Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

Payne Week 1 

Hello my name is Jack Payne and I am a senior here at OWU, I also took GEOG 291. 

I have access to ARCGIS online from 291 

Under My Esri I found articles under the infrastructure tab about various uses of the site and upcoming events and what not in those areas. Under my settings I found and area where you can change your units between standard and metric. 

Working through the introduction to ARCGIS online I found the map viewer section and read through it which reminded me of the little bit of work we did with it during GEOG 291. While clicking through the other side tabs I found it interesting how many interactive options there are in ARCGIS online and how many coding options there are, which I did not entirely understand as I have never coded before, but it was still interesting to rear through. 

Doing the Online basics training I learned about how to share maps depending on who your audience is going to be and I also found out about 2D and 3D visualization tools for these maps. I found it surprisingly simple to navigate through this course and the map creation segment. 

GTKWGIS Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1

This chapter reviewed the basic concepts of Web GIS and ESRI, its importance and the building blocks to it.

Web GIS is a combination of the web and geographic information systems. Since the first GIS was developed in the 1960s, it has evolved from a local file-based computer system to multiple servers. The web offers global reach using web technologies such as JavaScript, Web Graphics Library, Websocket, etc.  It also serves a significant purpose in our society, particularly in areas such as our government, businesses, scientific advancements, and daily life.

There are multiple patterns of Web GIS applications, such as: Mapping and visualization, data management, field mobility, monitoring, analytics, designs and planning, decision support, constituent engagement, sharing, and collaboration.

Web GIS is able to perform its capabilities thanks to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, acting as software that the web can use from its multitude of hosts and platforms. These represent the new-generation of Web GIS, where users can search, discover, and use the layers, maps, and apps on desktops, in web browsers, and on mobile devices anywhere, anytime. Web GIS also provides the privilege to create and join groups, share content items containing data, and content items that have indexed metadata, as well as the option f keep their information private.

There are 5 types of content items: data, layers, tools, web maps + scenes, and apps. Data can be used to publish web layers; web layers can be used to create web maps and web scenes; web maps and scenes, and web tools can be used in apps or to create apps. Apps are what bring Web GIS to life. Bundles of apps are organized by ArcGIS to make it easier for the user.

Basemaps + Operational Layers + Tools = Web GIS map

I learned how to use these components back in GEOG 291 as well. Basemap layers are essentially the context for the app, a 2D or 3D background. Operational layers are simply interactive theme layers; they have a large range of uses. Tools are what perform the tasks beyond the initial mapping, like routing or geocoding. The tutorials in this book teach readers how to build Web GIS apps. One is Attachment Viewer- an instant app template to build an app. It has three main sections: map pane, attachment pane, and feature pop-up pane.

Tutorial 1: Introduces the main attractions in Redlands, California. This tutorial was very tedious, but it taught me a lot about the basics and mechanics of making an app. At times, the tutorial didn’t exactly line up with the app, so I had to guess through a lot, but it was overall fulfilling to see it up and running afterwards! https://owugis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/attachmentviewer/index.html?appid=295da18970b44b6ba2b9d2aed5e6b194

Chapter 2

This chapter goes over smart mapping and storytelling with GIS. It explains web layers and how they are the building blocks of web apps. It also explains feature layers, being web services you can reuse in web maps, scenes, and apps. These will definitely be important to remember for any future projects. Hosted feature layers organize layers of data in ArcGIS- good for visualizing data on top of editing. There are many forms of hosted layers. The chapter also explains how to make your own feature layer from your own data, from an existing template, or even an empty feature, to have full control over each field. Moving on to smart mapping, intelligent defaults are used to allow for various results. It analyzes your data quickly in many ways, suggesting the right defaults when you add layers and change symbolizing fields (for example, a smart map using symbol color and size to show one or two numeric fields).

Storytelling using WebGIS, the experience a user has is extremely important and depends on factors such as how fast, easy, and fun an app is. (“dont make me wait” or “dont make me think about what button to click”).  Another part ot storytelling with Web GIS is the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, and why.  Where is about location, when is about time, and what is about theme.

