Have you ever wanted to create your own maps, or integrate and visualize spatial datasets to examine changes in trends between locations and over time? Follow along with these training tutorials on QGIS, an open source geographic information system (GIS) and learn key concepts, procedures and skills for performing common GIS tasks – such as creating maps, as well as joining, overlaying and visualizing spatial datasets. These tutorials are geared towards new GIS users. We’ll start with foundational concepts, and build towards more advanced topics throughout – demonstrating how with a few relatively easy steps you can get quite a lot out of GIS. You can then extend these skills to datasets of thematic relevance to you in addressing tasks faced in your day-to-day work.

In this course, you will explore a variety of open-source technologies for working with geosptial data, performing spatial analysis, and undertaking general data science. The first component of the class focuses on the use of QGIS and associated technologies (GDAL, PROJ, GRASS, SAGA, and Orfeo Toolbox). The second component of the class introduces Python and associated open-source libraries and modules (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn, GeoPandas, Rasterio, WhiteboxTools, and Scikit-Learn) used by geospatial scientists and data scientists. We also provide an introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL) for performing table and spatial queries. This course is designed for individuals that have a background in GIS, such as working in the ArcGIS environment, but no prior experience using open-source software and/or coding. You will be asked to work through a series of lecture modules and videos broken into several topic areas, as outlined below. Fourteen assignments and the required data have been provided as hands-on opportunites to work with data and the discussed technologies and methods. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us. We hope to continue to update and improve this course. This course was produced by West Virginia View (http://www.wvview.org/) with support from AmericaView (https://americaview.org/). This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Grant/Cooperative Agreement No. G18AP00077. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. After completing this course you will be able to: apply QGIS to visualize, query, and analyze vector and raster spatial data. use available resources to further expand your knowledge of open-source technologies. describe and use a variety of open data formats. code in Python at an intermediate-level. read, summarize, visualize, and analyze data using open Python libraries. create spatial predictive models using Python and associated libraries. use SQL to perform table and spatial queries at an intermediate-level.

Students learn about the importance of good data management and begin to explore QGIS and RStudio for spatial analysis purposes. Students will explore National Land Cover Database raster data and made-up vector point data on both platforms.

This is a link to the QGIS website where you can download open-source GIS software for viewing, analyzing and manipulating geodata like our downloadable shapefiles.

Dataset contains training material on using open source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to improve protected area planning and management from a workshop that was conducted on October 19-23, 2020. Specifically, the dataset contains lectures on GIS fundamentals, QGIS 3.x, and global positioning system (GPS), as well as country-specific datasets and a workbook containing exercises for viewing data, editing/creating datasets, and creating map products in QGIS. Supplemental videos that narrate a step-by-step recap and overview of these processes are found in the Related Content section of this dataset.

Funding for this workshop and material was funded by the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme. The BIOPAMA programme is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the European Union's 11th European Development Fund. BIOPAMA is jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature {IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC). In the Pacific region, BIOPAMA is implemented by IUCN's Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The overall objective of the BIOPAMA programme is to contribute to improving the long-term conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources in the Pacific ACP region in protected areas and surrounding communities through better use and monitoring of information and capacity development on management and governance.

Dataset contains training material on using open source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to improve protected area planning and management from workshops that were conducted on February 19-21 and October 6-7, 2020. Specifically, the dataset contains lectures on GIS fundamentals, QGIS 3.x, and global positioning system (GPS), as well as country-specific datasets and a workbook containing exercises for viewing data, editing/creating datasets, and creating map products in QGIS. Supplemental videos that narrate a step-by-step recap and overview of these processes are found in the Related Content section of this dataset.

Funding for this workshop and material was funded by the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme. The BIOPAMA programme is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the European Union's 11th European Development Fund. BIOPAMA is jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature {IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC). In the Pacific region, BIOPAMA is implemented by IUCN's Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The overall objective of the BIOPAMA programme is to contribute to improving the long-term conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources in the Pacific ACP region in protected areas and surrounding communities through better use and monitoring of information and capacity development on management and governance.

