1. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data Laurie Schretlen & Leah Vanderjagt Netspeed October 20, 2005

2. GIS & Spatial Data - Today Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology: basics, applications, and directions Spatial data: information resources for GIS research Spatial data access – in Canada and in Alberta GEODE

9. GIS Components Map data Information about location w/graphics http://www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/stats/Eworksheets/images/RandomCoordinates.jpg

10. GIS Components: Attribute data Information about what can be found at a particular location http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/images/5740f02.gif

11. http://utca.eng.ua.edu/projects/final_reports/02403fnl_files/image004.jpg GIS as database

12. Spatial data examples Road networks Vegetation inventories Soil inventories Census results Municipal boundaries Elevation values Climate readings Habitat ranges …

13. GIS Components Software A technology for storing and analyzing location and attribute data http://www.l.hsr.ch/skripte/gisscripts/media/softwarescreen1.jpg

14. GIS Components Hardware Systems to support rapid graphic analysis and processing http://www.gdf-hannover.de/pics/gisrechner.png

15. GIS Personnel People Project coordinators Data analysts Programmers Data and knowledge managers Librarians

16. GIS Components Methods The analysis to be performed on the data http://www.wwf.org.co/colombia/images/a28_c.gif

17. GIS Methods and Analysis GIS is used to answer questions and support decisions The quality of the answer depends on: The METHODS chosen The DATA (more on that later)

18. Data Layers The ability to ‘stack’ layers in a GIS allows us to ask questions about the relationship between different objects of study Image courtesy of Charlene Nielsen, Department of Biology, University of Alberta

19. Overlay What two things occur at the same location? http://www.orthogate.com/guide/workshops/images/image002.gif

20. Overlay – GIS What residences lie beneath this toxic plume of ammonia?

21. Overlay GIS http://www.saultc.on.ca/GIS/images/RedPineTraill_sm.jpg

22. Buffering What lots are located near this road? http://news.sina.com.cn/duihua/sars/LearnMoreAboutGIS/gis4.files/buffer.gif

24. Modeling GIS is used to ask ‘what if?’ Testing scenarios and possible outcomes

25. Modeling

27. Image created by Leah Vanderjagt, 2005: Data: NRCan CDED; City of Edmonton 2001 Digital Orthophotos

28. Modeling - Site Selection Combining best conditions from multiple layers to come up with the best location for a proposed facility Eg. Good slope drainage + enough distance from streams + access to roads = Best site

29. Modeling

30. GIS Applications GIS applications combine multiple analytical processes to support decision-making Some examples from non-profit and government sectors:

31. Habitat tracking and analysis maps.gov.bc.ca/imf406/imf.jsp?site=libc_habwiz

32. www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/shim/shim.htm

33. Health Care: Disease outbreak monitoring and modeling Dispersion of Avian Flu in Thailand Affected and at-risk poultry farms Avian Flu http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/health/links/ma04184pf.htm

34. SARS Mapping Distribution map Outbreak model – Buffalo, NY

36. Facilities Management for Municipal Government

37. Route Optimization Modeling

38. Crime Analysis

39. Other uses Many groups still need to create paper maps to support operations - nearly always GIS-based GIS is also used for storage of information – there is an archiving function

41. Directions for GIS WEB APPLICATIONS Standards Unlocking the GIS black box - distributed experimentation and collaboration GIScience

42. GIS in Academic Institutions GIS is used extensively in science/ecology disciplines: Renewable resources management Forestry Biology (ecology) Geography Earth and atmospheric sciences Geology

43. GIS in Academic Institutions Also used in: Civil engineering Business Economics History Psychology Health …

44. GIS and Libraries Community demographic analysis

45. GIS - Bibliography

46. Spatial data access ‘Map’ + ‘Attribute’ data is usually referred to as spatial data Locating the right spatial data and obtaining the rights to use it is a major component of every GIS project

47. Spatial data quality: Inconsistencies

48. Spatial data quality: Projections http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/gif/twoproj.gif

49. Spatial data access Spatial data is expensive to create and update Government agencies and large corporations can afford it Data sharing is not necessarily a part of the plan

50. Spatial data access If it’s shared, spatial data is either sold by the producer or by a designated value-added reseller Public consultations have resulted in open sharing of more and more spatial data sets at the federal level Some federal data is made available through the Depository Services Program

51. Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure

52. Spatial data access There is much more data available for purchase Therefore, there is a spatial data economy in Canada This economy is driven by cost-recovery policies Government agencies charge other agencies, corporations, and individuals for data access

53. Different models of access United States – wide, very open access to drive commercial development Canada – stewardship model of cost- recovery Provincial economy examples: Manitoba Alberta

54. Alberta Policy Environment Government agencies: cost-recovery sales Third party vendors: data enhancers and resellers for profit Data producers who do not sell or distribute their data

55. Challenges to Access What is the result of Alberta’s policy environment? Data creators don’t have sufficient resources to respond to individual researcher demand Data suppliers do not document or support data products Data suppliers’ primary business is not data supply, ie. creating happy data customers

56. Post-secondary Response “Underground data economy” – have and have-not departments at one institution Some data creators provide data in exchange for research results Individuals or projects receive licenses for data; cannot be shared with institution Academic libraries began to acquire data through license (database model) Successful examples: NRCan, DMTI

57. GEODE To address issues of access to spatial data in Alberta, the GEODE project was launched in 1999 Participating institutions: University of Alberta University of Calgary SAIT University of Lethbridge Miistakis Institute for the Rockies

58. GEODE Access to Alberta-based spatial data Digital elevation models Topographic data Alberta Vegetation Index Census boundaries Landsat 7 imagery Metadata development Data browser 10,000+ files downloaded

59. Benefits to GIS Researchers Consortium-wide access to high quality data Centralized price and acquisition negotiations The opportunity to work with industry- standard Alberta data

60. Benefits to suppliers One point of access for post- secondary institutions Data support coordinated through library and departments Institutional licensing Training of future employees with industry standard data

61. GEODE’s Transformation GEODE was reconceived in late 2004 as a consortium – to facilitate and promote access to spatial data for post-secondary education in Alberta Objectives: Develop new funding strategies Enhance contents of collection Expand institutional membership

62. Benefits of institutional membership Access to GEODE collections Training and assistance with GEODE service delivery Advocacy and liaison with vendors Cost-sharing Technology/infrastructure guidance Collaborative development of best practices

63. GIS for Post-secondary Education For access to spatial data for GIS research and teaching to continue and thrive in Alberta, academic libraries need to collaborate to: Develop spatial data collections according to shared research priorities Lobby for access with producers and vendors Share resources and expertise

64. Moving forward Long-range technology goal: database-driven web service delivery of spatial data files GEODE is seeking assistance with the development of a province-wide licensing model for spatial data use in research and teaching

65. Questions? Discussion? Laurie Schretlen – lschretl @ ucalgary.ca Leah Vanderjagt – leahv @ ualberta.ca

66. Web Citations Google Local: www.google.cawww.google.ca Google Earth: earth.google.comearth.google.com BC Habitat Wizard: maps.gov.bc.ca/imf406/imf.jsp?site=lib c_habwiz maps.gov.bc.ca/imf406/imf.jsp?site=lib c_habwiz Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping: www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/shim/shim.htm www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/shim/shim.htm