Maps + Narrative + Multimedia = Story

Tutorial 2 went much smoother for me, especially thanks to tutorial 1. It showed me how to create a Web GIS app that has spatial patterns of US population change, explore the reasons behind the patterns, and share what Ifound with the public using an ArcGIS StoryMaps story. I had no trouble making the feature layer as the geocoding wasnt super new to me. My favorite part was stylizing my layer  as the smart mapping was easy to follow. There was a point where I had to use Arcade, which confused me, it was to make pop-ups but I got lost at some points.  I also appreciated the questions and answers at the end, I used those a lot to fact-check myself.

Chapter 5: Caching and on-premises Web GIS

This chapter goes into a lot of detail about two different types of GIS platforms, which are ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise. We have already learned about ArcGIS Online – which is a large platform managed by Esri – so learning about ArcGIS Enterprise was a new thing for me. This platform allows different organizations to build their own private GIS systems within their own buildings or infrastructures. When organizations do this, it seems like they use it when they need greater security or if they have limited WiFi. I think that is helpful for organizations that do not want their specific data spread out to the world (even though they could keep it private). So that part was a little confusing to me but it’s still neat! There was also a lot of information on how the data can come together and make maps, layers, and applications, especially in the sense of an organization who wishes to keep that information under wraps. 

ArcGIS Enterprise has four main components, and all of those components had different examples at the end of the chapter which was nice! There is a Server, a Data Store, a Portal, and a Web Adaptor. It also included different ways that organizations can include their data and share it with others over the ArcGIS Enterprise Portal. It seems like they are able to improve efficiency and data control when using Enterprise, which would be helpful within a large organization. The chapter also focused a lot on how different web layer types can affect the performance of a GIS platform. I went through a tutorial that demonstrated this. Like we have learned in previous chapters, the layers you use matter for what data you have! The chapter ended with discussing how to create workflows in ArcGIS Pro, something that I think will be helpful for the future. 

 

Chapter 6: Spatiotemporal data and Real-time GIS 

I think this has been my favorite chapter so far, because it relates to real-life situations that GIS can demonstrate and help people visualize. Chapter 6 focuses on how the Web GIS platforms can support real-time data and also a time-based analysis, which is very helpful for understanding weather patterns, traffic interruptions, or even natural disasters. I think that is why this chapter was interesting to me; because I got to learn about and create real examples using GIS! This whole concept is called real-time GIS, and it involves data that is constantly being updated and changed in order for people to visualize current conditions. I think that this application of GIS is so cool and something that more people should be aware of. It is important to note that this is a step up from static maps and how they provide information, because these are always evolving. The examples for this chapter were really neat too!

Chapter 6 goes on with discussing how to interact with different tools and feature layers. There is not one simple map that is not static, it is a whole combination of charts, indicators, and filters that are used to create one large moving demonstration that illustrates patterns and changes. I also noticed that users can configure differences with interactivity, which basically means how the data is displayed to different viewers. The tutorials for this chapter were a little longer than the other ones, but were still useful in helping me understand how to visualize different types of data. ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online are two platforms that help create moving images and datasets, which is neat to me. It just made me wonder how many things in my daily life are made from GIS? It’s cool to think about. The chapter discussed how make the real-time and spatiotemporal data analyses helpful in everyday life and how important they are for keeping up with changes in real time.

Hello! My name is Trin Fry, a sophomore at OWU studying Environmental Science, Zoology, and Philosophy. I was in the GEOG 291 Desktop GIS course during the first half of this semester, so I feel I have a solid foundation for this course. Looking at the ArcGIS Online home page, it seems that there are a lot of different options for visual creation, including ArcGIS Storymapping, which I have personally used before in a water conservation externship. There are also many other tools, such as help and group features, and tools that allow for the publication of final creations. As expected, ArcGIS is advertised in the “Get Started” section as being a useful tool for mapping and data analysis. However, it also lists data collection and collaboration as features of the site, which I find particularly intriguing, especially that of the field work data collection. It looks like GIS programs continue to expand beyond what I thought of as their primary uses.

I found the ESRI ArcGIS introduction course very useful. Even though I have knowledge of the ArcGIS desktop software, the uses and data control of the ArcGIS online and desktop versions are quite different. The desktop version, at least on the surface, as we have not gotten deep into the online version yet, is much more complex than the online version.  I also like the idea of utilizing three-dimensional or topographic mapping as a form of GIS and can see its uses in many case scenarios.  I am excited to explore this programming more and continue to compare it to the teachings of the GEOG 291 course.