ArcGIS tool and tutorial to convert the shapefiles into network format. The latest version of the tool is available at http://csun.uic.edu/codes/GISF2E.htmlUpdate: we now have added QGIS and python tools. To download them and learn more, visit http://csun.uic.edu/codes/GISF2E.htmlPlease cite: Karduni,A., Kermanshah, A., and Derrible, S., 2016, "A protocol to convert spatial polyline data to network formats and applications to world urban road networks", Scientific Data, 3:160046, Available at http://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201646

The Los Angeles County Storm Drain System is a geometric network model representing the storm drain infrastructure within Los Angeles County. The long term goal of this network is to seamlessly integrate the countywide drainage infrastructure, regardless of ownership or jurisdiction. Current uses by the Department of Public Works (DPW) include asset inventory, operational maintenance, and compliance with environmental regulations.

GIS DATA DOWNLOADS: (More information is in the table below)

File geodatabase: A limited set of feature classes comprise the majority of this geometric network. These nine feature classes are available in one file geodatabase (.gdb). ArcMap versions compatible with the .gdb are 10.1 and later. Read-only access is provided by the open-source software QGIS. Instructions on opening a .gdb file are available here, and a QGIS plugin can be downloaded here.

Acronyms and Definitions (pdf) are provided to better understand terms used.

ONLINE VIEWING: Use your PC’s browser to search for drains by street address or drain name and download engineering drawings. The Web Viewer link is: https://dpw.lacounty.gov/fcd/stormdrain/

MOBILE GIS: This storm drain system can also be viewed on mobile devices as well as your PC via ArcGIS Online. (As-built plans are not available with this mobile option.)

More About these Downloads All data added or updated by Public Works is contained in nine feature classes, with definitions listed below. The file geodatabase (.gdb) download contains these eleven feature classes without network connectivity. Feature classes include attributes with unabbreviated field names and domains.

ArcMap versions compatible with the .gdb are 10.1 and later.

Feature Class Download Description

CatchBasin In .gdb Catch basins collect urban runoff from gutters

Culvert In .gdb A relatively short conduit that conveys storm water runoff underneath a road or embankment. Typical materials include reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and corrugated metal pipe (CMP). Typical shapes are circular, rectangular, elliptical, or arched.

ForceMain In .gdb Force mains carry stormwater uphill from pump stations into gravity mains and open channels.

GravityMain In .gdb Underground pipes and channels.

LateralLine In .gdb Laterals connect catch basins to underground gravity mains or open channels.

MaintenanceHole In .gdb The top opening to an underground gravity main used for inspection and maintenance.

NaturalDrainage In .gdb Streams and rivers that flow through natural creek beds

OpenChannel In .gdb Concrete lined stormwater channels.

PumpStation In .gdb Where terrain causes accumulation, lift stations are used to pump stormwater to where it can once again flow towards the ocean

Data Field Descriptions

Most of the feature classes in this storm drain geometric network share the same GIS table schema. Only the most critical attributes are listed here per LACFCD operations.

Attribute Description

ASBDATE The date the design plans were approved “as-built” or accepted as “final records”.

CROSS_SECTIN_SHAPE The cross-sectional shape of the pipe or channel. Examples include round, square, trapezoidal, arch, etc.

DIAMETER_HEIGHT The diameter of a round pipe or the height of an underground box or open channel.

DWGNO Drain Plan Drawing Number per LACFCD Nomenclature

EQNUM Asset No. assigned by the Department of Public Works’ (in Maximo Database).

MAINTAINED_BY Identifies, to the best of LAFCD’s knowledge, the agency responsible for maintaining the structure.

MOD_DATE Date the GIS features were last modified.

NAME Name of the individual drainage infrastructure.

OWNER Agency that owns the drainage infrastructure in question.

Q_DESIGN The peak storm water runoff used for the design of the drainage infrastructure.

SOFT_BOTTOM For open channels, indicates whether the channel invert is in its natural state (not lined).

SUBTYPE Most feature classes in this drainage geometric nature contain multiple subtypes.

UPDATED_BY The person who last updated the GIS feature.

WIDTH Width of a channel in feet.

