Geographic Information System Software Package Research Articles

Building a Spatial Database by Developing a Work Environment to Accomplish the Automatic Transfer Process for Remote Sensing Data from Raster to Linear

In this paper a develop an working environment for building spatial database by utilizing ArcView Geographic Information System software package and IDRISI software package for remotely sensed images processing is obtained. Through working environment remotely sensed images representation transformed from raster form to vector form. Programming environment of the ArcView and IDRISI software packages utilized to achieve spatial database building from remotely sensed images automatically. The results of the proposed working environment show efficiency in building spatial database in accurate and quick manner. Thus, these spatial database can be used in Geographic Information System applications.

GIS and remote-sensing-based urban-information system design and development: A case study for Kozlu, Zonguldak

Urban growth is inevitable over the next two decades. The bulk of this growth will take place in less developed countries. This growth presents a formidable challenge for urban planners and managers. In this context, we consider some of the ways urban planners can make use of the recent developments in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote-Sensing (RS) technology to respond to this challenge. GIS projects were initiated in late 1980s in Turkey by both the public and private sectors. Currently, GIS and RS technology play very important roles for urban managers. At the present time, RS technologies are being continually improved; new satellites have been launched with imaging abilities enhanced by new techniques, allowing images to be obtained faster and at higher quality. Current applications use these imagery data for many purposes, among them automatic feature extraction from high-resolution satellite imagery. In this context, automatic and manual object extraction and GIS are the most important issues. In this study, the primary issue was the design and development of Urban Information Systems (UISs); another, more specific, goal was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of OrbView-3 and IKONOS imagery for their use in UIS. A test case, consisting of a UIS design, development and application, was executed for the Kozlu, Turkey area. Automatic and manual extraction methods were employed using pan-sharpened IKONOS and OrbView-3 images of the Kozlu urban test area. The NetCAD v5.0, eCognition v4.0.6 and MapInfo v9.0 software packages were used for automatic and manual extraction analyses. Digital reference-vector data were obtained from large-scale digital maps. The extracted results were then compared with a database of reference digital building and road information created from large-scale digital maps in a GIS software package. Thus, utilizing GIS-based analyses, the availability of UIS updating was tested with high-resolution imagery. Key words: Urban information systems, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote-Sensing (RS), high-resolution imagery.

Coupling GIS and LCA for biodiversity assessments of land use

Geospatial details about land use are necessary to assess its potential impacts on biodiversity. Geographic information systems (GIS) are adept at modeling land use in a spatially explicit manner, while life cycle assessment (LCA) does not conventionally utilize geospatial information. This study presents a proof-of-concept approach for coupling GIS and LCA for biodiversity assessments of land use and applies it to a case study of ethanol production from agricultural crops in California. GIS modeling was used to generate crop production scenarios for corn and sugar beets that met a range of ethanol production targets. The selected study area was a four-county region in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. The resulting land use maps were translated into maps of habitat types. From these maps, vectors were created that contained the total areas for each habitat type in the study region. These habitat compositions are treated as elementary input flows and used to calculate different biodiversity impact indicators in a second paper (Geyer et al., submitted). Ten ethanol production scenarios were developed with GIS modeling. Current land use is added as baseline scenario. The parcels selected for corn and sugar beet production were generally in different locations. Moreover, corn and sugar beets are classified as different habitat types. Consequently, the scenarios differed in both the habitat types converted and in the habitat types expanded. Importantly, land use increased nonlinearly with increasing ethanol production targets. The GIS modeling for this study used spatial data that are commonly available in most developed countries and only required functions that are provided in virtually any commercial or open-source GIS software package. This study has demonstrated that GIS-based inventory modeling of land use allows important refinements in LCA theory and practice. Using GIS, land use can be modeled as a geospatial and nonlinear function of output. For each spatially explicit process, land use can be expressed within the conventional structure of LCA methodology as a set of elementary input flows of habitat types.

