Geography 291: Geospatial Analysis with Desktop GIS

I completed the GEOG 291 quiz and reviewed the syllabus

Hello my name is Elliott Montana and I am a junior here at Ohio Wesleyan. I enjoy swimming on the swim team and going out fishing with my buddies. I am a Biology and Geography dual major hoping to pursue a career in natural resources/wildlife crime prevention. I think that the addition of GIS skills both as a desktop and online application will boost my career success in the field I plan to enter.

I have heard about GIS from several colleagues during my first year here at OWU and felt confused by what exactly it was and how it was used. My first interpretation is that it was solely a device used to make 3D maps. I now see that it is more complex than that and encompasses not just the technology used but also the analysis used to interpret the figures and data collected.

I thought that the idea of GIS being the “clearing of the fuzzy” was an interesting sentiment and made some sense to me. To me this translates to a set of decisions that help us define the distinct patterns that we can sense while viewing spatial objects through a geographic lens ex; what separates a mountain and a hill.

In addition to this I had not realized quite how much GIS is built into all the systems that function in our human society ex: The garbage routes and bike paths mentioned in the text. I had assumed that these processes were carried out by polling methods or simple measurements of distance covered.

I do not believe that my understanding of what GIS is has reached completion(I don’t believe anybody’s understanding of new and evolving things ever reaches 100%) but I think I will gain a better understanding of the concept over the next reading and practical hands-on experience with the technology.

Application 1

A GIS spatial analysis was used for several different factors in projecting habitat suitability for several species of marine fish in the Port Phillip Bay. The catch data was taken by fishing companies in the bay. Parameters measured include depth, substratum and sediment type.

Morris, L., & Ball, D. (2006, January 1). Habitat suitability modelling of economically important fish species with commercial fisheries data. Ices Journal Of Marine Science. Academic.Oup.Com. https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/63/9/1590/696978?utm_source=chatgpt.com&login=true

Application 2

The next study aimed to identify swimming pools within an area using  the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) which works within a GIS system to identify standing water that is constituted as a swimming pool. The purpose of this is to identify places where mosquitoes might be breeding in an effort to combat the spread of the deadly West Nile virus.

APA Style

McFeeters, S. K. (2013). Using the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) within a Geographic Information System to Detect Swimming Pools for Mosquito Abatement: A Practical Approach. Remote Sensing, 5(7), 3544-3561. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs5073544

Part 1

I completed the GEOG 291 quiz and reviewed the syllabus and schedule.

Part 2 Introduction

     My name is Mia Boldman, majoring in Zoology and Environmental Science. I am from Huron, Ohio and I am a junior at Ohio Wesleyan. I am interested in conducting research in national parks focused on conservation efforts tMy name is Mia Boldman, and I am majoring in Zoology and Environmental Science. I am from Huron, Ohio, and I am a junior at Ohio Wesleyan. I am interested in conducting research in national parks focused on conservation efforts to restore wildlife populations. Taking GEOG 291 will help me understand this important resource, which can track environmental changes and provide vital information about ecosystems within protected areas such as national parks. o restore wildlife populations. Taking GEOG 291 will help me understand this important resource, which can track environmental changes and provide vital information about ecosystems within naturally protected areas such as national parks. 

Part 3 Schuurman Ch. 1

     I have heard of geospatial analysis before, but I never knew how many different aspects of life GIS can be useful in. It surprised me that GIS is used in so many different ways, from different kinds of scientists to big corporations such as Starbucks and car companies. Seeing GIS being used by city officials is interesting because GIS provides information on where properties lie in the area, from residential to industrial, and which ones are impacted by construction. This is just one example that shows GIS makes such a big impact today and in our everyday lives.

     I learned that there are three distinctions between GIScience and GISystems. The distinctions between these are very close, and data can be misrepresented. GISystems are processes for outputting data and digital coding, where classification comes at the end. There tends to be some debate regarding what the spatial data shows, which causes heated discussion on what the parameter should be for spatial objects. There is a major disagreement on what boundaries are created between the spatial objects. For instance, the discussion on what the boundary for mountains is a heated conversation for all parties involved because a mountain ranges from small to extremely large, and the boundary can have a small range like up to 1,000 m or a bigger range like up to 5,000 m. On the other hand, GIScience provides the theoretical basis for what is executed. It is also reliant on spatial data, but it refines the boundaries to have equal bearings. All of the boundaries drawn always provide a different result based on levels of aggression.

