Geographic information systems: applications in natural resource management

"Geographic Information Systems are essential technologies for natural resource management. Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Natural Resource Management is a comprehensive guide and introduces the GIS tools, techniques, and principles necessary for GIS professionals throughout the world." "Part one provides an overview of the field, from its historical development and basic principles to some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Part two explains in detail the essential GIS operations (querying, buffering, clipping, overlay analysis, etc.). Finally, part three discusses current trends and future challenges. Every chapter includes extensive application questions, and throughout the book 'In Depth' feature boxes encourage readers to delve deeper into key issues and advanced techniques. A companion website provides sets of GIS data that readers can use to practice the techniques they have learned."--Jacket.

Previous eds. by Pete Bettinger and Michael G. Wing.

pt. 1. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, spatial databases, and map design. Geographic Information Systems -- GIS databases : map projections, structures, and scale -- Acquiring, creating, and editing GIS databases -- Map design -- pt. 2. Applying GIS to natural resource management. Selecting landscape features -- Obtaining information about a specific geographic region -- Buffering landscape features -- Combining and splitting landscape features, and merging GIS databases -- Associating spatial and non-spatial databases -- Updating GIS databases -- Overlay processes -- Synthesis of techniques applied to advanced topics -- Raster GIS database analysis -- Raster GIS database analysis II -- pt. 3. Contemporary issues in GIS. Trends in GIS technology -- Institutional challenges and opportunities related to GIS -- Certification and licensing of GIS users -- Appendix A : GIS related terminology -- Appendix B : GIS related professional organizations and journals -- Appendix C : GIS software developers.