The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a technology that is used to view and analyze data from a geographic perspective. It links location to information and layers that information to give a better understanding of how it all interrelates. GIS is one of the components of an organization’s information system.
GIS provides tools to interpret data allowing us to see relationships, patterns or trends that are not possible with traditional charts or graphics. RSCN’s researchers always use advanced research methodology and techniques in order to accomplish RSCN’s goals guided by RSCN’s strategic objectives.
Available sources of data include topographic maps, geologic and soil maps, aerial photos, satellite images, and field data using GPS.
RSCN uses GIS to do the following:
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Store Information: The amount of data gathered during ecological baseline surveys and monitoring programs is very huge. Data like the distribution of faunal and floral species, land use, existing infrastructure, and soil types ...etc).
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Analyze Information: GIS provides a set of geoprocessing and analysis tools as well as an intelligent map viewer. GIS allows data (layers and geodatabases) to be overlain, where a user can see the relationships between the different layers by performing simple to more complicated analysis.
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Management: In some cases, one or a few maps can summarize the result of a whole survey. This is especially useful when presenting the results to decision-makers or donors who continuously need to be updated.
GIS also provides guidance for management. In our case, a zoning plan for a certain reserve is produced after overlaying all the available data and examining the existing relationships. Tourism trails, tourism facilities, and grazing schemes can also be planned based on the GIS analysis.