Part 4 Applications

     GIS applications are used in a variety of ways in conservation. Researchers will use spatial analysis to track the migration patterns of specific species to find new ecosystems around the world. Scientists will use GIS to assist with where and how protective measures are applied in habitats. 

Null. “WCS Canada Story Maps Collection.” ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri, 5 Dec. 2022, storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/557d7b52083349068a747affd5a1420c?item=4.

I have finished the GEOG 291 quiz 😀

Pictured above: me standing atop Marblehead Lighthouse 🙂

Prior to attending OWU, I had not heard of anything beyond surface-level mentions of GIS technology or of classes dedicated to GIS, even within my high school’s environmental science course. My brother, previously a field biology major, was not fond of the geology or geography sides of his major, so I initially had a negative impression of GIS and similar courses. Before completing this reading, I had a very rudimentary understanding of what exactly GIS is and what it can accomplish, especially in interdisciplinary studies of the environment such as environmental architecture or environmental impacts on disease research.

Learning of the history of GIS technology and doing my own research into the quantitative revolution that Schuurman repeatedly describes was incredibly fascinating, especially as I could relate it to my own understanding of technology at the time of the 1950s and 60s (specifically think of NASA’s room-sized IBM computers used during the Apollo missions). Additionally, learning of the unclear history of the preceding technologies that ultimately inspired research and the development of GIS technology was both interesting and largely surprising, as GIS technology has been developed in the modern, recorded era and alongside other technological revolutions, such as personal computers and data storage.

Additionally, I was surprised by the pervasiveness of GIS technology in geographical analysis, especially as Schuurman specifically notes how GIS affects construction, transportation, and recreation to such a high degree. Even as GIS has its limitations with fuzzy boundaries that are difficult to categorize, GIS is still an incredibly important technology into understanding multiple environmental and human-dependent impacts and how these factors interact with one another. I was very intrigued to learn about GIS scientists and their ability to predict certain subjects such as urban growth, with the inclusion of pre-existing GIS data and analysis of the rate of growth or decline in certain factors.

GIS technology can be used to map and understand soil composition and how it may effect an ecosystem. Pictured above is a map of the type of substrate along the bottom of Lake Erie throughout multiple state and international boundaries. Researchers at the Ohio State University analyzed the potential spread of invasive zebra mussels in Lake Erie by modeling the bathymetry and substrate type along the bottom of Lake Erie, using data from both models to predict how the mussels may spread over time.

Haltuch, Melissa A., et al. “Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysis of Ecosystem Invasion: Exotic Mussels in Lake Erie.” https://www.jstor.org/stable/2670637

I read the syllabus and I took the Geog 291 quiz.

My name is Makaylin Bailey. I am a senior double majoring in fine studio arts and environmental studies. I am enrolled in this class because I would like to become more aware and be more educated in the field of modern technology that collects data about our environment.

Before this reading I had heard of GIS but never knew how impactful it is on society. Reading this actually blew my mind because I never realized how much of our everyday lives is controlled by GIS. Everything from healthcare tracking disease outbreaks to corporate businesses and even law enforcement is constantly using this. 

But what really stood out to me, especially looking at it from an art and environmental perspective, is how much the whole point of it has changed. When it first beganIan the man who started the whole “overlay”, was just stacking pieces of tracing paper on top of each other on a table. It was a hands-on, artistic process, and he was doing it to conserve the environment. He wanted to make sure highways wouldn’t bulldoze over forests or ruin wildlife habitats. It was constructed to help humans stop being so destructive. But looking at today’s world, it seems like the purpose of it has completely flipped. Now it just feels extremely commercialized and highly benefits corporations. Instead of saving nature, giant companies just use it to track our digital interest and spy on our buying habits. Just to figure out where to put a new Starbucks or anything else trending on the average consumers list. It went from protecting the environment to mostly fueling giant corporations.

It also made a lot of sense to me why people back in 1988 were arguing and divided over the evolution of computers and GIS. Some geographers wanted the computer to analyze spatial data, but others wanted to print the maps out so humans could then interpret the data for themselves by using their eyes and identifying  patterns using intuition. This is very similar to what modern society is debating right now with AI. It demonstrates that if we aren’t careful, the tech we build to help us understand the world might just end up being used by big corporations to control and monitor us.

This map monitor and tracks areas growing and monitoring milkweed and native plant species as well as the monarch butterfly species withing the documented areas.

Wright, Dr. Dawn. “To Save the Monarch Butterfly: Taking Action with Maps.” Esri, 10 May 2024, www.esri.com/about/newsroom/blog/mapping-to-save-monarchs.

