Geography 291: Geospatial Analysis with Desktop GIS

My name is Zach White. I am an environmental studies major with a minor in Spanish and politics and government. I love basketball, fishing, and music. 

 

I took the GEOG 291 quiz and it went smoothly. I wasn’t too particularly pumped about taking GIS but that was mostly likely in part due to the lack of involvement or familiarity I’ve had with it thus far. Coming in with little to no exposure, I would definitely not have thought that specialty doctors use GIS to discover or explore disease. If anything, I’ve kind of correlated it in my mind to GPS up until last year lol. Turns out GIS and GPS are indeed different. I like that the reading doesn’t target a technically minded audience but rather a more representative audience. This is helpful because as Schuurman points out, ordinary people use or are impacted by GIS daily without even knowing it’s at play. 

When a problem emerges, it is fundamental to consider both the social context of the issue and the historical significance. It is critical to look into this because problems develop, go away, and reemerge through history, and problems are tightly connected to the societal conditions of when that problem persists. I learned this in my sociology course today and so I can appreciate the discussion of the identity of GIS and its pervasive relevance now in comparison to the historical implications. This also reminded me of the interdisciplinary nature of our liberal arts education through a GIS course in which different types of people use GIS in completely different ways with distinctive objectives. The history of how overlay became spatial analysis is intriguing. It is this historical advancement of technology that bolstered this transition and that continues to have an effect today.

I was a bit confused at the start of the reading when Schuurman explained that Geographers kind of opposed GIS. It became much more clear after reading about the history of GIS and how the analysis side of it differs from the physically visual and geographically based creations that are maps. Cartographers were familiar with their maps and not the information extraction and more detailed exploration that GIS offered. Maybe this is why I was not jumping out of my seat to learn GIS.  

The following discussion of the visuality of GIS kind of contradicts why geographers may have opposed it, highlighting that GIS actually enhances this visual component by making this newer development more meaningful and more widely accessible. I like this because I definitely fall into the category of those who gain more information through visual arrangements than from a table with numbers or text. This idea that GIS goes beyond traditional analysis through its visuality is something that has made my interest in the course overall go up a bit. 

The conversation of GIS as a software and GIS as a science is interesting. I never thought of the idea of a GIScientist but this seems cool. From my understanding, a GIScientist is more focused on the output and the evaluation of GIS input work while still considering the conditions of input and if that serves the output in one way or another. Through the connections that emerge through the inputs, my understanding of the main point for GIScience is that this process can then be justified and or contradicted based on its means of implementation. Through the investigation of input relationships, there then is this component of presentation that applies to GIScientists and researchers for which the diffusion of accessibly interpreted results is the goal. I think the increasing understanding of the importance of social influence on GIScience and GISsystems is vital in a world that is progressively dictated by the current society and its direction. 

GIS application 1:

I’ve always been interested in sharks and their behavior as the apex predator of the oceans. I’ve also had experience tagging sharks when I was younger and I did research on the shark sanctuary conflict in the Maldives last year. There are various sites that show the movement of sharks along with other ocean ecosystem indicator species. GPS is used in terms of pinpointing shark locations and data is transmitted from the tag to a satellite. GIS is also used and like we read in the reading GPS and GIS are utilized by combining GPS with GIS. I found this one site  that centers a non profit working to expel data that has been unattained or unexplored in an effort to assist scientists and other sectors like education and policymaking. 

Tracking, M.-W. (n.d.). Ocearch Shark tracker. Retrieved from https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/

While in this first display, GPS is largely at play, the next depiction from the same organization shows more clearly their implementation of GIS to go beyond a location and explore spatial patterns and relationships across layers:

https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/

GIS application 2:

For my interest in politics and government I wanted to look into the role of GIS in politics, particularly elections. I found a really cool study done by Harvard University that investigated how GIS can assist in understanding the conditions of elections and how things like jurisdictional complexities impact elections and the people at the core of these processes.  

The role of GIS in Fair and transparent elections: Data-Smart City Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/role-gis-fair-and-transparent-elections

 

Hello everyone! My name is Bret Becker, and I am a junior at Ohio Wesleyan. I am a physics and environmental science double major with a minor in social justice. I love to play sports and be outside. Also, you might see me working at the Pulp right off campus if you ever stop in. I’ll just mention that I took the quiz right here because I’m not sure where else to.

