Rural System

Rural System's

Geospatial Information Service Examples by Contours

Contours Geospatial Information Services is eager to attack new projects and problems. The Group has has many services, due to experience and building a repotoire of functional programs, that can be delivered to you timely and cost effectively. Staff are experienced in going beyond making map layers and putting them together. This is a very important technique, but there have been advances. Here we share with you a text by Dr. Bob Giles suggesting applications and work from which you may benefit. We also show other images and comment on them. We work closely with the Conservation Management Institute of Virginia Tech to bring you the latest data and the results of geospatial research and development from around the world. Remember, please, that while the map is important, the data that accompany it (e.g., the acres in each category, the proportions, the diversity indices, etc.) and ecological and economic models may be more important that the map image used in publications or for marketing.

Please note and ask about our procedures for ecological modeling within each map cell and nearby cell ... then making maps and their analytical reports. Don't forget that we can supply dynamic maps showing estimates of past changes ... and those likely when we have a reasonable model such as we do in forest change ("succession."). We show things removed, but also added, and work toward reasonable tradeoffs and desired future states.

Different elevations are color coded for a county and they are shown with county boundary and major roads. Maps for any phenomena can be created from known relations with elevation data over the entire region. Precise elevation data such as used in construction are best gained on the ground. Our data and related models are excellent for most rural land and water applications.

Here we show a combination of boundary, water, private land use, and then elevations used to compute slope of the land and the direction that the land faces (called "aspect"). These categories are useful in assessing the quality of land for forests trees (site quality) and for selecting suitable plants or for explaining the differences found in ecosystems and where certain plants and animals have been found.

We are tightly scheduled but are eager to work with you. Pleas call us at xxx or email us at xxxx

The following is a list of GIS maps with which we have done work or made preliminary studies. The numbers in parentheses suggest the number of different maps that might arise under the single listed topic. Most of these have their value when used in linear and non-linear combinations and models with several factors.

1. Bear Habitat Probability
2. Bear/ Wildlife Encounters
3. Potential Wolf Areas
4. Hunter Zones and Units
5. Game Poaching Levels
6. Fish Law Enforcement Problems
7. Large Animal Species (200 maps)
8. Lepidoptera (Butterfly/Moth)
9. Total Species or Richness
10. Game Species Richness
11. Trapping Areas
12. Winter Range Dynamics
13. Human Activity
14. Roads (multiple types)
15. Trails (horse,foot,bike,snowmobile)
16. Elevation
17. Slope Steepness
18. Aspect
19. Aspect Transformed (type I and II)
20. Land Form
21. Slope Position
22. Solar Radiation (monthly)
23. Radiation in the Growing Season
24. Precipitation (monthly max,min, and mean) 25. Degree Days
26. Temperature (monthly max,min, and mean)
27. Evapotranspiration (monthly)
28. Moisture Index
29. Streams
30. Ponds, Lakes and Waterholes
31. Wetlands, Marshes, and Seeps
32. Watershed Boundaries
33. Beaver Activity
34. Gas, Utility, and Powerlines
35. Historic Sites
36. Burial Sites
37. Permanent Water and Baseflow
38. Waterfowl Areas
39. Ancient Forests and Designated Wild Areas
40. Fish-Watching Zones
41. Bird Watching Areas (general)
42. Avi (sport area and potential areas)
43. Research Areas and Picture Points
44. Noise Zones
45. Viewscapes ('to' and 'from' series)
46. Air Pollution Zones
47. Government Boundaries (county, political, etc.)
48. Census Bureau Enumeration Zones (and related census data)
49. Topographic Map Boundaries
50. Location (world, US, vicinity)
51. Dust Zones
52. Range Types
53. Forest Stands
54. Alpha Units
55. Pseudo-soil Type
56. Hopkins Bioclimatic Zones 57. Bioregions
58. Kuchler's Potential Natural Vegetation
59. Current Cover and Vegetation (Landsat)
60. Solid Waste Disposal Sites and Potentials
61. Bailey Ecoregions
62. Seismic Activity
63. Lunar Forces
64. Springs and Caves
65. Broad Landuse Classes
66. Key Angling Sites
67. State and Federal Ownership at Boundaries
68. Flood Zones
69. Ungulate Winter Range with Key Areas
70. Fire History
71. Fire Probability
72. Fire and Soil Erosion Relations
73. Fire Attack Rates
74. Fire Control Access
75. Prescribed Burning Areas and Schedules
76. Smoke and Wind Patterns
77. Smoke and Inversions
78. Smoke and Probable Patterns
79. Individual Plant Species (500)
80. Groundwater
81. Groundwater Toxic Sources
82. Groundwater Radiation Levels
83. Geomagnitism
84. Lightning Strikes (occurrence and related acres and control effort)
85. Campsites (with trails)
86. Heliports and Emergency Rescue Pathways
87. Wildlife Law Enforcement Patrol Routes and Zones
88. Cliffs, Slides, and Talus
89. Geological Strata
90. Erosion (3 types)
91. Humus Layer Depth
92. Probable Depth to Bedrock
93. Croplands
94. Structures and Scheduled Maintenance
95. Emergency and Rescue Centers
96. Recreation Areas (dispersed)
97. Financial Net Gains
98. Production Risk Levels
99. Grazing Plan
100. Range Condition and Trend Classes
101. Potential Losses from Fires
102. Ski and Snow sled Routes
103. Potential Unility Corridors (underground)
104. Deer Management (50)
105. Riparian Vegetation
106. Wild Turkey (20)
107. Antelope (50)
108. Topographic Quad Boundaries

There is art work to be sold, produced by GIS(e.g. the changing coded colors of seasonal landscape, say half an image of the diagonal with spring and late winter being shown within a frame). Maps of potential erosion, well coded, are like scary Haloween pictures.

We sell a series of 3-5 framed pictures showing the progression of added layers to some final image. RHG 2/14/05

Working toward reasonable, profitable solutions to persistent, real-world, wicked problems in new ways,
then moving past analysis to action

See also plans and potentials of this and other GIS Groups and franchises.

See Geographic information systems in fisheries / edited by William L. Fisher and Frank J. Rahel.

Home
February 20, 2006