Hi, I’m Nicole Cherry, and I’m a first-year environmental science major. I’ve completed 291 and found it to be a bit of a struggle, but I’m excited to begin this section since I won’t have to spend so much time in the GIS lab as I did for the last section. I also completed the quiz for this week’s assignment.

As for the GIS online website, it was interesting to see information from previous sections on different concerns, and, at first glance, it seems easy to navigate. The section regarding floods in Delaware was new information to me, considering I’m a new-ish student here.

As for the  Get started: What is ArcGIS online section I thought it was cool that the first few sections of information was about collaboration and sharing your work with others, essentially public forums or several other options, mostly because I its important to share research information of course and I think moving past 291 which was mostly just followingntutoriala amd lwarning about the program its cool to see that aspect in the 292 section.

Tutorials: It was also really interesting to learn more in-depth in the tutorials about how organizations work and how they’re able to connect and share information with so many different entities. It also seems to be a lot easier to navigate than 291, and at least for me, easier than the ArcGIS Pro system we used previously. Mostly what I liked from the tutorial was just regarding the public accounts and such, and allowing to share so much data across so many fields, it really showed me how versatile and interconnected GIS is.

ArcGIS Online Basics_Certificate_03202026

Initially, I was going to search antifa but I ended up not being able to find any sources that had maps. This is kind of interesting to me because there’s so much emphasis arounf antifa in the political climate right now, even though ( at least from my understanding, it isn’t an actual organization), but on the other hand, the kkk still isn’t considered a terrorist group by our government( which it definitely should be).

I’m also a global scholars student and plan on going to Costa Rica primarily for the biodiversity in the region. I found an article that was also speaking about accurately mapping/representing forest coverage in Costa Rica while also managing the complications of fragmentation.

 

Evaluating Forest Cover and Fragmentation in Costa Rica with a Corrected Global Tree Cover Map

Hi, I’m Akiilah Whitfield, I’m a first-year Environmental Science and Zoology double major, double minoring in Geography and Environmental studies. I have already done GIS 291 and it was a little frustrating, but it’s really cool to be learning these skills and it broadened my love for Geography. In this class I hope to stay more on top of my work so that I’m not constantly rushing to complete my tasks every week.

ArcGIS online organization:  

Online sharing of maps and data is facilitated through different members and can be customized to fit needs.  There are different content types (layers, maps, scenes, apps, files). 

I relearned basics about maps and all of the different functions that are in use both is the ArcGIS database, and also online. 

Map showing data for artificial reefs in a certain plot of water in Texas. This is an interactive map application that is open to the public for viewing and understanding. 

This map shows the flow of spotted lanternfly spreading across the United States. The person who created this map included animations of  lanternflies when you first open the map, alluding to the idea that they aren’t great insects. The map shows that the bugs are spreading across 14 states and counting with every state excluding North Dakota being susceptible to the infestation (due to extremely cold winter conditions)

Alyssa Gregory Week 1

Hey everyone! I’m Alyssa Gregory, and I’m looking forward to continuing my experience with GIS in this course. I have already taken GEOG 291, because of which I already have some familiarity with ArcGIS Online and its user interface. This week, I finished the required tasks which included reviewing the syllabus and schedule and completing the training course. Because of my experience in GEOG 291, navigating ArcGIS Online felt somewhat easy and familiar. Also, while looking through my account, I noticed that the My Profile section can be used to organize and present projects in a more discrete and professional way, which seems important beyond just this class and in the workplace too. I also looked at the Training and Help sections, which showed how learning GIS is an ongoing process, with a wide range of resources available depending on how proficient you are. The reading “What Is ArcGIS Online” reintroduced some ideas I had seen before and also helped clarify the bigger picture within those ideas. One key point is that ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based platform, which makes mapping more accessible and flexible compared to traditional GIS software (so many files to download!). Another important note of ArcGIS Online is its focus on sharing and collaboration. This software shows how maps function not just as tools for analysis, but also as a way to communicate information and connect people.

In addition to looking over the website, I completed the ArcGIS Online Basics training course. This course served as a review, while also providing a deeper knowledge of certain features. In the training, I practiced adding and styling layers. These actions showed how presentation of data can influence how it will be interpreted. The course also emphasized that maps are not neutral, and that design choices play a role in shaping understanding (this idea was presented in various sections throughout GEOG 291.

