University of Guyana Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

University of Guyana
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
FOR 3206 – Geographical Information System

(GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) Applications
Topic: Introduction to GIS
General Introduction
Lecturers
Students
• Expectations
– Students
– Lecturers
Getting started…..
Assessment
• Methods of Assessment
• Examination 1 - 20%
• Examination 2 - 20%
• Assignments/Quiz 15%
• Practical / Group Presentation of Project - 10%
• Final Examination 35%
• TOTAL 100%
Information Systems
• Help us to manage what we know
• Make it easier to organize and store, access and
retrieve, manipulate and synthesize, and apply
solution to problems
• Geographic Information Systems are a special case

featuring spatial data (Longley et al. 2001) as cited
in (Boone, 2011)
What is a GIS?
• A GIS is an integrated collection of computer
software and data used to view and manage
information about geographic places, analyze
spatial relationships, and model spatial processes.
• A GIS provides a framework for gathering and

organizing spatial data and related information so
that it can be displayed and analyzed.”
• Wade and Sommer (2006) as cited in Theobald (2009) in Boone, 2011.
USGS, 2007
• a computer system capable of capturing, storing,

analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced
information; that is, data identified according to
location.
• Practitioners also define a GIS as including the

procedures, operating personnel, and spatial data
that go into the system
Key elements
• Two elements are:
– “where
• the absolute and relative location of features
– Georgetown is located at 58° 10’ 00’’ W, 6° 48’ 00’’ N.
and
– what” (Bolstad, GIS Fundamentals, 2nd edition).
• the properties and attributes of those features
– It has evolved from the garden city into the garbage city of the
Caribbean (allegedly)
• A GIS quantifies locations by recording their
coordinates
– numbers that describe the position of these features on
Earth.
• The GIS may also be used to record the height of

Mount Everest, the population of a country, or the
size of a continent, as well as any other defining
characteristics of each spatial feature (ibid).
GIScience (Kerkering, 2011)
• The theoretical foundation on which GISs are based
(Bolstad, GIS Fundamentals, 2nd edition).
• how we conceptualize geography and how we

collect, represent, store, visualize, analyze, use, and
present these geographic concepts
• GIScience draws from many fields:

– traditional geography, remote sensing, surveying,
computer science, cartography, mathematics, statistics
Components of GIS
• There are four main or major components (ibid).
– These are hardware, software, data, and humans.
– Protocols
• data quality, data sharing, and general usage
• These components must be well integrated for
effective use of GIS
Is any component more important?
Kerkering (2011)
Hardware for GIS
• A fast computer
– spatial analyses are often applied over large areas
and/or at high spatial resolutions
– Digitizer
– Printers etc…
GIS Software
• Tools to manage, analyze, and effectively display
and disseminate spatial data and spatial
information
• GIS software provides the specific tools for some or

all of these tasks
– Reading assignment: Make a list of five common GIS

software.
People
• Define and develop the procedures used by a GIS

• Can overcome shortcoming of the other 4 elements
(data, software, hardware, procedure), but not vice-
versa
• Ground truth data collection
• Data storing, processing and analysis (Estoque,
2010)
Data
• Question: What is the difference (if any) between
data and information?
– Data is the “inputs” used within a GIS
– Determines the types of questions and problems that

may be asked of the GIS
– The quality of the data defines the accuracy and worth

of the GIS.
• Do you agree? EXPLAIN…
Procedures/ Methods/ Protocols
• The procedures used are simply the steps taken in a

well defined and consistent method to produce
correct and reproducible results from the GIS
system.
– The procedures used to input, analyze, and query data

determine the quality and validity of the final product
What are some basic functions of a GIS?
Remember the definitions…

• Data collection: Capture data
• Data storing, processing & analysis: Store data
Query data, Analyze data
• Output production: Display data Produce
output (ibid).
Limitations of a GIS
• Data intensive: Large datasets can be hard to
retrieve, store and manage
• Limited Availability: Satellite images (this is

changing…)
– one can get complete coverage of Guyana to download
free of cost…
• the resolution is another story
• Often require strong internet connection and

specific software
(Estoque, 2010)
• Labor intensive: Managing a GIS requires extensive

training and staff
• Time intensive: Training, processing and analysis of
data management
• Expensive (depends on size/scale)….
• Assignment # 1: Discuss the history and evolution of

GIS technology and techniques…
References / Further reading
• Bolstad Paul., GIS Fundamentals, 2nd edition
(available at
www.paulbolstad.net/3rdedition/samplechaps/cha
pter1_sample.pdf
)
• Boone R., 2011. Fundamentals of GIS. Available at
http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/~rboone/nr322/lect
ures/Lec_1b_Fundamentals_of_GIS.pdf
• Estoque, Ronald C., 2010. Fundamentals of
Geographic Information System. Division of spatial
Information Science, University of Tsukuba.
• Kerkering John, 2011. Module 1: Introduction to
GIS Fundamentals. Guyana Forestry Commission.

University of Guyana Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

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University of Guyana

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

FOR 3206 – Geographical Information System

• Geographic Information Systems are a special case

• A GIS provides a framework for gathering and

• a computer system capable of capturing, storing,

• Practitioners also define a GIS as including the

• The GIS may also be used to record the height of

• how we conceptualize geography and how we

• GIScience draws from many fields:

• GIS software provides the specific tools for some or

– Reading assignment: Make a list of five common GIS

• Define and develop the procedures used by a GIS

– Determines the types of questions and problems that

– The quality of the data defines the accuracy and worth

• The procedures used are simply the steps taken in a

– The procedures used to input, analyze, and query data

Remember the definitions…

• Limited Availability: Satellite images (this is

• Often require strong internet connection and

• Labor intensive: Managing a GIS requires extensive

• Assignment # 1: Discuss the history and evolution of

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