An Australian geographical information and modelling system for natural area management

A generic geographical information and modelling system (GIMS) has been developed and implemented for 6 million hectares of fire-prone rural land in eastern Australia. Viewed initially as a land management decision support system rather than as a geographical information system (GIS) per se, GIMS provides extensive capabilities for estimating and recording patterns of vegetation and fuel dynamics, analysing the behaviour of fire and its environmental effects, and reviewing strategies for fire control and related issues. The software operates on personal computers via linkage to an indexed, direct access, grid data base. The design, development, implementation, evolution and use of GIMS for land management decision support are described, and tests of the system's ability to predict real-time fire behaviour are provided. The relationship between commercial GIS packages and locally-developed dynamic modelling GIS programs is discussed.     

Interactive GIS for environmental risk assessment

Abstract

Geographical Information Systems can be used for processing spatial data to assess the risks of environmental contamination. Their use depends upon the amount and quality of available data, the models for interpolation and calculation of health risk, data processing procedures and interactivity. In this study, it is shown that interactive use of GIS is important for obtaining physically relevant results. Three forms of interactivity are distinguished: interactivity by means of user interfacing, interactivity requiring additional information outside GIS and interactivity when changing the use of GIS. Three stages in which interaction with GIS are crucial can be distinguished: application of geostatistics, choice of appropriate models, and decision making. This study focuses on three cases in The Netherlands dealing with soil contamination and soil stress analysis and with implications for risk assessment in which interactivity within GIS is analysed. Emphasis is given to contour volumes of polluted soil, to combine GIS with deterministic models and to apply land use scenarios. Finally, there is a discussion of how some forms of interactivity could be replaced by expert systems.     

Research related to geographical information systems at the Natural Environment Research Council's Unit for Thematic Information Systems

Abstract

The wide variety of research into aspects of geographical information systems (GIS) undertaken at the Natural Environment Research Council's Unit for Thematic Information Systems is described. This includes work on spatial data models, on the application of artificial intelligence to improve the quality of input of remotely-sensed data, on automation of map cataloguing, on improving display and on GIS modelling.     

Integration of linear programming and GIS for land-use modelling

Abstract

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are becoming basic tools for a wide variety of earth science and land-use applications. This article presents linear programming (LP) as a promising tool for spatial modelling within a GIS. Although LP is not properly a spatial technique, it may be used to optimize spatial distributions or to guide the integration of variables. An example of the use of LP in land-use planning is described, with minimizing rural unemployment as the main goal. Technical, financial and ecological constraints are established to show the influence of several limitations on achieving the optimal solution. LP makes it possible to achieve optimal land-use, where the objective is maximized and the constraints respected. LP can also be used to simulate different planning scenarios, by modifying both the objective function coefficients and the constraints. The integration of LP and GIS is presented in two phases: (i) acquisition of attribute data for the LP model, and (ii) modelling and mapping the results.     

Environmental decision support system project: an exploration of alternative architectures for geographical information systems

Abstract

Recent changes in information technology offer the opportunity to explore alternative architectures for geographical information systems (GIS) which might better support advanced applications. This paper describes the architecture and implementation of the environmental decision support system (EDSS), a prototype GIS tool kit. The architecture is based on a simple yet powerful systems model using only data collections, views and operations as the basic entity types. The design of the user interface, data management and data analysis within the model are outlined, with particular emphasis on the advanced facilities for which implementation is simplified by the architecture. A prototype applications system, BANKSIA, is also described.     

Guest Editorial Latest developments in GIS/LIS

Abstract

Significant achievements have taken place in Geographical/Land Information Systems (GIS/LIS). An attempt is made to give an overview of the state of the art as well as a vision of progress still to be accomplished. Key issues are discussed in various GIS/LIS activities. A generic analysis shows that most of the applications are environment-oriented. The various GIS/LIS topical issues are discussed in the order of an ascending graph, including data capture, data structure and modelling, data quality and standards, institutions, ethics, education, visualization and interface, spatial decision support systems, and applications. Finally a brief assessment of the role and nature of GIS is made. It is noted, in particular, that there are great discrepancies in the spread and success of GIS/LIS at the international level. This is true between developed and developing countries, but the case can also be made between western industrialized countries. It is also observed that there is an increasing number of professions involved in GIS/LIS activities and an increasing collaboration between those professions. Finally, it is observed that GIS/LIS are used predominantly as a tool to manage and keep records, although there are signs that GIS/LIS are also leading the way towards a new spatial science. This is only a 1993 ‘snap shot’, and is expected that many of the statements have only a limited life, considering the rapid changes in both theory and technology.     