This map has Native American mound location mapped around the USA specifically the midwest to east.

Google My Maps, Google, www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1R2PaO3dIlkDTiJnG2mvYUjzEtsE&shorturl=1&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic&ll=35.97229958940984%2C-85.97012846250001&z=5. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

I read the syllabus and schedule, and I took the Geog 291 quiz!

Hello, my name is Kiley Sisler. I am a current sophomore and I am from Powell, Ohio. I am still currently undecided for my major; I am leaning towards astrophysics and computer science though. I am taking this class because I wanted to add ArcGIS Pro to my resume. Outside of Ohio Wesleyan, I partake in Tang Soo Do, and I am training to get my fourth-degree black belt right now.  

Chapter 1. 

I had never heard of GIS until I attended a career fair last year. I originally thought GIS was just used to map things like plants, forests, the way water flows and ecosystems. GIS originally started out in 1962, when Ian McHarg wanted to build a highway with the least amount of disturbance to everything around it. He used pieces of paper to create layers to find the spot of least disturbance to build the highway. I find it interesting that computerized spatial analysis was not really explored until the early 60’s, because the physical maps were acting as a decoy of the impact spatial analysis could have. 

There are many identities of GIS, GISystems, GIScientists, and GIScience. GISystems are assumed to be true by most of the users. It took a while for a new identity of GIS to be created/found. The next one was GIScience, which is the theoretical basis of GISystems. GIScientists are people that question the models, and if they would work in different scenarios. The work of these GIScientists starts before any of the data is put in digitally as well. GISystems has different processes compared to GIScience, such as classifications, spatial analysis, and digital encoding. Where GIScience has more theoretical bases and justification for these processes. Both GISystems and GIScience are dependent on spatial data. 

The definitions of boundaries are a heated topic, especially when it comes to resources. GIS is now used to help predict future outcomes from previous data. Some of the power that GIS has is from the power it has from visualization. Geographic visualization is both traditional cartography and the ability of expressing physical relationships with spatial data visually. GIS is used in agriculture, finding which crop is best based on the soil tests, and it is also used by the government for tax purposes. I never knew that GIS was used so much and on such a wide scale.  

Application 1

GIS for Carnivorous Plant Distribution & Conservation

Source:  Distribution Map – Carnivorous Plant Database 

Carnivorous plants—such as Drosera, Nepenthes, Sarracenia, and Utricularia—often inhabit nutrient-poor wetlands and highly specific microclimates. GIS helps researchers map species distributions, model habitat suitability, and track environmental changes affecting these sensitive plants. Some key GIS uses for carnivorous plants include mapping global species occurrences, modeling climate, identifying biodiversity hotspots, and helping support conservation planning in threatened wetland ecosystems. 

General GIS applications in environmental monitoring (contextual environmental GIS research)

Application 2

World Resources Institute. “Global Forest Watch.” WRI Data Explorer, World Resources Institute, 2026, https://datasets.wri.org/applications/global-forest-watch-app?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

GIS Application: Monitoring Deforestation

One important application of GIS in deforestation is Global Forest Watch (GFW), an online platform that uses satellite data and interactive maps to monitor changes in forests around the world. GIS allows users to see where trees are being lost and compare forest changes over time. Global Forest Watch can also show information about protected areas, land use, and deforestation alerts. This makes GIS useful for governments, researchers, and conservation organizations because they can identify areas experiencing forest loss and determine where conservation efforts may be needed. For example, a researcher could use the map to examine tree-cover loss in the Amazon rainforest and compare it with roads, protected areas, or agricultural regions. Global Forest Watch provides near-real-time information about where and how forests are changing, making it an important GIS application for monitoring and responding to deforestation.

Hello,

Hello, my Name is Janie (Garcia) Bailey) I am 49 years old. I was born and raised in North West Ohio, a small town called Tedrow. My father is a Texas native American Latino self taught Auto Mechanic and my mother is a Michigan native Farmer and Architect. I attended Pettisville Highschool graduated in 1995. I attended Hocking College and completed a Associates Degree in Applied Science, Wildlife Recreation and Park Ranger Services. I completed OPOTA and worked as a State Park Officer for the ODNR for several years. While in service I was awarded Life Saving Recognition for a ice water Rescue and promoted to Specialist Officer. I left the ODNR to pursue my own business venture as a self employed Taxidermist. My first role at OWU was working for Public Safety. I currently hold a position in Facilities as a Central Receiving Clerk. I am a active outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy hunting, fishing, foraging and low impact camping. I have a small hobby farm where I grow many vegetables, fruits and have a Apiary. I also have cattle, rabbits, chickens and goats which we raise for family consumption. I enjoy the challenge and benefits of being self sustaining. Goal in life is to leave the smallest carbon footprint achievable. I am a Environmental Studies Major