Evaluating open source GIS for libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of free and open source (FOSS) geographic information system (GIS) software within the broader contexts of the open source software movement and developments in GIS, and pose the question of whether libraries and academic departments should consider adopting FOSS GIS.Design/methodology/approachThe process of creating a basic thematic map was used to test six FOSS GIS software packages, as it is a multi‐step process and a good example of a common task GIS users would want to perform. The test demonstrates what the process of creating a thematic map using FOSS GIS involves and how it compares to proprietary software like ArcGIS.FindingsEach of the individual FOSS GIS packages had their own particular strengths and weaknesses and some performed well for thematic mapping. The FOSS packages generally were weaker compared to ArcGIS in terms of support for various projection and coordinate systems, joining attribute data to GIS files, and automatic labeling, but their advantage is that they were free in terms of cost and licensing restrictions. When coupled with plug‐ins and helper applications the viability of the FOSS GIS packages increased.Originality/valueThere is little published research to date on the capabilities and applications of FOSS GIS despite the fact that it is a growing movement. This research provides a practical, application‐based overview and critique of FOSS GIS.

MODELAGEM DE PARÂMETROS BIOFÍSICOS PARA DESENVOLVIMENTO DE ALGORITMO PARA AVALIAÇÃO E ESPACIALIZAÇÃO DE RISCO A DESERTIFICAÇÃO

The interaction of sustainable actions to integrate social, environmental and economical programs to quantify and qualify the degrees of degradation is of vital importance in areas of risk of desertification. This research presents the application of biophysical parameters and erosion potential to evaluate environmental degradation processes and to identify areas at risk of desertification. The paper presents a general approach that can be used in other areas with similar biophysical characteristics. The model was based on the following parameters: albedo, emissivity, temperature, NDVI, soil heat flux, soil erosivity, soil erodibility and LS (slope length and slope or topographic factor). The model was implemented by using the LEGAL programming language available in the SPRING 4.0 Geographical Information System software package. Multitemporal images of TM sensor from the dry season were used to model and to apply the algorithm for mapping and evaluating the degradation evolution in the study area. The results showed an increasing in the degree of degradation (caatinga vegetation removal, followed by soil erosion), demonstrating the potential of the model to assess desertification risks.

Spatial and Temporal Groundwater Level Variation Geostatistical Modeling in the City of Konya, Turkey

Groundwater is one of the most important resources used for drinking and utility and irrigation purposes in the city of Konya, Turkey, as in many areas. The purpose of this study is to evaluate spatial and temporal changes in the level of groundwater by using geostatistical methods based on data from 91 groundwater wells during the period 1999 to 2003. Geostatistical methods have been used widely as a convenient tool to make decisions on the management of groundwater levels. To evaluate the spatial and temporal changes in the level of the groundwater, a vector-based geographic information system software package, ArcGIS 9.1 (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California), was used for the application of an ordinary kriging method, with cross-validation leading to the estimation of groundwater levels. The average value of variogram (spherical model) for the spatial analysis was approximately 2150 m. Results of ordinary kriging for groundwater level drops were underestimated by 17%. Cross-validation errors were within an acceptable level. The kriging model also helps to detect risk-prone areas for groundwater abstraction.

A Geographic Information Systems–Based Analysis of Supercells across Oklahoma from 1994 to 2003

Abstract Oklahoma is a region that is well known for its high frequency of severe thunderstorms, which vary in activity, mode, and coverage. In particular, this region experiences a significant number of highly organized supercell thunderstorms that pose hazards such as high winds, large hail, and tornadoes. This demonstration study focuses on the development and analysis of a 10-yr sample of supercell storms resulting from organized severe weather events in Oklahoma. Geographic information systems (GIS) were used as the primary tool to develop and analyze the 10-yr supercell dataset. The use of GIS technologies within the field of meteorology has increased dramatically in recent years and will likely continue as additional atmospheric science data formats become available in popular GIS software packages such as the Environmental Systems Research Institute’s ArcGIS series. For this specific study, GIS served as a critical component for developing individual georeferenced storm features and analyzing the life span and characteristics of 943 supercell thunderstorms. The results of a series of spatial storm frequency, initiation, termination, and direction analyses are presented. Results revealed that for the period spanning 1994–2003 supercell storms resulting from organized severe weather events were most frequent across several regions, including east-central Oklahoma, southwest Oklahoma, and west-central through northeast Oklahoma, with an overall mean track from the southwest to northeast. Supercell tracks were predominantly southwesterly during the first 5 months of the year, northwesterly from June through September, and once again southwesterly from October through the end of the year. A final set of analyses and examples illustrate the utility of storm feature–based climatologies.

