Information in the form of points (such as poaching sites), lines (such as roads or steams), or polygons (such as a vegetation zones or geology map) can be entered into the system through various means. Aerial photographs and satellite imagery can also be entered into the system to provide vegetation information as well as change detection over time.
These individual data layers (from whatever sources) are all georeferenced, meaning that they are all entered and stored in the system with the same coordinate system, such as UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) or latitude/longitude. Once the various map "layers" are entered into the system, we can conduct a wide variety of display, measurement, and analysis operations on the data in ways that are much harder, if not impossible, using traditional methods and paper maps.
Useful analysis such as area and distance measurements, coincidence tabulations between layers, and extensive spatial statistical functions and modeling of various layers can be conducted routinely. Theoretical models can be tested quantitatively as they are developed. Hard copy output in the form of traditional paper maps at various scales can easily be produced consisting of various information. Such maps can represent a single layer, or have various line or point data overlayed (such as roads, streams, UTM coordinates, or gorilla feeding sites). Data can also be entered directly from GPS receivers in the field.
A primary benefit of the GIS approach is that all data, from whatever sources, are combined into a single working environment that can be updated easily as new work is done. It is a cumulative and growing datbase. It also allows us to continue working on the project when field work is not possible.
GIS is the "glue" that brings together all of the various data from different sources. It allows us to show, for example, GPS readings overlaid on satellite images, or to model which vegetation types the Gorilla groups are moving through in a given period of time, or patterns in poaching activities.
The GIS
database covers an area some 40 by 40 km, and includes portions of Rwanda,
Uganda, and Dem. Rep. of Congo (formerly Zaire). Data currently include:
The initial GIS and image processing system used for this project was the GRASS GIS. GRASS, the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System, is a general purpose GIS system that was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USA-CERL) in Champaign, IL. It is available with source code, so that enhancements and alterations can be easily made to it. A new GRASS development and support center that now has a Windows version of GRASS is located at Baylor University.
Several years ago, the project converted all it's data over to the ESRI Arc/Info family of software for GIS.
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