While looking through other ESRI training options, I found a few that seemed especially useful in the future: Spatial Analysis with ArcGIS Online and Getting Started with Mapping and Visualization. These courses seem like they would help build more advanced skills and a stronger understanding of how GIS can be applied. Exploring GIS applications through Google and Google Scholar showed how widely this technology is used in different fields.

Noise pollution mapping uses GIS to measure and put numbers into visual images. The mapping data will include variation in sound levels throughout different areas. This will be especially clear in cities with heavy traffic or even just a high-density population. These maps help identify high-noise zones and guide decisions like adding sound barriers or planning where to construct roads.  Source: Slabbekoorn, H. (2019). Noise pollution. Current Biology,29(19), R957–R960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.018

 

Indoor GIS focuses on mapping spaces inside buildings like airports, hospitals, and malls, where GPS and the internet doesn’t work well. This helps with navigation and emergency response services. This is done by using detailed floor plans and spatial data.  Source: Li, Y., Kong, N. N., & Hum, K. (2021). Indoor GIS Solution for Space Use Assessment. Papers in Applied Geography, 7(1), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/23754931.2020.1843526 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3: It began with telling us about the ArcGIS Experience Builder, which appears to be an app that is more flexible, configurable, and functional than any other instant ArcGIS app. I did have to read through that a few times just to make sure I had all of the information right, then I noticed that they provided a similar table as they have in previous chapters, which displays all of the features we have learned about so far and compares them, which is really helpful. The chapter went on to describe how we can use code, 2D and 3D maps, and specific widgets to create different types of applications. I personally found this chapter really interesting because I did not know you could do all this on ArcGIS Online! An important thing that I noted was that a web experience has to have one page but can have multiple pages or windows, which are basically the building blocks of the application. I went through some of the examples and was able to play around with the different data, which helped me see how everything was meant to be displayed. 

The chapter continued with more information about the Experience Builder, and gave more tutorials on how to complete tables and maps using Widgets (which I never knew existed outside of the iPhone). Tutorial 3.5 focused on how we can configure the Filter and Chart widgets, which I found very helpful in terms of the applications we were given. This feature seems like it would be helpful for my project! There also seemed to be a lot of data you can use for the ArcGIS Experience Builder, which is cool because we don’t have to be limited in the data we find or what we want to examine. I also really like how they include questions and answers to those questions at the end of the chapter. I was curious about how some code can get embedded but not others, and that helped with my confusion. 

 

Chapter 4: Chapter 4 had a similar introduction as Chapter 3, except they focused on Mobile Gis instead of the ArcGIS Experience Builder. There are three building applications, which are browser based, native based, and hybrid based. This seems really convenient that there is Mobile GIS, and it does not have to be affected by any hard-drives, wires, or set WiFi systems. It seems super easy to use on the go. It also can be used on a bunch of different platforms and devices which is cool! They continued with talking about the different feature layers and how you can add, update, and delete features, and it also talked about how you can define a feature layer in ArcGIS Desktop or Map Viewer in ArcGIS Online. Then the authors defined the different building applications and how they can be used with different coding languages, such as JavaScript/HTML. There are different ways on how you can create a survey using tables and maps. 

Chapter 4 continued with more examples and tutorials! There was also a cool feature in there called ArcGIS Indoors, which is something I never considered that could be used with GIS. I had always assumed that it had to be used outside, but it totally makes sense for indoor use as well. It works with connecting to WiFi and Bluetooth inside specific areas, which allows for people to use it anywhere. I think I would tie this back into my bird breeding ground experiment somehow, and try to make the app useful for indoor use as well. I think I would make it so the locations of buildings or structures near the birds’ breeding grounds appear. I would compare highly occupied breeding grounds to unoccupied breeding grounds and see if the interior of the structures had any similarities or differences. I went through a few of the tutorials to finish up the chapter, and that helped my knowledge on how to work the Mobile GIS. This seems like a really helpful feature to be able to use, especially for using maps, data, and different applications needed in a mobile setting.

Intro: Hello, my name is Alayna Moore. I’m a Sophomore, and I transferred to OWU at the end of my freshman year.  Delaware Ohio is my hometown, so I always wanted to go to OWU. I plan on double-majoring in Biology (B.A) and Environmental Science (B.A). As for a career, I want to spend time in the field doing surveying. I’m interested in working as an environmental consultant or working for a national park. I’m very new to GIS, but I hope it will help me succeed in these fields of work.