Social Applications of Geographical Information Systems: technical tools for social innovation

ABSTRACT

The establishment of the National Key Centre for Social Applications of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in 1995, under the directorship of Professor Graeme Hugo, was a turning point in the use of GIS in Australia. The field of GIS, previously dominated by environmental applications, now broadened its focus to include populations, services and the interactions between people and the environment. Social applications of GIS offered a unique opportunity to make service planning, reporting, funding allocations and research both smarter and fairer. Geography and geographic relationships as implemented in GIS became the integrating platform for social spatial information, invigorating social research, planning and policy. A key strength of this approach, recognised by Professor Hugo, was the ability to ‘put people back into the planning process’. Further to being an integrating platform, GIS also offered the ability to generate new information and knowledge, which could facilitate evidence-based decision making. This paper focuses in particular on providing a written record of the development of the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) suite of spatial accessibility indices. The lasting legacy and continued relevance of this work in social applications of GIS is also reviewed in this paper, with reference to key examples of how social research and planning in Australia have been made both smarter and fairer through the contributions of Professor Hugo and his team.     

Modelling spatially and temporally distributed phenomena: new methods and tools for GRASS GIS

Abstract

The concept of GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) as an open system has created a favourable environment for integration of process based modelling and GIS. To support this integration a new generation of tools is being developed in the following areas: (a) interpolation from multidimensional scattered point data, (b) analysis of surfaces and hypersurfaces, (c) modelling of spatial processes and, (d) 3D dynamic visualization. Examples of two applications are given-spatial and temporal modelling of erosion and deposition, and multivariate interpolation and visualization of nitrogen concentrations in the Chesapeake Bay.     

Integrating multi-criteria evaluation with geographical information systems

Abstract

Geographical information systems (GIS) provide the decision-maker with a powerful set of tools for the manipulation and analysis of spatial information. The functionality of GIS is, however, limited to certain deterministic analyses in key application areas such as spatial search. The integration of multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) techniques with GIS is forwarded as providing the user with the means to evaluate various alternatives on the basis of multiple and conflicting criteria and objectives. An example application based on the search for suitable sites for the disposal of radioactive waste in the UK using the Arc/Info GIS is included. The potential use of a combined GIS-MCE approach in the development of spatial decision support systems is considered.     

The application of remote sensing techniques to landscape level environmental research: A hybrid approach combining visual and digital interpretation

The development of new technology for use in environmental research provides us with numerous sophisticated tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). However, throughout recent decades there have been debates regarding the appropriate use of these tools. The question still remains as to whether they can strengthen environmental research, or whether perhaps more conventional methods are better suited? This paper focuses on the use of remote sensing in environmental applications, such as strategic or regional environmental assessments. By providing a case study from Sri Lanka, it is shown how the benefits from a visual interpretation of satellite imagery can be combined with a digital supervised classification in a hybrid approach. The use of these techniques in environmental assessments is further discussed in the light of 'best practicable science' as proposed by the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA). The intention is not to discourage the use of digital techniques, but to discuss how they should be utilized to their fullest extent. The approach argued for here provides data of a more general and possibly integrative nature. It may therefore be well suited for the early screening and scoping stages of environmental assessments at a landscape level.     

Municipal GIS and the enterprise data model

Abstract

The City of Scarborough, like many corporations, recently re-evaluated its information technology requirements. The decision was made to model the City's needs in terms of activities and data requirements, concentrating on the Municipal Data Model. First, a two year study was undertaken to understand the business activities of all the disparate components that make up the corporation. This study resulted in individual Information Resource Plans (IRP) for each department. A third year was spent in reconciling the many separate documents and creating a high-level Conceptual Data Model for a Corporate Information System. Of the thirteen broad data groupings, four were assigned to the GIS Group for the design of Detailed Data Models and to populate the resultant databases. The GIS Group, in fact, were to initiate the new Information System for the entire City. The modelling sessions involved hundreds of users from the entire user community in small and large groups, in intensive entity-definition activities, in technical review sessions and in the general examination of context. The detailed models were validated by involving still more users and by testing the model in prototypes, special projects and joint ventures. The GIS Project has demonstrated that data modelling is an effective and realistic method of reflecting the municipality as an enterprise.     

Teaching the principles of GIS: lessons from the GISTutor project

Abstract

With the rapid growth in the use of geographical information systems (GIS) has come an acute shortage of skills. Although traditional techniques of education and training based on courses at various levels are being widely exploited, there is special potential in GIS for the use of demonstrators and tutors. Such computer aided learning (CAL) tools offer an effective way of putting across the graphical concepts which are vital to GIS as well as offering an attractive form of self-paced study. This paper discusses the contribution of CAL tools to GIS education and offers a short history of the techniques. A case study of the development of the Geographical Information Systems Tutor (GISTutor) is also used to illustrate the educational and technical issues behind the creation and use of such a tool.     