Nadine Schuurman’s book chapter shows how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) quietly power our modern world. It’s easy to think of GIS as just digital mapping or GPS, but it actually touches almost every part of our lives. From showing farmers how to grow crops better to helping cities plan utility lines, track diseases, or decide where to build new stores, GIS works behind the scenes to help people make smart decisions based on location. What makes GIS so neat is how it turns messy lists of data into clear pictures. Schuurman explains how it all started with a simple idea: stacking clear sheets of paper over each other to see how different things on a map overlap—like roads, rivers, and property boundaries. Today, computers do this instantly. Instead of staring at huge spreadsheets of numbers, GIS lets us see patterns on a map, making complicated information easy for anyone to understand. This is huge when it comes to the environmental impact of construction. Building things like highways, housing complexes, or factories can easily damage nature. With GIS, planners can run “what-if”scenariosbefore a single digger moves any dirt. They can stack map layers to see if a new building will pollute a nearby river, destroy local animal habitats, or cause flooding down the road. Instead of fixing environmental mistakes after a project is finished, GIS helps us spot risks ahead of time. It acts as a bridge between human progress and nature, helping us build what we need without destroying the environment around us.

GEOG 291 Quiz Taken

Finished GEOG 291 Quiz!!

Hello! I am Talia Jefferson. I am a sophomore and am majoring in Environmental Science. I love getting outside, taking walks, and watching different shows.

Before reading  Schuurman ch. 1 I was not aware of what GIS was/is. It was a term that I heard a lot last year and yet I never took the time to understand what it meant. When I have thought of GIS, my first thoughts were mapping, and now I know that is only a tiny part of what GIS does.  GIS began as a way for a landscape architect to make the most optimal route for a new highway. It began as a need for innovation and then eventually evolved.

I realized while reading I had heard the term GIS in National Geographic docs. I remember in the vidoes, GIS was used to reconstruct a visual of what land in an area looked like hundreds to thousand years ago. I always found this very interesting and a good use of tech. The visual reconstruction made it so the scientists could start to understand ancient life and practices to enhance our historical knowledge. It is always important to learn and understand the past, especially the parts of ancient history that is still left widely unknown. But this is not the only good GIS can do. The article mentioned GIS success in health, agriculture, development etc…

Gis is used to map an area to then analyze spatial data within location and other descriptions. Which is then used to for urban planning, tracking natural disasters/climate, used for businesses, resource management…all things that are important to help society function efficiently. Before reading this article I did not understand the importance of GIS. It was merely a word I heard from time to time and one I never put my thought into. Now I can appreciate the full extent of GIS and the science behind it while also learning how to use it in this class.

This image represents three main areas that show the analysis of the spatial context of the services for LQBGTIA people that were disproportionately located in areas with less people of color and underrepresented in Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino groups.

Chicago LGBTQ service sites and race/ethnicity. Racial/ethnic data is based on the 2011–2015 American Community Survey estimates and presented at the block group level. ORD, O’Hare International Airport; MDW, Midway International Airport

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This image is a map of the climate in norther Iran. The purpose of the map is to plan for planting and restoration of the endangered lily in the northern part of Iran. More maps were preparied that then were overlaid in GIS software to separate suitable regions for planting vs non-suitable regions for planting. It was found that 19 suitable regions were compatible with the site condition of the species were queried in the GIS.

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I have completed the GEOG 291 Quiz for Week 1

Hello! My name is Payton Beard, and I am a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a zoology major with a chemistry and ENVS minor, in hopes to either work at a zoo or become a vet. I chose to take this class, as it seemed like something interesting that also followed along with my ENVS minor. Outside of class I am a part of the soccer and softball team, so I am always busy.

3)

After reading this article, I learned how important GIS actually is. I had never heard of GIS until coming to OWU, but it is cool to see all of the different companies, and all of the researchers that use GIS in their everyday lives. GIS can be helpful to so many fields due to the fact that it was developed by multiple fields throughout history.  When I first started to search about GIS it really just seemed to me like a bunch of maps that showed random stuff, but after reading this it became apparent to me that it is more than just a map it can show things like transportation or agriculture or even healthcare which is something I would of never expected.