As for accessing the WordPress and ArcGIS accounts, I previously completed this in GEOG 291. I also took the quiz.

This week’s work:

         Before exploring my account, I navigated to my profile at the top right corner and added my basic information to my profile as instructed. When clicking on this, I also found the previous projects that I had to create for my last GEOG 291 class. That is why I am somewhat familiar with the website, but still struggle with navigating. I started exploring the website more and eventually found the training tab that took me to the Esri Training courses. These courses look very helpful, so it was nice to figure out they are readily available. 

         Next, I read through “Get Started: What Is ArcGIS Online”. One thing that the reading made clear is that ArcGIS Online is more frequently used as a tool to share information on ArcGIS projects than it is used as a tool for advanced GIS processing. However, being able to create these complex GIS projects means little if you can’t share and communicate the map with its intended audience. ArcGIS Online facilitates this. I also found it interesting that ArcGIS Online integrates multiple tools like data hosting, web app creation, and spatial analysis all in one accessible place. Instead of just focusing on map-making, it supports many avenues of visualization/analysis without requiring us to rely heavily on complex desktop software. 

          I have completed the course “ ArcGIS Online Basics”. I found this course to be a useful way to prepare students to use an unfamiliar website. For example, they introduced how to navigate web maps and use basic tools within ArcGIS Online. The course also described how we can share maps and build web applications, which was a nice refresher, as I remembered sharing one or two applications in ArcGIS Online in GEOG 291.

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   Application 1:  You can use ArcGIS to visually analyze animal habitat distribution. For example, in the map “Endangered Species Critical Habitat Areas” by EPA Geospatial. This map depicts designated habitat data for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Link: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d46156cc921d4b41923c70c280b82458

    Application 2: You can use ArcGIS to designate different types of habitats by importance to their surrounding ecosystem. For example, the map “Key Freshwater Habitats in the Mountain Region of Central Asia” by Evgeny Egidarev. This map depicts key freshwater bodies of water deemed important for the survival of endangered fish endemic to Central Asia. These bodies were identified during a more than two-year-long research project. Link: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cadb59d8d14d43919230947a2cfaa91a

Introduction

Hello, my name is Sam Frary. I’m a senior taking this class in my last semester before graduation. I’m a general zoology major that found out about this class from friends. It sounded interesting, as I’ve never quite interacted with anything like it. I have a lot to learn because I have not taken the first module. On campus, you may see me playing women’s lacrosse or working at the Testing Center!

Beginning Tasks

For this first week, I completed the required activities. This included viewing the syllabus and familiarizing myself with the website for this course. This was followed by the syllabus/course quiz. Continuing to follow the directions, the next step was to schedule some future meetings with Prof. Krygier. From my understanding, these meetings can be in person or on zoom- but I will have to confirm that with Krygier.

Getting Familiar with ArcGIS

Before spring break, I made sure both WordPress and ArcGIS accounts were set up and ready to go for the remaining part of the semester. Now it came time to put the accounts to use. Logging into ArcGIS, I made sure my profile was correct and proceeded to explore the site and its different tabs. I was completely unfamiliar with Esri- or really anything involving geographic information systems. I learned that they are the global market leader in GIS software and mapping. On the “Community and Forums” tab, which displayed a combination of posts, questions, and ideas from the GIS community.

Get Started: What Is ArcGIS Online

It seems like you can do a whole lot with ArcGIS Online, including making maps, web apps, and even notebooks. The introduction tabs split up the learning into working with maps, scenes, apps, notebooks, and data.

ESRI Free Course: ArcGIS Online Basics & More

This was a lot of information to take in, but it also wasn’t super complicated to complete because of the step-by-step instructions. I’m excited to continue using this software to make more maps/explore.

If I were to complete more courses in the training section, “Telling Stories with GIS Maps” seems interesting and up my alley!

GIS Application

Eagles and Wind Turbines: Using Maps to Protect Animals and Increase Renewable Energy Use. This uses GIS application in a way that supports conservation of both living things and energy consumption. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19338341.2022.2117725

Using GIS and Web GIS to Visualize the Canadian Arctic Food System. This article uses Web GIS to show food systems/information of the Canadian Arctic, such as seafood exportation pathways (shown below). https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2323/SKI-Canada-2019-7-1-2.pdf