An inductive modelling procedure based on Bayes' theorem for analysis of pattern in spatial data

Abstract

This paper describes an inductive modelling procedure integrated with a geographical information system for analysis of pattern within spatial data. The aim of the modelling procedure is to predict the distribution within one data set by combining a number of other data sets. Data set combination is carried out using Bayes’ theorem. Inputs to the theorem, in the form of conditional probabilities, are derived from an inductive learning process in which attributes of the data set to be modelled are compared with attributes of a variety of predictor data sets. This process is carried out on random subsets of the data to generate error bounds on inputs for analysis of error propagation associated with the use of Bayes’ theorem to combine data sets in the GIS. The statistical significance of model inputs is calculated as part of the inductive learning process. Use of the modelling procedure is illustrated through the analysis of the winter habitat relationships of red deer in Grampian Region, north-east Scotland. The distribution of red deer in Deer Management Group areas in Gordon and in Kincardine and Deeside Districts is used to develop a model which predicts the distribution throughout Grampian Region; this is tested against red deer distribution in Moray District. Habitat data sets used for constructing the model are accumulated frost and altitude, obtained from maps, and land cover, derived from satellite imagery. Errors resulting from the use of Bayes’ theorem to combine data sets within the GIS and introduced in generalizing output from 50 m pixel to 1 km grid squares resolution are analysed and presented in a series of maps. This analysis of error trains is an integral part of the implemented analytical procedure and provides support to the interpretation of the results of modelling. Potential applications of the modelling procedure are discussed.     

Discovering environmental data: metadatabases,network information resource tools and the GENIE system

Abstract

The existence of global computer networks in conjunction with various computer based tools offers the GIS community the possibility of identifying existing spatial data in a faster and more complete way. Using such tools could help the GIS community reduce the high costs of data collection. This paper focuses on the discovery of environmental data using metadatabases and network information resource tools and includes comments on some of the limitations of these computer based tools. The article will conclude by describing how the system developed by the GENIE project attempts to overcome some of these limitations.     

Index to Volume 102

Abstract

Findings of a study that investigated conditions associated with introducing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into pre-college curricula are described. Questionnaires, field observations, and interviews provided the principal data sources. Key implementation issues were organized into a conceptual model that integrates factors connected with educational applications of GIS. This article also introduces the GIS Readiness Survey, a self-administered questionnaire that enables potential users to assess the status of conditions associated with the classroom introduction of this technology.     

Geographic Information Technologies and the History of a Shoreline: The Case of Chapter 91 in New Bedford,Massachusetts

Abstract

This article discusses the use of geographic information technologies to assist researchers in the exploration of historical databases. The case study is a pilot project in which we used geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to study the history of the Public Waterfront Act (the “Chapter 91” program), a policy designed to balance private property rights, public interest, and environmental protection in the Massachusetts tidelands. The issues discussed range from the role of GIS in society and its limitations as a representational tool to the ability of current GIS to deal with historical data and to manage temporal attributes.

     

GIS and remote sensing integration for environmental applications

Abstract

The combined use of remotely-sensed images and vector GIS data has received considerable interest in recent years. This review article discusses the historical move towards closer integration of remote sensing and GIS technologies and the requirements of integrated software systems to enable remotely-sensed data to be combined with vector datasets for maximum effect. The benefits of integration to users of both GIS and remote sensing for environmental applications are reviewed and some thoughts are given on terminology and future directions in this field.     

Reflections and speculations on the progress in Geographic Information Systems (GIS): a geographic perspective

Great strides have been made in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) research over the past half-century. However, this progress has created both opportunities and challenges. From a geographic perspective, certain challenges remain, including the modelling of geographic-featured environments with GIS data model, the enhancement of GIS’s analysis functions for comprehensive geographic analysis and achieving human-oriented geographic information presentation. Several basic theoretical and technical ideas that follow the workflow and processes of geographic information induction, geographic scenario modelling, geographic process analysis and geographic environment representation are proposed to fill the gaps between GIS and geography. We also call for designing methods for big geographic data-oriented analysis, making best use of videos and developing virtual geographic scenario-based GIS for further evolution.     

Quantifying soil variability in GIS applications: II Spatial distribution of soil properties

Abstract

Application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to environmental problems requires a spatial delineation of soil properties and some a priori knowledge of their variability. In the U.S.A. estimated soil properties are available from soil surveys published by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. However, information on the extent and nature of their variability is generally lacking. To remedy the situation, variability of selected soil properties measured at farm and watershed scales was compared with published values using geostatistical methods. Results showed that the variability of bulk density and hydraulic conductivity can be estimated by comparing regularized variograms of measured and published values. An overlay method was proposed that combines measured and published delineations of soil properties into an overlay with the properties of both. The technique makes it possible to incorporate variability into a GIS analysis using data available from published soil surveys.