GIS and Layers

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GIS and Layers

• Developed by Oklahoma 4-H

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Beginnings of GIS

• Began in the 1960s
• Use was mainly in the public sector
• Has roots in cartography and mapping
• Major influence on geography in the 1980s and
  1990s

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Definition of GIS

• Geographic Information System
• ESRI defines GIS as A collection of computer
  hardware, software, and geographic data for
  capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying
  all forms of geographically referenced
  information.

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Layers

• Layers are a slice of the geographic reality in
  a particular area (ESRI)
• They are similar to a map legend
• Layers may describe physical, biological,
  cultural, demographic, scale, etc. characteristics

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• For Example
• We have three maps (or layers) with yearly
  rainfall, tree species, and soil type for a
  specific area.
• By overlaying these maps, we could determine if
  the amount of yearly rainfall has an effect on
  the type of tree that grows in certain soils.

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• Essentially GIS uses different layers to show the
  relationships between data.

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ESRI example of GIS map and its layers
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Components of GIS

• Hardware
• Computer
• Software
• Computer program
• Data
• Collected, bought, or free

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Uses of Data

• Find features or patterns
• Quantities and density maps
• Changes in a specific area
• Anticipating a change (natural disaster
  preparedness)
• Deciding or evaluating a course of action

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How is it used?

• Tracking the spread of disease
• Mapping soil moisture
• Trends in an evolving storm
• Mapping Storm Water systems
• Public road inventory
• Precision Agriculture

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Tracking the spread of the West Nile virus from
ESRI Map Book vol. 19
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Track of 2004 Hurricanes in Florida and Wind
Speed, ESRI Map Book Vol. 21
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Mapping soil moisture from ESRI Map Book Vol. 21
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Wastewater collection system from ESRI Map Book
Vol. 21
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Predicting traffic problems from ESRI Map Book
Vol. 16
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Precision Agriculture from ESRI Map Book Vol. 20

Maturity Map Protein Map Detailed
Map Maps are for Brown Rice Red is High Purple
is Low
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• What are other
• uses you can
• think of?

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• Link to ESRI map books for real life GIS maps
• http//www.esri.com/industries/planning/success_s
  tories/map_book.html

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Activity

• If given the following layers, what inferences or
  assumptions can you make from them?
• Map of the U.S. with state capitals
• Map of the population density
• Map of interstate highways
• Map of rivers in the U.S.
• Average farm size in acres

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Map of United States and State Capitals
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Interstate Highways
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Major Rivers
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Capitals, Rivers, Highways
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Population Density from 2000 Census
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Capitals, Rivers, Highways, Population
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Oklahoma with Highway, Rivers, Population Density
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Average Size of Farms in 2002
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Farm Size, Capitals, Highways, Rivers
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Oklahoma Farm Size, Highways, Rivers
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• All maps are from the National Atlas website
  located at
• www.nationalatlas.com
• This site allows you to use different layers to
  create maps.