The Digital Geologic-GIS Map of Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado is composed of GIS data layers and GIS tables, and is available in the following GRI-supported GIS data formats: 1.) an ESRI file geodatabase (grsa_geology.gdb), a 2.) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) geopackage, and 3.) 2.2 KMZ/KML file for use in Google Earth, however, this format version of the map is limited in data layers presented and in access to GRI ancillary table information. The file geodatabase format is supported with a 1.) ArcGIS Pro 3.X map file (.mapx) file (grsa_geology.mapx) and individual Pro 3.X layer (.lyrx) files (for each GIS data layer). The OGC geopackage is supported with a QGIS project (.qgz) file. Upon request, the GIS data is also available in ESRI shapefile format. Contact Stephanie O'Meara (see contact information below) to acquire the GIS data in these GIS data formats. In addition to the GIS data and supporting GIS files, three additional files comprise a GRI digital geologic-GIS dataset or map: 1.) a readme file (grsa_geology_gis_readme.pdf), 2.) the GRI ancillary map information document (.pdf) file (grsa_geology.pdf) which contains geologic unit descriptions, as well as other ancillary map information and graphics from the source map(s) used by the GRI in the production of the GRI digital geologic-GIS data for the park, and 3.) a user-friendly FAQ PDF version of the metadata (grsa_geology_metadata_faq.pdf). Please read the grsa_geology_gis_readme.pdf for information pertaining to the proper extraction of the GIS data and other map files. Google Earth software is available for free at: https://www.google.com/earth/versions/. QGIS software is available for free at: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/. Users are encouraged to only use the Google Earth data for basic visualization, and to use the GIS data for any type of data analysis or investigation. The data were completed as a component of the Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) program, a National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division funded program that is administered by the NPS Geologic Resources Division (GRD). For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geologic-resources-inventory-products.htm. For more information about the Geologic Resources Inventory Program visit the GRI webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/gri.htm. At the bottom of that webpage is a "Contact Us" link if you need additional information. You may also directly contact the program coordinator, Jason Kenworthy (jason_kenworthy@nps.gov). Source geologic maps and data used to complete this GRI digital dataset were provided by the following: U.S. Geological Survey. Detailed information concerning the sources used and their contribution the GRI product are listed in the Source Citation section(s) of this metadata record (grsa_geology_metadata.txt or grsa_geology_metadata_faq.pdf). Users of this data are cautioned about the locational accuracy of features within this dataset. Based on the source map scale of 1:35,000 and United States National Map Accuracy Standards features are within (horizontally) 17.8 meters or 58.3 feet of their actual location as presented by this dataset. Users of this data should thus not assume the location of features is exactly where they are portrayed in Google Earth, ArcGIS Pro, QGIS or other software used to display this dataset. All GIS and ancillary tables were produced as per the NPS GRI Geology-GIS Geodatabase Data Model v. 2.3. (available at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/gri-geodatabase-model.htm).

Kuwait's arid desert landscape, geological formations, and extreme climate conditions make it a potential site for establishing a terrestrial Mars analog, as this research presents a new GIS-based methodology. The Analog Conjunctive Method (ACM) was specifically developed to identify a suitable location in Kuwait to hold a terrestrial Mars analog using a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. Analogs play a crucial role in simulating different Martian conditions, supporting astronaut training, testing various exploration technologies, and doing different types of scientific research on these environments. The ACM method integrates GIS and remote sensing techniques to evaluate the study area, resulting in potential sites for analog. The analysis employs two stages to finalize the best location. In stage one, the newly developed ACM is applied; it systematically eliminates unstable areas while allowing minimal flexibility for real-world environmental adjustment, particularly in regions with natural wind barriers. ACM is used to process the buffers created for the seven criteria (urban areas and farms, coastal areas, streets, airports, oil fields, natural reserves, and country borders) in QGIS to exclude unsuitable areas. Stage two screens the stage one map locations using different data (STRM, Copernicus sentinel-2, and field visits) to polish the selection based on other criteria (water bodies, dust rate, vegetation cover, and topography). The result shows nine locations in Jal Al-Zor as potential analog sites where a random location is selected for a 3D model creation to visualize the analog. Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing (JMARS) software was used to identify similarities between specific areas, such as the Jal Al-Zor escarpment and Huwaimllyah sand dunes in the Kuwait desert, and comparable terrains on Mars. The research concluded that Jal Al-Zor holds substantial potential as a terrestrial Mars analog site due to its geological and topographical similarities to Martian landscapes. This makes it an ideal location for crew training, Mars equipment testing, and further research in Mars analog studies, providing valuable insights for future planetary exploration.

