties at values intermediate to the typical or central values assigned to each possible series. Preliminary results from the methodology using a limited set of environmental variables for an experimental watershed in Montana are presented.

The state of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) training and research in South African universities

Geographical Information Systems or GIS has become one of the more prominent research and training tools in South African university departments in the 1990s. GIS developed in the 1970s in North America in response to the expanding capacity of computer systems and the need to integrate spatial and attribute data (Maguire et al, 1991). It was only in the mid‐1980s that the first systems were set up in South Africa, primarily at research institutions such as the Department of Water Affairs and the Institute for Natural Resources in Pietermaritzburg. Since then the use of the technology has grown exponentially and most of the country's major municipalities (Szecsei, 1990; Van Rensburg, 1992), government departments, town and regional planners (Zietsman, 1992; Venter, 1993), engineering concerns (Poolman, 1990) and universities have become regular users. At universities GIS is used more as a research tool than as a defined analytical procedure. This article reviews the development of GIS and its use in South ...