Lab 2: Getting Started with GIS Applications

(Part 1- Introduction)

In this week’s lab, we were able to experiment with the application, ArcGIS Pro. In our tutorial, we went through a series of concepts dealing with different layers of data sets to accomplish a proposition for building a road in the city of Rondônia, Brazil. The final product resulted in what areas will be affected, where the road will be built, and the locations of protected forests. 

· What makes data geospatial? That is, what makes the information you worked with today geospatial in nature (think coordinates)?

The data I worked within this lab assignment is geospatial because It incorporated us to take a look at the earth’s features, specifically South America and analyze deforestation. In this lab, the data we worked within ArcPro dealt with the possibility of adding a new road across the state that would make traffic more efficient. The information that was complied included the proposed road, protected forest area, deforested areas, and official roads. All this helps us map out where we would like to build the proposed route, what areas will be affected, and any high-risk locations during construction. Moving back to how this is geospatial data, we were able to take a raster file of the world satellite imagery (grid pattern of cells & pixels) and focus in on Rondônia (Brazil) to propose a plan for road construction. This is what we call a base map, which is basically our starting point. 

· What makes data in a GIS different than a digital map?

Working with GIS applications such as ArcPro is incredible when it comes to being able to manipulate certain parts of your data. With a digital map, we can only do so much. A digital plan compares similarly to just a paper map. With this demo lab, we were able to highlight areas of deforestation, map/ highlight significant cities, and highlight proposed roads. In simple terms using GIS may seem more complicated to use, but in terms of interaction with different sets of data, you can view so much more.

· Why is having an understanding of geospatial concepts and geospatial data so fundamental to working with UAS data?

When it comes to working with UAS data, we are not only taking videos or pictures; we are analyzing many different data sets. Depending on what the mission is, we can make a variety of data spanning from temperature ranges, thermal imagery, and other applications. Having an understanding of geospatial concepts helps us take the UAS operational data and manipulate what we gathered into something the average person can understand.   

· What are some of the key geospatial concepts and fundamentals that this lab addresses?

In this lab, we went through a tutorial to discover the impact and interaction of constructing a new road in Rondônia, Brazil. Some geospatial data that was used in this demo were vectored data. Vectored data can either be point, line, or polygon data. Meaning, when tracing/ highlighting out-state boundaries, that is vectored (line data). Continuing through the demo, we are able to highlight areas of deforestation, protected forests, and draw out the location and distance of the proposed road. These concepts of geospatial data show how we can interact with our surroundings. 

(Part 2- Methods/Lab Assignment): 

Getting started, you begin with logging on to the webpage from ESRIs “Get Started with ArcGIS Pro” and downloading the data onto the computer. Once the tutorial starts, you learn how to map each data set so that the program understands where to layout each part. Commencing, we begin with a base layer using a raster file of world imagery. Raster quickly turns into vectored data as we use a content pane to drag the roads into our map (figure 1). The contents pane lets you turn on/off layers that can be presented on the map. This enables you to view certain things in comparison to size and location to this vital area.

 

Figure 1 (Adding roads using the contents pane) 

In creation, we start to develop layers of deforestation, official roads, protected areas, and various other components. One of the significant parts dealing with the project was creating the buffer zone to show the correlation between the zone as a whole and how much is deforested (figure 2). 

Figure 2 (Areas of deforestation & the proposed road)

 Also, in the figure above (figure 2), you can see where the proposed road will be laid out. It is pictured out in orange with a red outline. The deforested areas are shown in a neutral white/ beige color. Another thing that was accomplished during the lab was finding deforestation near existing roads. This was performed by turning off unnecessary layers and using the clip tool. The clip tool allows you to clip one segment and extend it to another. This helped us calculate the percentage of deforestation near the roads by selecting an area of interest (figure 3). Turning layers on and off helps us distinguish the areas so that we can predict the rate of deforestation. 

Figure 3 (area of interest for the proposed road)

By the end of the tutorial, we have created an interactive map (figure 4) that distinguishes the major components of the project. Nicely labeled and color-coded for easy viewing. Proposing this example of Rondonia will appeal to the viewers and help them understand what will happen.  

Figure 4 (Finished Product) 

 (Part 3- Conclusions):

· Summarize how ArcPro as a GIS software. What makes it stand out

In conclusion, going through the demo for ArcGIS Pro, I’ve started to grasp the knowledge of using various tools in the application. I like how the tutorial was a step by step process, and each section had a goal in mind. Whether it was distinguishing layers or finding the percentage of deforestation or coloring the map in for better contrast, the directions were extremely resourceful. ArcPro is an amazing GIS software where you can manipulate certain items of a project and show how each can relate to one another. What makes this software stand out is viewing the final product. Taking a series of data sets and putting all together to show a possible solution, in this case, the proposed road and what areas will be affected. 

· We talked about all the issues that can come up when working with UAS data in a GIS. After this intro to the software, reflect on how its complexity could create problems with using UAS data.

At first, I was puzzled with all the different components associated with ArcGIS Pro, but after going through the demo slowly, I started to understand how and what you can do with the software. When it comes to UAS data, there might be a sufficient amount of data to go through that could be overwhelming to someone who needs to decompile the data and sort it into the application. The complexity might not be the problem to some, but it can be very time-consuming.

· Speculate how the data you worked within this tutorial could be supplemented with UAS data.

The data that we worked on within this tutorial can be supplemented into UAS data when it comes to surveying. During the process of construction for the road, UAS applications such as surveying the site can be accomplished. We would be able to see if the data that was proposed correlates with what is presently being done.