Dataset contains training material on using open source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to improve protected area planning and management from a workshop that was conducted on August 17-21, 2020. Specifically, the dataset contains lectures on GIS fundamentals, QGIS 3.x, and global positioning system (GPS), as well as country-specific datasets and a workbook containing exercises for viewing data, editing/creating datasets, and creating map products in QGIS. Supplemental videos that narrate a step-by-step recap and overview of these processes are found in the Related Content section of this dataset.

Funding for this workshop and material was funded by the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme. The BIOPAMA programme is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the European Union's 11th European Development Fund. BIOPAMA is jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature {IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC). In the Pacific region, BIOPAMA is implemented by IUCN's Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The overall objective of the BIOPAMA programme is to contribute to improving the long-term conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources in the Pacific ACP region in protected areas and surrounding communities through better use and monitoring of information and capacity development on management and governance.

In this blog I’ll share the workflow and tools used in the GIS part of this analysis. To understand where crashes are occurring, first the dataset had to be mapped. The software of choice in this instance was ArcGIS, though most of the analysis could have been done using QGIS. Heat maps are all the rage, and if you want to make simple heat maps for free and you appreciate good documentation, I recommend the QGIS Heatmap plugin. There are also some great tools in the free open-source program GeoDa for spatial statistics.

The Digital Geomorphic-GIS Map of Gulf Islands National Seashore (5-meter accuracy and 1-foot resolution 2006-2007 mapping), Mississippi and Florida is composed of GIS data layers and GIS tables, and is available in the following GRI-supported GIS data formats: 1.) a 10.1 file geodatabase (guis_geomorphology.gdb), a 2.) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) geopackage, and 3.) 2.2 KMZ/KML file for use in Google Earth, however, this format version of the map is limited in data layers presented and in access to GRI ancillary table information. The file geodatabase format is supported with a 1.) ArcGIS Pro map file (.mapx) file (guis_geomorphology.mapx) and individual Pro layer (.lyrx) files (for each GIS data layer), as well as with a 2.) 10.1 ArcMap (.mxd) map document (guis_geomorphology.mxd) and individual 10.1 layer (.lyr) files (for each GIS data layer). The OGC geopackage is supported with a QGIS project (.qgz) file. Upon request, the GIS data is also available in ESRI 10.1 shapefile format. Contact Stephanie O'Meara (see contact information below) to acquire the GIS data in these GIS data formats. In addition to the GIS data and supporting GIS files, three additional files comprise a GRI digital geologic-GIS dataset or map: 1.) A GIS readme file (guis_geology_gis_readme.pdf), 2.) the GRI ancillary map information document (.pdf) file (guis_geomorphology.pdf) which contains geologic unit descriptions, as well as other ancillary map information and graphics from the source map(s) used by the GRI in the production of the GRI digital geologic-GIS data for the park, and 3.) a user-friendly FAQ PDF version of the metadata (guis_geomorphology_metadata_faq.pdf). Please read the guis_geology_gis_readme.pdf for information pertaining to the proper extraction of the GIS data and other map files. Google Earth software is available for free at: https://www.google.com/earth/versions/. QGIS software is available for free at: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/. Users are encouraged to only use the Google Earth data for basic visualization, and to use the GIS data for any type of data analysis or investigation. The data were completed as a component of the Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) program, a National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division funded program that is administered by the NPS Geologic Resources Division (GRD). For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geologic-resources-inventory-products.htm. For more information about the Geologic Resources Inventory Program visit the GRI webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/gri,htm. At the bottom of that webpage is a "Contact Us" link if you need additional information. You may also directly contact the program coordinator, Jason Kenworthy (jason_kenworthy@nps.gov). Source geologic maps and data used to complete this GRI digital dataset were provided by the following: U.S. Geological Survey. Detailed information concerning the sources used and their contribution the GRI product are listed in the Source Citation section(s) of this metadata record (guis_geomorphology_metadata.txt or guis_geomorphology_metadata_faq.pdf). Users of this data are cautioned about the locational accuracy of features within this dataset. Based on the source map scale of 1:26,000 and United States National Map Accuracy Standards features are within (horizontally) 13.2 meters or 43.3 feet of their actual location as presented by this dataset. Users of this data should thus not assume the location of features is exactly where they are portrayed in Google Earth, ArcGIS, QGIS or other software used to display this dataset. All GIS and ancillary tables were produced as per the NPS GRI Geology-GIS Geodatabase Data Model v. 2.3. (available at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/gri-geodatabase-model.htm).