While reading chapter one from Schuurman, I learned a lot more about the history of GIS and how it is continuing to evolve. The wide variety of uses for GIS were fascinating to read about, and it was interesting to learn about the disputes among geographers about GIS. A large part of the text discussed the distinction between understanding the potential uses for GIS and understanding how GISystems work. GIS started to develop in the 1960s with Ian McHarg and his goal to develop the optimal route for a highway. McHarg’s work paved the way for the development of spatial analysis, and spatial analysis being done on the computer was undervalued until Harold McCarty and William Garrison started to pioneer it, later followed by the formation of computerized cartography systems in Canada by Roger Tomlinson and Lee Pratt. As GIS has continued to evolve, it has been understood to form into two different categories: GISystems and GIScience. GISystems focuses on the actual systems developed whereas GIScience focuses on how these systems work. GIS can be used for a wide variety of things, like food production and even e-commerce as mentioned in the book. But GIScience is an important part of making sure the systems work properly and without bias. It is important to not what data is collected as well as how it is collected. Not only that, but it is important to note who produces and controls these systems, as well as the potential harms that could become prevalent when it comes to individual data privacy. GIS is an important, new, and emerging tool that can be useful to help us better get visual representations of data to then analyze, but it is also important to make sure we are ethically using and setting these systems up. Schuurman does a good job mixing the hopefulness and power of GIS with the precautionary tones we must have to proceed.

An interesting application of GIS I found in the environmental justice realm was using it to investigate areas of higher noise level and the demographics of people that live there. One study using this method found that a buffer area with high amounts of noise near US Highway 63 had disproportionate amounts of nonwhite and low-income people living there in proportion to the rest of the city.

GIS can also be applied to resource management strategies. This could potentially be used to track water flow and to help fine tune water management in areas.

Sources

Crenganiş, M., L. & Telişcă, M. GIS application in water resources management and environmental engineering, Global Journal on Advances in Pure & Applied Sciences [Online]. 2013, 01, pp 657-664. Available from: http://www.world-education-center.org/index.php/paas

Chakraborty, J., Schweitzer, L.A. and Forkenbrock, D.J. (1999), Using GIS to Assess the Environmental Justice Consequences of Transportation System Changes. Transactions in GIS, 3: 239-258. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9671.00020

My name is Hannah Wagner and I am a sophomore majoring in environmental science.

I first took the syllabus quiz and then read the text which was an introduction to GIS and its history as well as its uses. I found this whole reading to be very interesting and educating because I wasn’t really sure what GIS was and what it was used for. I understood the basics more when it was explained that in the past Ian McHarg had layered tracing paper with different parts of the landscape in order to see where a highway would cause the least amount of disturbance to the environment. I assumed GIS was just simple maps but I was unaware of the “layering” that gives much more data about the location. I was shocked to learn how many industries use GIS to make spatial decisions, especially when those decisions affect everyday life. I was really interested in learning how business farmers were using GIS to decide the best places to plant crops due to their distance to markets and even to understand why a section of crops may have a disease.  I was also very interested in “the two faces of GIS”, GISystems and GIScience.  I understood it as GISystems is straight forward, the process of gathering data, inputting it, analyzing it, and creating a map all with the given technology. GIScience is the side that questions the technology and digs deeper to find the best ways to represent data. I appreciate the GIScience side that doesn’t blindly trust the code to create the best and most accurate representation. I also found it very interesting that people can perceive information from visual displays easier than a data set or table. This makes total sense to me because I can understand data much better when it is visual and it can help me connect relationships between data much easier.

I have always been interested in agriculture and its relationship to the environment so I was excited to find a map related to agriculture.  I found a website showing lots of different ways GIS is used in precision agriculture mapping.  I picked a map that assesses vegetation.

https://www.satimagingcorp.com/services/geographic-information-systems/gis-maps-agriculture-mapping/

I also looked up GIS application in air quality and found a pretty neat visual that combined different data.

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-living-atlas/health/air-quality-aware

Hello, My name is Cooper Gensler and I am a sophomore, majoring in Environmental science and Geography

After taking the syllabus quiz, I completed the reading where I learned all about what GIS is and how it is being used to learn more about the physical world and its various implications. I found it very interesting how GIS is used by many different companies or people to find out different information using the same processes. One of the first recorded uses of GIS was in 1962 as it was used as a method to process cartographic information and then analyze said information. It was originally used by Ian McHarg who was constructing a highway and wanted to make it so it would be the least disruptful to the natural environment. McHarg did not use a computer as he layered pieces of tracing paper with sections such as housing, forests, and valleys on those papers. With this, he could effectively trace the path for a highway while successfully limiting the amount of wildlife that was misplaced. Learning about GIscience and GISystems was really neat. GIScience is primarily the computer based side of GIS as it describes why certain processes occur using justification and theoretical bases. This is opposed to GISystems which use processes to get a certain output. GISystems is what we as students are being taught and is more accessible to every day use. Overall both sides of GIS are incredibly important to how information is processed. GIS in general is a very powerful tool in how information is visualized across many different systems of earth. It can help convey information that can display how different parts of the earth are connected.