Geographical information system erosion assessment at a military training site

US military training facilities often experience significant environmental damage from soil erosion. Much of this erosion occurs on roads and trails created by repeated military vehicle traffic during training operations. If the roads are located on steep slopes or in areas of concentrated runoff, soil loss can be accelerated. A geographical information system software package and a modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) were used to estimate erosion potential at Camp Atterbury located in south-central Indiana. Geospatial interface to the Water Erosion Prediction Project model (GeoWEPP) was also used to estimate soil loss for the camp. Each erosion estimate was overlain with the roads and trails map. Estimated erosion levels on the camp9s trafficways with the USLE and GeoWEPP methods were then evaluated with on-site inspections of erosion conditions at Camp Atterbury. A significant correlation was found between predicted and observed erosion for both the modified USLE and GeoWEPP methods. The statistical significance for the USLE and GeoWEPP procedures allows their use in estimating erosion potential for unimproved roads and trails with confidence.

Log Truck Transportation on Public Roads in New Zealand

Industrial forestry within the Southland region of New Zealand is forecast to double over the next 20 years as the availability of wood from production forest plantations increases dramatically. This is generating unprecedented pressure on the public road network. An issue has arisen between government and industry over which should pay for the increasing road upgrading, rehabilitation, and maintenance costs generated by the burgeoning traffic, with the Southland Regional Council proposing a fourfold increase in the road-related rates (tax) charged to the forest industry. In an effort to produce an independent model of the forest industry's use of the road system, regional spatial data sets characterizing the wood supply, demand for wood, and road network were assembled and verified. The transportation geographic information system software package TransCAD was then used to determine the optimum distribution pattern for Southland's wood production. It was confirmed that an accurate model of the current transportation of wood in the region had been created. Distribution patterns under four input scenarios were analyzed. For domestic sawlogs, rearranging supply contracts was predicted to provide transportation savings, measured in annual tonne-kilometers, of just under 40%. On the other hand, there appeared to be no gains to be made in using unconstrained haul routes—the routes in current use are near the optimum. The predictive power of the model was illustrated for the case of chip logs, in which significant changes in traffic patterns were predicted for the 2009 harvest year, along with an order-of-magnitude increase in traffic volumes. The work revealed that the origin of the fourfold rate increase to be charged to forestry is in an arbitrary “perceived damage factor” applied to the numerically modeled traffic flows.

A remote‐sensing technique for the identification of aeolian fetch distance

AbstractThis paper describes a new method for assessing aeolian fetch distances in beach/dune systems. The remote‐sensing technique has advantages over currently used proxy measures of fetch distance, such as those based on tide gauges and beach profiles. The method uses a digital camera, global positioning system surveying, and a geographical information system software package to produce a rectified image of the beach surface. From this, direct measurements of the wet–dry beach boundary can be combined with wind direction measurements to determine fetch distance. The method offers an improvement on current approaches to sediment transport estimates: a 28‐day study on Magilligan Strand, Northern Ireland, showed that the commonly used high water mark approach overestimated fetch distance by 30% compared with the technique reported here.

Automatic document preparation by interacting GIS software packages using office programs

Most GIS desktop computer programs support reporting or documenting graphical or attribute data. However, some difficulties arise for their united reports in desired formats. This situation detains the efficient use of Geographic Information System (GIS) especially in municipalities or in governmental departments where print out of documents based on united data is mostly needed. Therefore, it is necessary to create GIS software packages working with some interface programs to overcome such difficulties. In this study, possibility of automatic document preparation by interacting ArcView GIS with Microsoft Word (MSWord) has been investigated. Test results of the several runs of program showed that the existing difficulties can easily be overcome, and the conventional GIS programs can be a very powerful tool for data handling and reporting.

Geographical information system-based computational implementation and application of spatial three-dimensional slope stability analysis

Three-dimensional (3D) evaluation of slope stability is a widely addressed problem in the domain of geotechnical engineering. The growing popularity of the geographical information system (GIS) approach, with capacities ranging from conventional data storage to complex spatial analysis and graphical presentation, means that it is also becoming a powerful tool for geotechnical engineers. In this study, in which we combine GIS grid-based data with four proposed column-based models of 3D slope stability analysis, we have devised new correspondent GIS grid-based 3D deterministic models to calculate the safety factor of the slope. Based on the four GIS-based 3D slope stability analysis models, a GIS-based program, 3DSlopeGIS, has been developed to implement the algorithm where all the input data are in the same format as the GIS dataset. The 3DSlopeGIS system, which is an extension of the widely used GIS software package, represents the combined development of 3D slope stability analysis and GIS-based component object model (COM) skills. Since all related data are supplied in the GIS format, this new database approach will be convenient for the repeated renewal and consulting of data. Certain widely addressed examples are evaluated in this paper and the results show the correction and potential of this GIS-based tool as a means of assessing the 3D stability of a slope. Two practical slope problems have been evaluated using the 3DSlopeGIS system. The results illustrate the convenience of data management as well as the effective range selection of Monte-Carlo random variables and the critical slip surface location in some parts of a lava dome.