Tracking an animal's location from video has many applications, from providing information on health and welfare to validating sensor-based technologies. Typically, accurate location estimation from video is achieved using cameras with overhead (top-down) views, but structural and financial limitations may require mounting cameras at other angles. We describe a user-friendly solution to manually extract an animal's location from non-overhead video. Our method uses QGIS, an open-source geographic information system, to: (1) assign facility-based coordinates to pixel coordinates in non-overhead frames; 2) use the referenced coordinates to transform the non-overhead frames to an overhead view; and 3) determine facility-based x, y coordinates of animals from the transformed frames. Using this method, we could determine an object's facility-based x, y coordinates with an accuracy of 0.13 ± 0.09 m (mean ± SD; range: 0.01–0.47 m) when compared to the ground truth (coordinates manually recorded with a laser tape measurer). We demonstrate how this method can be used to answer research questions about space-use behaviors in captive animals, using 6 ewe-lamb pairs housed in a group pen. As predicted, we found that lambs maintained closer proximity to their dam compared to other ewes in the group and lamb-dam range sizes were strongly correlated. However, the distance traveled by lambs and their dams did not correlate, suggesting that activity levels differed within the pair. This method demonstrates how user-friendly, open-source GIS tools can be used to accurately estimate animal location and derive space-use behaviors from non-overhead video frames. This method will expand capacity to obtain spatial data from animals in facilities where it is not possible to mount cameras overhead.

Canopy top height and indicative high carbon stock maps for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. The provided land cover maps follow the high carbon stock approach (HCSA) stratifying vegetation based on the estimated carbon density (aboveground biomass). A deep convolutional neural network was trained to estimate canopy top height from Sentinel-2 optical satellite images using reference data derived from GEDI lidar waveforms. Carbon density and high carbon stock classes were derived from these dense canopy height maps using calibration data from an airborne lidar campaign in Sabah, Borneo. The resulting maps have a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 10 m and are based on images between 1st of September 2020 and 1st of March 2021.

The style files (color_style_HCS.qml, color_style_canopy_top_height.qml) contain the color coding and can be loaded for visualization (e.g. in QGIS).

The indicative HCS maps contain 9 land cover categories noted as "Label: name [colorcode]":

0: Open land (OL) [#440154] 1: Scrub (S) [#404387] 2: Young regenerating forest (YRF) [#29788e] 3: Low density forest (LDF) [#22a884] 4: Medium density forest (MDF) [#7ad251] 5: High density forest (HDF) [#fde725] 10: Oil palm [#fcffa4] 11: Coconut [#a4feff] 50: Urban [#fa0000] 255: No data

Citation: Use of these data require citation of this dataset and the original research articles. These citations are as follows:

Lang, N., Schindler, K., & Wegner, J. D. (2021). High carbon stock mapping at large scale with optical satellite imagery and spaceborne LIDAR. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.07431.

Rodríguez, A. C., D'Aronco, S., Schindler, K., & Wegner, J. D. (2021). Mapping oil palm density at country scale: An active learning approach. Remote Sensing of Environment, 261, 112479.

Lang, N., Rodríguez, A. C., Schindler, K., & Wegner, J. D. (2021). Canopy top height and indicative high carbon stock maps for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines (Version 1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5012448

This dataset contains both large (A0) printable maps of the Torres Strait broken into six overlapping regions, based on a clear sky, clear water composite Sentinel 2 composite imagery and the imagery used to create these maps. These maps show satellite imagery of the region, overlaid with reef and island boundaries and names. Not all features are named, just the more prominent features. This also includes a vector map of Ashmore Reef and Boot Reef in Coral Sea as these were used in the same discussions that these maps were developed for. The map of Ashmore Reef includes the atoll platform, reef boundaries and depth polygons for 5 m and 10 m.

