1. Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop June 2012
Beginner’s GIS
Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop
June 2012

2. Outline What is GIS GIS & Map Fundamentals Spatial Data Types
Data Formats
Software
DEMO/Exercises

3. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 2007
What is GIS?
GIS = Geographic Information System(s)
GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 2007

4. An “image” with attribute information
What is GIS?
An “image” with attribute information

5. Tool to make complex patterns simple
What is GIS?
Tool to make complex patterns simple

6. Environment for integrating diverse data
What is GIS?
Environment for integrating diverse data

7. Overview of spatial data
Artist credit Philippe Intraligi – Adobe CS5
Raster and vector data collide

8. Overview of spatial data

9. Vector data
Points, lines, and polygons

10. Vector data Shapefiles are common vector format of GIS data
Shapefiles consist of 3 main components:
*.shp – main file stores geometry
*.shx – index of geometry
*.dbf – database of attributes

11. Vector data Shapefiles may also have:
*.prj – plain text file of projection
*.sbn and *.sbx – spatial index of features
*.atx – index of attributes
*.shp.xml – metadata

12. Raster Data
Resolution
e.g. 4 x 4 km

13. General data issue: spatial scale
Spatial scale has two elements: resolution and extent
Decrease in resolution
Increase in extent
Things to consider:
Spatial scale/resolution
Extent
Type of spcies data: presence only or presence/absence?
Resolution
Extent
In practice, resolution and extent tend to be
inversely related

14. Raster Data
Resolution= cell size

15. 15 KM pixel

16. 7.5 km per pixel

17. 4.5 km per pixel

18. 1 km per pixel

19. Raster data - interpolation

20. Raster data - interpolation
Inverse distance
weighting
Kriging
Polynomials
Or Spline

21. Raster data - interpolation
Polynomials
Or Spline
Inverse distance
weighting
Kriging
Using linear-weighted set of samples (greater the distance, the less influence on output raster value)
Good for dense sampling
Statistical method that fits a function to a radius of points, assuming a spatial correlation in distance or directionality
Interpolated surface do not pass through sample sites
Many different types
Uses a mathematical function to create a minimize overall surface curvature
Sample points pass through surface
Best for variables like T

22. Raster data - interpolation

23. Environmental Data: conversion to raster
Weather station records
(vector point data)
-areas of interpolation not uniform over the world
-only has had one update
-working on others but is the basis for much of the downscaled future and past climate surfaces also used in this kind of modeling
WorldClim Method: Hijmans et al. 2005
Interpolated raster climate surfaces (grid)

24. Gridded Climate Models are not just for climatologists any more…
Specifically developed method for mountainous regions, areas of high complexity climatically (800m)

25. Prism vs Worldclim

26. Prism vs Worldclim

27. Raster data - remote sensing

28. Raster data - remote sensing
Ned Horning, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, AMNH

29. Raster Data Raster data - remote sensing Passive: Natural EM radiation
e.g. Infrared,
Aerial light photography
Active:
Sensor EM radiation
e.g. RADAR,
LIDAR

30. Raster Data Common formats: ESRI ASCII (.asc) ESRI Grid
Geotiffs (.tif)
Any raster file can be used as a GIS grid
Also:
MrSID
netCDF
BIL

31. Raster Data What’s in an ESRI grid? dblbnd.adf hdr.adf sta.adf vat.adf
w adf –>
actual raster data
w001001x.adf
prj.adf (opt)

32. Vector v. Raster
Tradeoffs between the 2 types of data

33. Vector v. Raster
Tradeoffs between the 2 types of data

34. Software

35. Win Mac GNU/ Linux Unix Web
GIS software
Win
Mac
GNU/ Linux
Unix
Web
CARIS Y N
Chameleon
ERDAS IMAGINE
ESRI ArcGIS
DIVA-GIS
Winebottler
GeoServer
Java
GeoTools
GRASS
via pyWPS
IDRISI
ILWIS
JUMP GIS
LandSerf
Manifold System
MapInfo
MapServer
Maptitude
Oracle Spatial
PostGIS
Quantum GIS
Smallworld ?
SPRING
Solaris
TatukGIS
TransCAD
TerraView
TNTmips
TransModeler

36. ArcGIS
Commercial software, but ESRI Conservation Program grants support non-profits with free licenses
ArcGIS is a suite of applications: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcTools
Lots of extensions and interacts well with python and R stats with an extension
Includes, web server, web services, online GIS, and freeware (ArcExplorer)

37. DIVA-GIS Free, not open source
Designed for niche modeling: Bioclim, Domain

38. uantum GIS Open source, Functionality from plugins in C+ or python
Access to GRASS and R routines

39. Some GIS Software Resources
DIVA-GIS
Quantum GIS
Free Geography Tools
GISLounge
FreeGIS.org

40. Some GIS Data Resources
Climate Data:
Global Land Cover Facility
EarthExplorer (US DEM, LC)
USGS Seamless Viewer
Global Administrative Boundaries

41. Scale / Environmental Variable Dependencies
Pearson and Dawson 2003
Global Ecology and Biogeography