Something I found really interesting in the article is that GIS can be used in decision making all throughout society. GIS can be helpful for planning out cities, where road ways may go (like seen in the beginning of the article), and just how to improve societal ways in general. GIS can really strength society and help display more improvements that could make out world better than it already is. I believe that GIS is a very important part in our world today as it is like a piece of scratch paper where you can continuously make plans until you find the perfect resolution.

Another part of the article I thought was very interesting was how Dr. John Snow was able to use GIS in a way to track the spread of Cholera in London. When I think of a map I think of something that shows landmarks, mountains, or just things like land plots and stuff like that. I would of never thought that you could track the spread of Cholera. Seeing how he was able to track the deaths and the water pumps that the public were using was a major part in him figuring out what was happening and what the relationship the 2 things had. It also helps show that local knowledge mixed with interpretation can be really helpful in figuring out big problems.

4)

Chimpanzees heavily rely on forests, but with deforestation happening in Africa due to it changing for more agriculture, development, and other use the chimps are starting to lose their homes. Not only is this just happening to the chimps any animals that are in this environment are starting to struggle. The main purpose of this study was to find the most sustainable habitats for the chimpanzees in Africa, so that scientists were able to protect their populations more. As seen in the map the yellow represents the historic range that chimpanzees have been able to roam, and the pink represents the current range chimpanzees are about to roam. Just from this picture we are ale to see how much of the land has been taken away for human use, and how dangerous it is getting.

Garrison, Michala. “NASA Scientific Visualization Studio.” NASA, NASA, 13 Sept. 2023, svs.gsfc.nasa.gov

*I have completed the GEOG 291 Quiz for Week1* 

My name is Tomorick Hutto. I am a junior here at OWU, and I am majoring in Politics and Government with a minor in Religion. I chose to enroll in GEOG 291 after becoming interested in a career in urban and regional planning, specifically when it comes to mapping transportation accessibility and seeing how many internships and careers in the field rely on GIS, so taking this course is more of a way for me to build a technical skill that I can use later rather than just taking a course to fulfill a degree requirement. 

After reading Schuurman Ch.1, I found myself to have a better grasp and understanding of what GISystems and GIScience are, the multiple identities the acronym encompasses, as well as how GIS has been used and can be used in each of our daily lives. Prior to reading this chapter, I had a relatively vague understanding of what GIS was and its uses; I knew that planning commissions and other state and local government agencies used GIS software within the planning process to see residential, commercial, and industrial zones and how proposed developments could affect each of those zones and surrounding communities, however, I was not familiar with the uses of GIS software, at least when it came to other private firms such as Starbucks and Sanitation/Dumpster companies as well as even the defining role Geographers and university researchers played in part of developing and utilizing GIS software. 

One of the points I found most interesting throughout the Chapter was when Schuurman brought up how GIScientists study the underlying theories and concepts of what makes GISystems, and even how GIScientists have studied questions about whether GIS software and other technological tools that have been developed for similar uses are inherently gendered, which is a question that I had not even considered prior to reading this chapter. 

Another part of the chapter that I found particularly interesting was when Schuurman touched on the significance of the implementation of e-governance by various federal and provincial governments throughout the world and how e-governance technologies have been used to share information with the public in a much transparent manner which includes allowing private firms to access tax assessment information, survey lines, and other useful public definitions, which can be useful as a means to reduce high levels of corruption in different governments, however, I do also find the arguments of potential data privacy concerns thought provoking and whether there are better alternative methods to address privacy concerns while also still being able to relay important data which has been proven useful for people in various disciplines.

Source 1: Osei, Ernestina, “Identifying Socio-Economic Areas of Concern Towards Inclusion in GIS Hazard Management in Detroit, Michigan.” (2026). Master’s Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice. 3306. DOI: 10.58809/CSVU1038 Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/3306

Figure 9 shows the locations of Fire stations, Police stations, Hospitals, and Grocery stores in Detroit. I found Figure 9 interesting since this particular study examines the spatial distribution of socio-economic vulnerability and accessibility to essential services in Detroit and highlights that when Hazards or other weather crises strike, the lack of grocery stores in parts of Detroit where there could be potential food deserts, make those with lower incomes more susceptible to exposure and sensitive to environmental hazards due to traveling to the grocery store with the proper needs.    

The above map was interesting to me because it uses a Ped shed Gap measurement; basically a way of showing where people can or cannot walk to essential places and then compares that with the percentage of people of color and those with disabilities.  I’ve never seen a map like this before until now and it took me looking at the map more closely as well as the description within the study, which measures the impacts of sidewalks on public transit and accessibility, to understand the relationships better. 