A COM-based expert system for selecting the suitable map projection in ArcGIS

Abstract A map projection is a systematic rendering of locations from the curved earth surface onto a flat map surface. It is impossible to make spherical maps into perfectly flat papers without some distortion. There are many projections, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. No single projection can maintain all of the important spatial variables such as shape, area, direction, and distance. A successful Geographic Information System (GIS) depends in large part on using map projections correctly, and a person's skills in managing and converting projections can dictate the value of a database. GIS software packages such as ArcGIS provides GIS analyst with many projections from which the analyst must choose the one suitable for his project. Map projection selection is a complex process involving an evaluation of map projection alternatives based on a set of characteristics that describe these projections and the types of analysis to be performed. This paper presents a prototype expert system for selecting the suitable map projection. The component object model (COM) technology is used in designing and integrating the prototype expert system with ArcGIS to achieve software interoperability.

Determination of Spatial Weed Variability for Precision Spraying

Yabancı otlar, hayatta kalmaları ve yeniden üremeleri ve tekrar arazi üzerindeki dağılımları değişken olduğu için arazi üzerinde tekrar tekrar kümeler halinde ortaya çıkabilmektedirler. Bu dağınık yabancı ot kümelerinin yabancı ot yoğunluğu değişse bile kümeleştiği yerler yıldan yıla aynı kalabilmektedir. Yabancı otları kontrol etmek üzere kullanılan metodların gerek ekonomik ve gerekse çevresel olumsuz etkileri olabilmektedir. Hassas tarım ile yetiştiriciler pahalı girdilerden olan ilacın yabancı otların kümeleştiği yerleri hedef alarak ihtiyaç duyulan yerleri ilaçlamak ve yabancı otun olmadığı yere atılmaması ile çevreye olan etkileri en aza indirgenebilir. Coğrafi bilgi sistemleri CBS ile küresel konulmalama sistemleri KKS , yabancı otların arazi üzerindeki dağılımlarını ve bu dağılımların haritalanmasını sağlamaktadırlar. Bu yolla hazırlanan dağılım haritalarından, alana özgü ilaç uygulama haritalarının geliştirmesi mümkün olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, 6.4 ha AOÇ ve 6.7 ha’lık Sarayköy araştırma istasyonu iki kışlık buğday ekili arazide yabancı ot örneklemesi yapılmıştır. Örneklemede en sık görülen yabancı otlar dikkate alınmıştır. Arazi uzerinde yabancı otların bulunduğu yerler 5 metre’lik alan içersine alınarak gözlem yapılmış ve bu alanlarda 1m2’lik örneklemeler yapılmıştır. 1m2’lik örneklemenin yeterli olmadığı yerlerde ilave örneklemeler yapılmıştır. Yabancı ot dağılım yoğunluğu ve bu dağılıma yönelik yabancı ot ilaçlama haritaları Arcgis 3.2a CBS yazılımı kullanılarak hazırlanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, hassas ilaçlama için yabancı otların haritalanması ile teorik olarak uygulanacak ilaç miktarını azaltılmaktadır. Geleneksel tek düze uygulamalar ile kıyaslandığında ilaç miktarının çalışılan arazilerde Sarayköy için % 25, AOÇ için ise %55 azaltılabileceği görülmüştür

GIS-assisted site selection for artificial reefs

: Five geographic information system (GIS) grid themes, water depth, bottom type, topographic slope, distance to coast and distance to fishing ports, were adapted to evaluate and select a site for artificial reef deployment in I-Lan Bay off north-eastern Taiwan. From AHP (analytic hierarchy process) analysis, the weights of suitability of the five GIS grid themes were 0.416, 0.141, 0.331, 0.074, and 0.038, respectively. The results show that water depth is the most important factor in selecting a site for an artificial reef. Using ArcView, a GIS software package, a suitability map was made based on the selected grid themes. The suitable sites for artificial reef deployment identified by the GIS method corresponded to the sites selected using the traditional non-GIS approach. Based on the individual GIS grid themes, the GIS software and AHP method can be integrated to select objectively the optimal sites for artificial reef deployment.

