International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research 

About: International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research is an academic journal published by IGI Global. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Geospatial analysis. It has an ISSN identifier of 1947-9654. Over the lifetime, 264 publications have been published receiving 1709 citations. The journal is also known as: IJAGR & Applied geospatial research.

Sharing Environmental Data through GEOSS

Abstract: Understanding the complexity of earth-system processes is crucial to convey improved information on the environment to decision-makers and the general public. Addressing this need by sharing environmental data is challenging because it requires a common agreed framework that allows easy and seamless integration of data from different sources. In this regard, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) portends major benefits through various sharing mechanisms and by giving access to services that could be linked together to process and generate new understandable knowledge and information. Various United Nations projects could greatly benefit from the GEOSS approach.

An Indigenous Model of a Contested Pacific Herring Fishery in Sitka, Alaska

Abstract: This paper uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis of a historically and culturally modified marine ecosystem to evaluate Pacific herring abundance, declines, vulnerabilities, and future prospects, about which a Native Tribe and state fisheries managers disagree. In 2008, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) requested that an area within its traditional waters be closed to commercial sac roe fishing to protect spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), a key species for Native subsistence and marine ecosystem health. This proposal was opposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), which estimated that adequate biomass was available to accommodate all herring users' needs. The disagreement exposes divisions between the Tribe's and the State's conceptualizations of the status, health, and management priorities for fisheries and marine ecosystems. The Tribe's model is one of cultivated abundance, wherein herring eggs are harvested conservatively and habitat is enhanced to make coastal spawning areas more productive, stable, and resilient. The State's paradigm, in contrast, follows a constitutional mandate to manage fisheries for Maximum Sustained Yield (MSY). A single-species biomass model is used to estimate a “surplus” herring for commercial roe harvesting within management areas. This work analyses and compares the spatiotemporal prescriptions of State and Indigenous models of herring fisheries management as they are used within debates over a closed area (Proposal 239), and assesses their relative potential for improving herring fisheries and marine ecosystem management using a combination of GIS spatial and scientific analysis and traditional ecological knowledge.

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Dengue Fever in Cali, Colombia

Abstract: Dengue fever is an arboviral disease typical of the tropics that can be life-threatening and if not controlled properly may result in an epidemic. The absence of an effective vaccine makes strategies to prevent the virus transmission the most effective means of control. The planning of such strategies, however, is difficult due to the constant movement of individuals and mosquito host (Aedes aegypti). In this paper, the spatial and temporal relations that might exist between infected individuals during a dengue-epidemic year are explored. This research is motivated in that a deep understanding of potential transmission patterns between individuals might lead to a better design and planning of control strategies. A GIS-based Health Exploratory AnaLysis Tool (HELP) is used to compute space-time relationships by means of spatial K-function, kernel density, space-time K-function and linking pairs of cases within significant time and space intervals. Significant clustering was observed at a scale of 50 meters and 750 meters, respectively while temporal significance was determined at two days and five to eight days. While an increase of cases occurs in the months following severe droughts due to an El Nino phenomenon, the location of clusters remains relatively stable. These are observed near areas where potential habitats for the mosquito exist such as storm drains, hard surfaces where water accumulates (e.g., vases, containers), but also in poorer neighborhoods. The results from the spatial analysis provide valuable information for health care managers to take preventive actions at the municipality level.

A Geospatial Analysis of Convective Rainfall Regions Within Tropical Cyclones After Landfall

Abstract: In this article, the author utilizes a GIS to spatially analyze radar reflectivity returns during the 24 hours following 43 tropical cyclone (TC) landfalls. The positions of convective rainfall regions and their areal extent are then examined according to storm intensity, motion, vertical wind shear, time until extratropical transition, time after landfall, and distance from the coastline. As forward velocity increases in conjunction with an extratropical transition, these regions move outward, shift from the right side to the front of the TC, and grow in size. A similar radial shift, but with a decrease in areal extent, occurs as TCs weaken. Further quantification of the shapes of these regions could yield a more spatially accurate assessment of where TCs may produce high rainfall totals.

Exploring Non-Linear Relationships between Landscape and Aquatic Ecological Condition in Southern Wisconsin: A GWR and ANN Approach

Abstract: Recent studies have implied the importance of incorporating configuration metrics into landscape-aquatic ecological integrity research; however few have addressed the needs of spatial data while exploring non-linear relationships. This study investigates spatial dependence of a measure of aquatic ecological condition at two basin scales, and the spatial and non-linear role of landscape in explaining that measure across 92 watersheds in Southern Wisconsin. It hypothesizes that: (1) indicators of ecological condition have different spatial needs at subwatershed and watershed scales; (2) land cover composition, urban configuration, and landscape diversity can explain aquatic ecological integrity differently; and (3) global non-linear analysis improve local spatial statistical techniques for explaining and interpreting landscape impacts on aquatic ecological integrity. Results revealed spatial autocorrelation in the measure of aquatic ecological condition at the HUC-12 subwatershed scale, and artificial neural networks (ANN) were an improvement over geographically weighted regression (GWR) for deciphering complex landscape-aquatic condition relationships.