Beyond Mapping And Spatial Reasoning For Effective Gis And Beyond Mapping Concepts Algorithms And Issues In Gis

Spatial Reasoning for Effective GIS by Joseph K. Berry This incisive and witty book describes the development of geographic technology from maps that simply tell us "Where is what?" to systems that help us decide "So what?" It encourages new understandings of mapped data, data analysis procedures, and the uses of maps, fostering an appreciation of GIS as an effective analytical tool in many complex processes. The cover image was generated by Innovative GIS Solutions, Inc., Fort Collins, Colo., using its RAPiD Surfing software to enhance the terrain analysis capabilities available with the ARC/INFO GIS.?* The image was created using Digital Elevation Model data for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District of the Santa Ana mountains in southern California. The image represents a 3-D perspective looking north toward Lake Elsinore with partial renderings of analytical hillshading and shaded relief draped on a wire frame elevation model. ?*RAPiD Surfing is a trademark of Innovative GIS Solutions, Inc., Fort Collins, Colo. ARC/INFO is a registered trademark of Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., Redlands, Calif.

This book discusses maps as data with data structure implications; roving windows; spatial data modeling and management; assessing variability, shape, and pattern of map features; overlaying maps; cost-benefit analysis; algorithms involved in slope, distance, and connectivity; and cartographic and spatial modeling.

In a relatively short time Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have spread from being primarily a research tool to higher and subsequently secondary education, and from the researcher to the user. GIS: A Sourcebook for Schools is an easily accessible guide to GIS at an elementary level and provides sufficient background in GIS to ensure a comprehensive working knowledge of the subject. It is written specifically for schoolteachers looking to incorporate GIS into the secondary school curriculum, and will be the essential textbook for all those wishing to gain an introduction to a working knowledge of GIS. The book contains everything that a teacher wanting to implement GIS into the curriculum would need, including glossary of terms, explanation of the fundamentals, definitions and further reading. No other book will be quite as useful as this one.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are computer systems for storing, displaying and analyzing spatial data. The past twenty years have seen a rapid growth in their use in government, commerce and academia, and they can be used for managing a network of utilities, from handling census data through to planning the location of a new supermarket. But how do they work? Stephen Wise has been a regular contributor to GeoEurope and his 'Back to Basics' articles have provided a clear and simple introduction to the inner workings of GIS for a non-specialist audience. He now presents the original articles with new material and provides a new coverage of both major types of GIS: vector and raster systems. Undergraduates and professionals who wish to improve their knowledge of GIS should get a better understanding of how GIS operate in the way that they do, such as how spatial data is stored on a computer, how the different methods affect the capabilities of the GIS, how basic operations performed and how the choice of algorithm affects the speed of the system.