Spatial Mapping of Adult Corn Earworm and European Corn Borer Populations in New Jersey

In 1998, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) and the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA) at Rutgers University began a joint program to use global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies to map the spatial distribution of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)) and European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae)). In 1999 the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Vegetable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program operated a network of 81 blacklight insect survey traps in New Jersey. These 15 W blacklight traps were used to monitor adult populations of vegetable crop pests including corn earworm and European corn borer. All blacklight trap sites were mapped using a hand held GPS unit. Average daily corn borer population data were imported into a GIS software package, and then linked to corresponding mapped locations throughout New Jersey. State wide spatial distributions of adult corn earworm and European corn borer population data were imported into a GIS software package, and then linked to corresponding mapped locations throughout New Jersey. State wide spatial distributions of adult corn earworm and European corn borer populations were produced weekly, and distributed via extension newsletters and web sites to augment the current RCE IPM outreach program.

ArcView 3.2a, MapInfo 6.0, and Manifold 4.5:A Comparative Review of Geographical Information System Software

This review compares the main features of recent releases of three geographical information system (GIS) products: ArcView 3.2a, MapInfo 6.0, and Manifold 4.5. ArcView and MapInfo are both good choices of well-established GIS software packages. ArcView hand-holds the user through many tasks and it is easy to remember how it works. MapInfo's interface is not as nice as that of ArcView or Manifold, but it has good raster image registration tools and includes an excellent 3D mapping tool. Manifold 4.5 has many more features than ArcView and MapInfo, but it needs an undo key and raster image support. While admitting its shortcomings, the reviewer concludes that Manifold is the most promising of the three products.

NITROGEN PRODUCTIVITY OF ALASKAN TREE SPECIES AT AN INDIVIDUAL TREE AND LANDSCAPE LEVEL

The nitrogen-productivity (N-productivity) concept represents one approach for development of algorithms for expansion from the individual tree to stand or landscape levels of estimation of primary production across the Earth's surface. A simple equation based on the N-productivity concept can be used to estimate plant production from the individual tree to stand level geographic units. Maximum N-productivity equations were developed for balsam poplar, white birch, and white spruce on an individual tree basis for the taiga of interior Alaska. Maximum N-productivity equations were also developed for aspen, balsam poplar, and white spruce on a unit area basis (square meters). A single equation for all species sampled and individual stands was developed on a unit area basis. The calculated productivity for test stands was in close agreement to the measured pro- ductivity from the landscape perspective. The set of equations presented can be used for calculation of taiga forest productivity in a geographic model developed within a GIS (Geographic Information System) software package in which the landscape unit is an in- tegral part of the model structure.

The development of a knowledge-based geographical information system for the zoning of rural areas

A protytype knowledge-based geographical information system, named ZOMAP, was developed to help planners in zoning-map preparation. It is composed of four major parts: a geographical information system (GIS), a knowledge base, an inference engine, and a controller. Implemented through a commercial GIS software package and the C prograniming language, ZOMAP was tested in a rural area in the county of Huron, Ontario, Canada. The results show that the system is effective and reliable.

Integrated GIS and Hydrologic Modeling for Countywide Drainage Study

Using geographic information system (GIS) technology as an underlying platform for hydrologic and hydraulic models provides an effective mechanism for performing large-area surface water and drainage management studies. An early (1984) personal computer (PC)–based application of GIS technology, combining various commercial software packages, was used to develop a surface water management plan (SWMP) for Polk County in central Florida. At the time of the study, no fully featured GIS package designed to support hydrologic/hydraulic modeling existed on PC platforms. Therefore, a combination of technologies was used, including a computer-aided design (CAD) package, a commercial data-base management system, and a raster-based GIS software package. The HEC-1/HEC-2 models were linked to these packages through custom programming in order to perform the required hydrologic/hydraulic analyses. Ten separate scenarios were examined for each of the 784 subbasins comprising the study area, an extensive modeling effort that would not have been possible without the supporting GIS technology.