Source 2: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2025.101576

Part 1

*I reviewed the course syllabus and schedule to complete the GEOG 291 Quiz.*

Part 2

Hello! My name is Emma Dahlstrom and I am from Lexington, Kentucky. I am a sophomore this year at Ohio Wesleyan University. Currently, I am a declared Environmental Science Major and intend on eventually double majoring in biology or a related field. Although I do not know exactly what I would like to pursue after school, I have always been interested in working in the field of conservation. I am taking GEOG 291 not only for my major, but also because I have heard so much about GIS and was intrigued to learn more about it. Outside of my classes, I am on the university’s softball team and a member of Women In Stem.

Part 3

Originally I thought that GIS was just used in geography related fields and as a form of mapping. However, upon reading this chapter, I learned that its technology was used for so much more. One area that stood out to me particularly was how heavily it impacts agriculture. Coming from an agricultural based community, it was interesting to learn about all the ways GIS impacts its businesses. I was also surprised to learn that GIS was used in medical settings, planning cities, regulating commerce, e-governance, and so much more.

I also found it interesting the GIS had an identity problem. I was unaware that there are two sides to GIS: the “where”  spatial entities are and the “how” we encode spatial entities and the repercussions of different methods of analysis on answers to geographic questions. This identity problem allowed them to differentiate the important difference of spatial analysis and mapping to me. Spatial analysis is extracting the information from spatial data while mapping represents geographical data in a visual form.

Although I was somewhat familiar with GISystems, I was unaware that there was a second face to GIS called GIScience. I learned that GIS is now widely considered a “black box” system because it has become so widely established that it is simply assumed to be true and justifications are no longer required. However, GIScience was established to research and question the accuracy and underlying assumptions of these systems. This established the point that when using GIS, you must responsibly analyze the data to reach an accurate conclusion.  

Lastly, I found that the ability of GIS to visualize spatial relationships and objects makes interpreting the analytical pattern more accessible. This not only applies to the general public, but also to researchers as well. For example, the chapter details how the visual map of the cholera outbreak in London allowed epidemiologist John Snow to identify the location of the outbreak’s origin. 

Overall, this chapter introduced me to the history of GIS and the vast amount of fields and problems that it impacts in our everyday lives.

Part 4

Source 1:

Owusu‐Sekyere, Adriana, and George Ashiagbor. “Mapping the Paths of Giants: A GIS‐Based Habitat Connectivity Model for Forest Elephant Conservation in a West African Forest Block.” African Journal of Ecology [HOBOKEN], vol. 63, no. 2, no. 70028, Mar. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70028.

The Bia Goaso Forest Block in Ghana is home to a vital population of African forest elephants. Historically, the elephants had more extensive ranges and moved across a broader landscape. However, in recent years the population has been isolated which could cause several biological issues for the species. Through the use of a GIS-based habitat connectivity model, scientists were able to find a strong solution that enables the integration of landscape and ecological data on elephant habitat selection and movement. This map shows the variables influencing the choice of movement for the forest elephants based on proximity to water, land use, elevation, proximity to roads, slope, proximity to community, and terrain ruggedness. In addition, it details a variety of locations in the forest block that are suitable and unsuitable for forest elephants. By taking all of the variables into account and eliminating the unsuitable habitats for elephants, scientists were able to identify core channels and areas for elephant movement. This allows for the protection and maintenance of those pivotal areas for the conservation of the elephant species.

Source 2:

Kucsicsa, Gheorghe, and Cristina Dumitrică. “Spatial Modelling of Deforestation in Romanian Carpathian Mountains Using GIS and Logistic Regression.” Journal of Mountain Science [Heidelberg], vol. 16, no. 5, May 2019, pp. 1005–22, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5053-8.

This study focused on the Carpathian Mountains which is an area of land that is heavily affected by forest loss. The goal of the study was to examine and analyze the various variables of deforestation in the area and to model the probability of deforestation through the use of GIS. This map displays the difference in forest coverage between 1990 and 2012. In the combined map, the persistent forest coverage stayed green, while the areas affected by deforestation were represented by red. This provides a clear visual of the affected areas. The map also sections off the area into four parts. This displays which parts of the mountains were being most affected by deforestation. By doing this, the scientists were able to identify the variables and their significance in the area. Understanding the driving forces of deforestation in affected areas allows conservationists to adopt appropriate policies and decisions in forest management and conservation.