GIS/Mapping Centre - Why Use GIS?

Some might ask: “Why go through all the trouble, making maps and gathering data in a GIS?”  Well, there are LOTS of reasons.

To start with, a map or graph says a million words! Maps (and graphs or charts, which can also be produced with a GIS), provide a means of clear and precise communication.  Rather than having to describe the where and what of an issue, it is so much easier to just point at a map – a real time-saver during presentations. In addition to maps, graphs and charts are also easy to establish and very useful for showing trends and (spatial) patterns. For example, a chart can show how much space is used by different land use activities. Or we can create chart maps, showing the statistics of e.g., water quality, at different locations along a stream. The options are boundless and, unlike hand-drawn maps, the data and graphic outputs of a GIS are easy to update and edit. By including maps or graphs produced by a GIS in your presentation, you can greatly improve the delivery of your case and impress the audience with visuals at least as fancy as those supporting the other side.

GIS provides a very flexible tool. In addition to producing maps, charts and graphs, it can be used to display pictures, movies or any other kind of documentation at the click of a button. This option is especially useful for educational purposes – users can click on a location on a map and thereby retrieve statistics or pictures of that place. This can be a valuable tool at e.g., an open house: Set up a laptop with the customized GIS and let interested parties query information, retrieve pictures and other documentation. The option to integrate and link all kinds of data sources is also great for filing purposes: all the information that usually exists scattered in different locations can be compiled, organized and retrieved from one handy interface. A GIS can therefore act as a data warehouse – GIS do have the ability to handle large amounts of data, ideal for the ENGO setting where information from a multitude of sources is used.

But, GIS are not limited to storing and displaying data in various ways. They also provide a very powerful tool to analyze your data – and to thereby gather more information. In the simplest case you can get answers to questions such as “how much area is taken up by this land-use?”, “how long is this river?”,” how many farms are located within a certain distance from this river?”, and can get as complex as “what if” scenarios. For a brief description of the more advanced types of analyses for which GIS can be used, read this case study example.

In addition to the ability to store and manage various layers of information, GIS allows you to integrate and analyze them. This provides a means to examine complex issues using complex data, which can give meaningful insight to decision-makers.

If you are not a tech-wizz, but would like to benefit from GIS technologies, we are here to help. Please refer to the Services section of this website or contact us at gismanager@mbeconetwork.org.

 

back to top

 

Case Study Example

We are interested in performing a habitat suitability study for a caribou herd. The objective of this study is to allow us to make informed decisions on how a new development may affect the caribou.

In the case of looking at relationships among mapped variables, we could use the information on where the herd spends most of its time. We might find that it prefers the edges of old growth forest for feeding. We can then look at where these types of areas are located in our study region and thereby identify how much caribou-friendly habitat is present.

In the case of looking at a time sequence, we can plot the migration pattern of the caribou herd over time. We can then predict when the herd may come into contact with a new (or proposed) development.

In the case of predictive modeling, we can use our knowledge of the types of habitats that caribou prefer to identify other similar habitat areas. This information can be used to identify areas that have a high probability of hosting an unknown herd as well as for estimating the potential sizes of these herds.

In the case of dynamic simulations, we may have found that there is a strong correlation between caribou location, soil type, dominant tree species and ground vegetation. We can rerun our model without the soil information so that we can determine if the soil type, is in fact, useful for predicting herd location.

In the case of "what if" questions, we could use the GIS to place a housing development in the study area. By overlaying this information with caribou locations, we could determine if this development would disturb their migration. Alternatively, we could see whether this development would result in the loss of caribou habitat.

This modelling can also be turned around to determine which areas would be best for locating a new development, so that it minimizes or eliminates any impact on the herd.

 

back to top