 

in this map, ARCGIS is used to display the distribution of fish species in the Western US. I thought that this was a very helpful and insightful graphic that shows information that would be helpful to someone who is a marine biologist or an adjacent field.

 

Hello, I am Sophie Buco, and I am a 2nd-year student, and I am majoring in zoology and environmental science. I also did the reading and quiz.

This first reading discusses how we use GIS in our everyday life even if we do not know it. Also the history about GIS, how it went from analog to computers. Some of the history includes how the GIS required massive physical and human resources to run. It also discusses how spatial analysis is different from mapping because it generates more knowledge and information. Mapping, though, shows geological data in visual forms. Even though the GIS was helpful when it first came out, it still was only recognized by a few people even with the analysis capabilities. This technology was generally referred to as “computerized cartography.” Because of this, GIS made a very unfortunate showing. The use of the GIS was not only in computers; it was used in coding for the census in the United States in 1890. These are only a few things about the GIS system that were talked about in this reading.

One interesting use I found for the GIS application is the behavior of sharks and how they interact with the environment around them. The reason I find this interesting is that I like to learn about how different shark species interact with the living organisms around them. Like how some sharks let certain fish stay with them to eat certain organisms off of them. The reason why GIS is so important to this is that it allows scientists to track the sharks. That allows them to learn about migration habits, feeding habits, environmental correlations, vulnerability and conservation, and so much more. (“Gemini”). Another source also says that sharks are important because they allow humans to learn about the climate and health of our oceans (Nicolas).

Hello. My name is Ben Lindley and I am a sophomore. Unfortunately I don’t really have any good pictures of me so this is the best I could do.

One thing I found interesting about the reading is that GIS is used in everyday life. It affects millions of people in a number of ways. What we eat and where it comes from as well as how we get to certain places all rely on GIS. GIS is also very important with urban life. I also found it interesting that GIS is not only rooted in computer labs in the mid twentieth century. There have been attempts made in the nineteenth century to automate calculations for example in the 1890 census. The reading also gives a good visual about the cholera outbreak in London in 1854. Because of this Dr John Snow was able to make the connection between water pumps and the spread of cholera. I googled GIS applications on navigation and found out that GIS enhances navigation in many ways. One big example of GIS in navigation is Google Maps. It helps with mapping and visualization. GIS excels at creating interactive maps. It also helps with urban planning and management to analyze traffic patterns, identify congestion points, and optimize transportation infrastructure. This contributes to smoother traffic flow and improved public transportation efficiency. One thing that surprised me the most was that GIS is used in drone navigation. I also googled GIS Applications in Cleveland and found that GIS is used in neighborhood planning and zoning. Here is a map on clevelandohio.gov website.

https://data.clevelandohio.gov/apps/f15dec13ee6648bcb218d4f5c8290691/explore

Hello my name is Braden Saeler. I am a junior majoring in environmental studies. I am from St Marys Ohio.

 

I have taken the syllabus quiz.  GIS is a very complex tool used by many for a variety of reasons ranging from being used by say archeologists to find potential dig sites. Compared to say Starbucks and potentially other large businesses using it to find the best place to put one of the buildings.  Specifically seen when talking about its inspiration and founding when maps were stacked to help show the best path of travel through terrain. Which also shows another way for it to be used showing that GIS doesn’t have its own identity but rather the intent behinds its use.  It has also greatly shown to be advanced and separating itself from simple mapping by producing a myriad of information. By being able to show elevations and land shaping as well as other details such as flora and fauna giving a much better look into what is truly there. The most important note I have read about however is what GIS can stand for. In the sense of geographical information systems commonly referred to as the Black Box.  This pertains to any and all systems including code, computers, hardware, and software.  Which is different compared to the science or GIScience as referred to in the text. I believe the separation of the two is an interesting take but possibly necessary to bring forth the thought of how for instance the spatial density of poverty in a city is computed instead of simply going along with this computer just makes everything accurate. As well as, asking questions  such as how a certain model holds up in another environments as used in the text how a hydrological model would hold up in a glacial biome compared to the wetlands it was used in. Overall a very interesting read in how GIS has come to be and how it has influenced so much of our lives without us even realizing it.

The first example of GIS I looked into would be Ash trees which I have been very interested about especially with how few healthy trees are left after facing an invasive species (the emerald ash borer).  I used Gemini to search for GIS what was provided was it mentioned how invaluable GIS is for species like the Ash trees found naturally in America in tracking previous sightings with the Emerald Ash Borer or EAB. With first being able to map out all Ash trees in a given location. Then providing extremely specific details on said trees for example exact measurements of the tree, if its health, previous treatment, and signs of epicormic shoots or signs of stress in any or all of the trees.  This further proves to be invaluable by being able to easily determine the risk factor of any of the trees to help contain the beetle. Allowing the correct response to be taken to either help or contain said trees in any given area.

https://apnews.com/article/f1e4351ae7f64bc7b278a4e3a533172a

Another study I found interesting using GIS was conducted on something called food deserts. Which is where an area of people have little to no access to fresh or general foods for homes. The study highlighted how covid had truly shown how prevalent these areas are restricting homes availability so good nutritious meals or just in general food to keep stocked at home. They used GIS to help map these food deserts and show how we as a society have left something so detrimental to small communities and impoverish households to run rampant.

