Spatial Technology For The Survey and Monitoring of Invasive Species

Spatial Technology for The
Survey and Monitoring of

Invasive Species
Dale Loberger
ESRI - Charlotte
Copyright © 2005 Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. GIS and GPS Technology
The Basic “Invasives” Problem
 To survey, inventory, and monitor invasive plants, their
invasion characteristics, document control treatments,
and evaluate the results.
 In short, to measure, document, and analyze.
Copyright © 2005 Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. GIS and GPS Technology 2
Basic Tools
 Measurement
 GPS – (Global Positioning System)
– A device for measuring geographic coordinates
at any location on the earth.
 Documentation and Analysis

 GIS – (Geographic Information System)
– A database for maintaining and analyzing spatial
features and the relationships between features as
they are defined through geographic coordinates or
measurements.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
 A constellation of 24 man-made “stars” (satellites)
composed of very accurate atomic clocks put into an
approximately 12 hour orbit at an altitude of 20,000km
(meaning that at least 6 satellites should be “viewable” at any time.)
 The system is maintained by the US

Department of Defense giving
users access to “quality”
measurements anywhere on (or
near) the surface of the earth at
any time of the day or night.
How does GPS work?
 Satellites are at known points
orbiting the earth
 Their range is defined by

the difference in time
between sending and
receiving a signal
 Using resection
trigonometry, the location
of the receiver clock can be
calculated
 Most error in the range
intersection is due to error
in the receiver clock
Trigonometry
 Quick Trigonometry review –
- One radius measurement locates me to any point along a
circle
- Two radius measurements narrows my
position to only two points
- A third radius will narrow the position to
only one value
- If the timing offset is consistent, a fourth
radius measurement will compensate
the errors
And remember, we should usually have six

satellites available (in perfect conditions)
Accuracy
Error Sources
 Basic Accuracy (Post May 1,2000)
Per Satellite : Std GPS DGPS
- Uncorrected 10-30 meters (30-100’) Satellite Clocks 1.5 0
Orbit Errors 2.5 0
 WAAS (Wide Area
Ionosphere 5.0 .4
Augmentation System) Troposhpere .5 .2
- Realtime correction 0.5 –10 meters Receiver Noise .3 .3
(2 – 30 ft) Multipath .6 .6
- Terrestrial based low cost, limited SA 30 0
range, terrain obstructions

Typical Position Accuracies
- Satellite based has wide coverage but
Horizontal 50 1.3
also high cost
Vertical 78 2.0
 DGPS (Differential GPS) 3-D 93 2.8
- Post Processing (<0.01m) 0.1 ft Source : Trimble
Measures of Precision
 The symmetry of the satellites will control the level of
precision
 These symmetry
factors are
known as
- GDOP
- PDOP
- VDOP
Reliability
 Many factors can contribute to decrease reliability
- Receiver quality
- Proximity to buildings or other obstructions (cliffs, etc.), tree canopy
- Multipathing
- Mircowave or other radio interference
- Blunders (wrong setup parameters)
- Weight of receiver unit
- Power source
Transportability
 Projections and datums are important when converting
unprojected coordinates to a map
Source: Auslig Commonwealth of Australia

Useful Conclusions on GPS
 Buy the best equipment that you can afford that will give
you the level of reliable accuracy that you need
 Carefully plan (and execute) data collection trips
- Watch satellite geometry – PDOP, GDOP
 Be sure to understand
- Datums and projections of data target
 Be sure to check
- Cables, batteries, setup options
 Be sure to avoid sources of interference

- Microwaves, buildings, cliffs, trees, etc.
Managing Real-World Objects
Geodatabase
A GIS is more than just a database with coordinates…
Geodatabases Abstract Knowledge
Behavior/
Rules
Data
Metadata
ArcGIS
Maps
Models/
Scripts
… GIS abstracts and serves a geospatial business logic

through database tables!
Geodatabase Objects
Dimensions
Vectors
107’
Topology Annotation
Surface ABC
ArcGIS
Images
Networks
CAD Attributes
27 Main St.
Drawings
Addresses
3D Objects
Surveys
Topology is About Relationships
 A field of study focusing on the properties of shapes
that remain constant when the shapes are deformed
(e.g. through projections or datum transformations)
- Projection independent properties
 connectivity (contiguity), adjacency, and containment
Land parcels Soil
- Projection dependent properties
 area, shape, distance, and direction
Country boundary Adjacency

Adjacency
Bus route
Pipes Streams
City
Roads
Containment
Containment
Connectivity
Connectivity
Understanding Behavior
 Topology gives us the syntax and vocabulary for
defining what we learn through our research
- How strong is the species preference for steep slopes, for specific
aspects, or soils? Why is it where it is?
- How can we expect a species to response to treatments? How can
spatial considerations affect the results?
- What was my return on investment for a treatment? Where can I
expect even better returns for my efforts?
 Spatial Analysis, Geographic Business Logic, and
Spatial Modeling gives us answers to questions, …
… but only when we learn how to ask the questions!
Data Modeling and Initiatives
 SAMAB (SAIN) – a great start at collecting and
disseminating descriptive spatial data
 NBII (ISIN) – a great forum for building on the sharing of
spatial knowledge
 2003 Biodiversity Modeling Workshop: Results and
Recommendations - “planning for the eventual shift
from descriptive to functionally mechanistic models will
be important to accurately depict both current and
potential future species distributions.”
Spatial Statistics and Analysis
 New collection
of analytical
tools that come
standard with
ArcGIS 9
licenses
Analyzing Patterns
Mapping Clusters
Measuring Geographic Distributions
Utilities
Useful Conclusions on GIS
 Think of a GIS as a method of utilizing a database to
model everything you know about a species or a
treatment, not just a way to build a “map”
- Learn to “model” instead of just how to “store” data
 Let the computer do the “work” of maintaining

databases and analyzing relationships while you “think”
of useful questions
- Learn the language of GIS instead of being caught up in technology
 Share your data, but be sure it is useful by creating

appropriate metadata
- Learn to share “information” and “knowledge” instead of raw data

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Spatial Technology for The

Survey and Monitoring of

 In short, to measure, document, and analyze.

 Documentation and Analysis

 The system is maintained by the US

 Their range is defined by

And remember, we should usually have six

- Terrestrial based low cost, limited SA 30 0

range, terrain obstructions

- Post Processing (<0.01m) 0.1 ft Source : Trimble

- Proximity to buildings or other obstructions (cliffs, etc.), tree canopy

- Mircowave or other radio interference

- Blunders (wrong setup parameters)

- Weight of receiver unit

Source: Auslig Commonwealth of Australia

 Be sure to avoid sources of interference

A GIS is more than just a database with coordinates…

… GIS abstracts and serves a geospatial business logic

Country boundary Adjacency

 Let the computer do the “work” of maintaining

 Share your data, but be sure it is useful by creating

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