Ray Drapek, Matt Gregory, Dave Hockman-Wert, Luca Moiana, Keith Olsen, Dirk Pflugmacher, Theresa Valentine, Ken Vance-Borland, Terralyn Vandetta, John Wells
We present a software framework for running the Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN) method for predictive vegetation mapping (Ohmann and Gregory, 2002). GNN applies direct gradient analysis and nearest-neighbor imputation to ascribe detailed ground attributes of vegetation to each pixel in a digital landscape map. To do this, GNN integrates vegetation measurements from regional grids of field plots, mapped environmental data, and Landsat TM imagery. In the resulting vegetation map, multiple vegetation attributes are represented as continuous variables that can be classified and queried to address a variety of objectives.
Matt Gregory received a Certificate of Achievement for his presentation.
DOQ Framework Meeting in Salem:
Theresa attended, reporting that color 1-m resolution orthophotos of Oregon will be flown in the summer of 2005, and should be available about six months later. There will also be less rigorous (2-m resolution), more frequent flights/photography ongoing starting later this year. USDA Farm Service Agency is leading the effort, but they would appreciate partnerships, especially partners with money. They are thinking about what might be possible in terms of imagery-related partnering.
OSU GIS user group meeting, Wilkinson 108 at 3pm.
John Sharrad from ESRI was going to talk about ArcGIS 9, and the group was going to talk about starting a new OSU GIS user group that would involve non-Forestry personnel (since SDMG already exists). Sharrad was also going to give a demonstration of modeling in Arc9 at noon in Peavy.
GIS in Action, May 11-13:
There will be a natural resources session, although the contents of the session have not yet been revealed.
ESRI Conference August 9-13 (ESRI Conservation GIS focus-August 10-12)
State GIS Project Leaders Group visit to SDMG?
Theresa sent an invitation to the group to attend one of our meetings. Thus far, she has received no response. She'll send another note.
April 29th, 10-12 Richardson 203, Introduction to ArcGIS for Experienced GIS folks.
Statistical Issues associated with GIS: Spring term course with Lisa Ganio - The word is it's full. Many people expressed interest in having Lisa present to us what kinds of things were discussed in the class (after the term is over).
No word on when it is coming, although it should be soon.
This nearly-obsolete software is still on the Unix machines, but Theresa was wondering whether anyone was still using it. Ray does use it, and may use a function that is not available in Arc 8.x. Steve Garman definitely had a function for his modeling that was only available in Arc 7.2. Ray will check into whether he still requires 7.2, and if not, it can be removed.
Terralyn has implemented the requirement that someone sending a message to FORGIS must be a member of the list. This has blocked six or seven spam messages since the March meeting.
Network Engineering announced that a new fiber-optic line (dark fiber - i.e., exclusive use) is being put in along the Willamette River from Corvallis to Albany to serve as OSU's high-speed connection. They are checking to see whether any researchers would like to use the existing line as a streamside data collection/monitoring site. This opportunity would make it possible to put in data sensors that are directly tied to the OSU network. A follow-up email indicated that the line runs along the Willamette River all the way from Cottage Grove to Portland. See the NEPTUNE page for an example of how this could work.
Terralyn and Theresa attended Toshimi Minoura's computer science talk about a web mapping application that he put together, linking relational databases with GIS. He used all Open Source software, including Mapserver, to make his application.
Dave talked about working on developing personal geodatabases, and would be interested in talking to anyone else forging into this realm. He is using geodatabases for a landscape modeling project that is a collaboration between BLM Coos Bay District and the Cooperative Forest Ecosystem Research (CFER) program here at the College of Forestry. The modeling software includes VDDT (Vegetation Dynamics Development Tool) and TELSA (Tool for Exploratory Landscape Scenario Analyses).
Ken mentioned a lower-cost GIS software package, Manifold GIS , that could be an alternative to ESRI products for those who can't afford ArcGIS.
Ray said that his group's fire forecasts are going to be available on the Web. They presented the forecasts to a fire modeler's gathering not long ago.
John Wells is doing a model of the spread of invasive species. He's also using a personal geodatabase.
Terralyn got rid of the old supercomputer (CRAY). Corvallis Disposal came to scrap the 800 pound beast whose service contract had ended.
Theresa said that PNW recently received funding to prepare spatial datasets for USFS experimental forests around the U.S.
May 6: Matt Doggett on a mapserver application.
June 10: Denis White at EPA (will be invited)