Using Local Knowledge to Better Map Food Deserts

Hello! My name is Ava Johnson, and I am a senior majoring in East Asian Studies. I have no computer science or environmental sciences major or minor . I just had a fun time taking the second module of this course a year ago and figured I would do it again, just in reverse order!

Here are two pictures of me because I thought the first one was hilarious. My friends that I had made while studying abroad in Japan and we decided to go on a 3am convenience store run, just because. Second picture is me in my dorm residence bathroom (was a great place for selfies lol).

Taking this course after taking the second module first a year ago is a bit entertaining and funny to me now that I really think about it. Having said that, it was interesting reading the first chapter, along with taking the syllabus quiz, as I began reflecting on everything I have already learned and applying that to this course as well. Starting off, the chapter was pretty straightforward in terms of  a clear and concise introduction of the overview of the history of GIS and the different transformations it has made over the years. As I learned last year, yet still touched upon in this chapter, GIS is a lot more than maps or charts, and can allow for creativity to run wild once you truly become comfortable with the applications and layers. It was really cool to see so many large corporations, businesses and even states, counties and cities that utilize GIS in different ways. For example, here in Delaware, OH, different snow and ice area priorities are mapped using functions on GIS, along with climate patterns in completely separate areas around the world.

 

Application 1: I wanted to look at the different areas in Delaware, OH, where snow and ice removal have higher priorities as everyone can become more agitated once snowfall occurs with either how quickly or rather, not quick enough, snow removal comes through in different areas.

https://codgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/minimalist/index.html?appid=6e24626fa5544073b7d93b2676ce1aac

 

Application 2: I took a look at World BioClimates that factored influence of distribution of plants and animals

 

https://climate-arcgis-content.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/5826b14592ab4ebc99574919165bd860/explore?location=0.017175%2C0.000000%2C1.69

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Hektor and I’m a senior (sort of) (returning after some time off) double majoring in Fine Arts and Environmental Studies. My art education here is  mostly in jewelry/metals but we don’t have that now so I’m doing photography and crocheting on the side. As for the environment I’m interested in the social science of how culture leads us to impact the world, especially with our attitudes towards plants. I have an interest in invasive plants and what we define as “weeds” as well. I don’t have a good full body picture right now and I’m always changing up my hair and whatnot so I just have a selfie for now!

I took the quiz and it was fine, and then read the reading, which answered some of my questions and raised others. First of all I was confused as to how GIS even worked but the description of the pre-computer layered maps with tissue paper made it make more sense to me. Right off the bat the chapter mentions Starbucks using GIS and I have to imagine that most other companies with any kind of multiple locations would use it to track the most profitable locations as well, and controlling the flow of money is social control from monopolies (even, maybe especially from a coffee shop). I wonder how much the use of GIS for things like tracking property values, education, and crime is used to either uphold or fight against housing and education discrimination. One other thing I thought about a lot was the manipulation of data. You can have hard statistics that say one thing, but by organizing them a certain way in an infographic or a GIS layer you can make someone believe the opposite. Making data intuitive to people who don’t have a background in statistics can be a blessing or a curse if that data is manipulated by the wrong people. Another thing the chapter touched on were the two fundamental problems in science: some information is nearly impossible to make into quantitative data, and of course, no scientists can agree on anything. GIS begins to tackle the first problem in my opinion because by combining multiple layers of things like pollution, nature spaces, and health records, one could determine the overall health of a community in a more “human” way. Of course, if you have numbers to combine, you can make a numerical score to define that health that more people are likely to agree upon.

As I mentioned I’m interested in invasive plants and how they spread, and the density and spread of invasive plants is a good indicator of the overall health of a natural environment. I live in Columbus, which has a lot of urban forest spaces that unfortunately have a problem with several invasive species, especially honeysuckle. I grew up hanging out in the forests by the river, so I found an Inaturalist map of my neighborhood (because I also love the idea of crowdsourced spatial analysis) and an article about the spread of honeysuckle as well.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&subview=map&taxon_id=82342

Invasive Honeysuckles and Birds. (2023, November 28). Ohio Birds and Biodiversity. August 22, 2025, https://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2023/11/invasive-honeysuckles-and-birds.html