Introduction Studies on the Amazon rainforest often face challenges from handling diverse environmental data and complex technologies in image analysis, spatial modeling and data mining. These challenges have called for the development of an integrated system to assist studies of this nature. The system was initiated for the IU-ISU (Indiana University – Indiana State University) joint project, Human and Physical Dimensions of Land Use/Cover Change in Amazonia: Forest Regeneration and Landscape Structure under The Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). The information system was designed to be a comprehensive information management system to manage all sampling data on soils, forest, species, land use, and spectral library, and satellite remotely-sensed data and related thematic maps. The first information system was implemented in two separate sub-systems which targeted different aspects of information management and analysis for the project. An integrated system, named as the Amazon Information System (AIS), was first assembled in 2001 and migrated to the current version in Integration of Data and Actions References 1.Amazon Information System User’s Guide (2002). 2.Amazon Information System Developer’s Guide (2002). 3. Conclusion The AIS is a tool that integrates spatial data, non-spatial data, and applications. The advantages of this approach are manifest in the following conveniences : (1) Economic versioning management; (2) Effortless team-cooperation with the proper framework; (3) Easy distribution to web and other applications; and (4) Flexible extension support. The three-tier architecture that AIS is migrating to offers the following advantages: (1) Less security concern; (2) More scalable applications; (3) Accessible to many users simultaneously; and (4) More cost-effective installation and support ADA: Known Regulatory Regions An Object-Oriented Approach to Integrate Remote Sensing, GIS and Statistics in the Amazon Rainforest Study Genong (Eugene) Yu a1, Paul W. Mausel a2, Ryan R. Jensen a3, Eduardo S. Brondizio b4, Emilio F. Moran b5, and Vijay O. Lulla a6 a. Department of Geography, Geology and Anthropology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA; b. ACT/Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. ( s: What is the AIS? The Amazon Information System is a comprehensive system consisting of both data and functions. Data associated with the system are all the geophysical data for the Amazonian ecosystems, including soils, forests, species, land use, spectral library, satellite remotely-sensed images and related thematic maps. The functions under construction are neural network analysis, generic modeler, radiometric correction, and biomass modeling. The framework is under reconstruction to facilitate the expansion of functions and the adaptability of the system. What are the user groups? The new Amazon Information System provides information and analysis support for three groups of researchers and scientists: (1) Scientists from Indiana State University who require functions on spectral analysis, spectral data management and system administration; (2) Scientists from Indiana University who require the functional support in managing and analyzing field data, geophysical parameters, and human factors, and (3) LBA scientists who may need to access some field data and use the models developed in the project. IU LBA Groups The LBA Project ISU LBA Groups  Field data querying  Geophysical parameters calculation  ….  Spectral management  System administration  …  Querying the data  Learn the models  …. AIS Object Oriented Approach The biggest improvement was made on enhancing the use of COM technology in building the framework and the components in the Amazon Information System. Basic classes are listed in the figure to the right. These classes can be re-used and modified with polymorphism, inheritance and versioning. Migration into a Three Tier Architecture The AIS will completely migrate from the current two-tier client/server system into a three tier client/server architecture, to take advantages of its increased performance, flexibility, maintainability, reusability, and scalability, while hiding the complexity of distributed processing from users. The most important goal is to enable wide accessibility since two-tier architecture is limited to 100 users considering the network traffic. In the new three-tier architecture, the middleware will be the application server and the spatial-web server that run on a shared host. Integrated Framework The unified framework provides the basic functions and consistent look and the flexibility for user to customize. Menus Frameworks Toolbars Data Analysis Neural Networks Control Viewers Image View Control Data Source Raster Data Control Vector Data Control Signature Data Control Neural Link Control GreatTab Control GreatButton Control User Interface Neural Node Control Neural Neuron Control In a Word or other ActiveX control enabled container…… This example demonstrates the steps to embed the Image View Control in a MS Word document. Steps: 1.Use the Control Toolbox toolbar to insert the ActiveX controls you want as in the left figure. 2.Set properties. 3.Write a short macro or a short code segment in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to customize the behavior of the control. A simple VBA code…… Option Explicit Private Sub Document_Open() RSImage1.Band_B = 4 RSImage1.Band_G = 3 RSImage1.Band_R = 2 RSImage1.LoadRSImage "c:\Amazon\Data\Pedra91. hbs" End Sub Amazon Information System Analysis Display Vegetation Indices Model  Statistical Calculations  SQL Query Image Classification - Neural Network Classifier Graphical Display of Spectral Pattern Viewing and Updating the Database Viewing Satellite Images Sampling Data  Spectral  Soil  Tree  Herbaceous and Sapling The unified system provides a fundamentally common interface, a shell-like framework with flexibility of customization, an assembly of common object model (COM) objects, and a web-enabled presentation. Smoothness is enhanced with the proper prompt of progress indication, the integrated tools and toolbars and menus, and the shared data source controls. NN Spectral data Field data Images Other tables Data ServersApplication ServersPresentation Web Server Data mining Statistics Biophysical Modeling Tabulated Graphics Images Reports Embedded Interactions The objects can be re-used in the programming environment, browsers and word document lively, and web-enabled. Their data binding can be changed and their behaviors can be customized. In a browser…… RSImgView3.CAB <object id="RSImage" width=500 height=500 classid="CLSID:61039B28-BC20-11D3- B71D-0040C72D0104" codebase="RSImgView3.CAB#version= 1,0,0,0"> <!--- RSImage.Band_B=5 RSImage.Band_G=4 RsImage.Band_R=3 RSImage.ScaleMode=3 RSImage.ImageFileName="Altam85.hbs " RSImage.ScaleHeight=1500 RSImage.ScaleWidth=1500 RSImage.LoadRSImage("h:\temp\RSIm gView2\Altam85.hbs") ----> In the programming environment…… It can be easily added and used through the toolbar pad in Visual Studio environment. Abstract The challenges of handling diverse environmental data and complex technologies in image analysis, spatial modeling and data mining led to the development of the Amazon Information System (AIS). The system is designed to (1) integrate a variety of spatial data associated with the Amazonian ecosystems, including soils, forests, species, land use, spectral library, satellite remotely-sensed images and related thematic maps, and (2) facilitate sophisticated functions of neural network analysis, generic modeler, radiometric correction, biomass modeling and statistical analysis. The AIS is developed using an object-oriented approach and builds upon a three-tier architecture. Object-oriented techniques and properties have been adopted extensively in the system, including encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, dynamic method binding, web-enablement, and component-based embedding/linking. The use of the system under the current architecture showed the advantages in versioning management, program-reuse and sharing, distribution over Internet, and extension support.