This dataset contains all working files used in the development of these maps. This includes all a copy of all the source datasets and all derived satellite image tiles and QGIS files used to create the maps. This includes cloud free Sentinel 2 composite imagery of the Torres Strait region with alpha blended edges to allow the creation of a smooth high resolution basemap of the region.

The base imagery is similar to the older base imagery dataset: Torres Strait clear sky, clear water Landsat 5 satellite composite (NERP TE 13.1 eAtlas, AIMS, source: NASA).

Most of the imagery in the composite imagery from 2017 - 2021.


Method:
The Sentinel 2 basemap was produced by processing imagery from the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset (01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery in the data download) for the Torres Strait region. The TrueColour imagery for the scenes covering the mapped area were downloaded. Both the reference 1 imagery (R1) and reference 2 imagery (R2) was copied for processing. R1 imagery contains the lowest noise, most cloud free imagery, while R2 contains the next best set of imagery. Both R1 and R2 are typically composite images from multiple dates.

The R2 images were selectively blended using manually created masks with the R1 images. This was done to get the best combination of both images and typically resulted in a reduction in some of the cloud artefacts in the R1 images. The mask creation and previewing of the blending was performed in Photoshop. The created masks were saved in 01-data/R2-R1-masks. To help with the blending of neighbouring images a feathered alpha channel was added to the imagery. The processing of the merging (using the masks) and the creation of the feathered borders on the images was performed using a Python script (src/local/03-merge-R2-R1-images.py) using the Pillow library and GDAL. The neighbouring image blending mask was created by applying a blurring of the original hard image mask. This allowed neighbouring image tiles to merge together.

The imagery and reference datasets (reef boundaries, EEZ) were loaded into QGIS for the creation of the printable maps.

To optimise the matching of the resulting map slight brightness adjustments were applied to each scene tile to match its neighbours. This was done in the setup of each image in QGIS. This adjustment was imperfect as each tile was made from a different combinations of days (to remove clouds) resulting in each scene having a different tonal gradients across the scene then its neighbours. Additionally Sentinel 2 has slight stripes (at 13 degrees off the vertical) due to the swath of each sensor having a slight sensitivity difference. This effect was uncorrected in this imagery.


Single merged composite GeoTiff:
The image tiles with alpha blended edges work well in QGIS, but not in ArcGIS Pro. To allow this imagery to be used across tools that don't support the alpha blending we merged and flattened the tiles into a single large GeoTiff with no alpha channel. This was done by rendering the map created in QGIS into a single large image. This was done in multiple steps to make the process manageable.

The rendered map was cut into twenty 1 x 1 degree georeferenced PNG images using the Atlas feature of QGIS. This process baked in the alpha blending across neighbouring Sentinel 2 scenes. The PNG images were then merged back into a large GeoTiff image using GDAL (via QGIS), removing the alpha channel. The brightness of the image was adjusted so that the darkest pixels in the image were 1, saving the value 0 for nodata masking and the boundary was clipped, using a polygon boundary, to trim off the outer feathering. The image was then optimised for performance by using internal tiling and adding overviews. A full breakdown of these steps is provided in the README.md in the 'Browse and download all data files' link.

The merged final image is available in export\TS_AIMS_Torres Strait-Sentinel-2_Composite.tif.


Source datasets:
Complete Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Island and Reef Feature boundaries including Torres Strait Version 1b (NESP TWQ 3.13, AIMS, TSRA, GBRMPA), https://eatlas.org.au/data/uuid/d2396b2c-68d4-4f4b-aab0-52f7bc4a81f5

Geoscience Australia (2014b), Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Australian Maritime Boundaries 2014a - Geodatabase [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539DFE87D895

Basemap/AU_GA_AMB_2014a/Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014a). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

Geoscience Australia (2014a), Treaties - Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMB) 2014a [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539E01878302
Basemap/AU_GA_Treaties-AMB_2014a/Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014b). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

AIMS Coral Sea Features (2022) - DRAFT
This is a draft version of this dataset. The region for Ashmore and Boot reef was checked. The attributes in these datasets haven't been cleaned up. Note these files should not be considered finalised and are only suitable for maps around Ashmore Reef. Please source an updated version of this dataset for any other purpose.
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Names/Names.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Platform_adj/CS_Platform.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Reef_Boundaries_adj/CS_Reef_Boundaries.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth5m_Coral-Sea.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth10m_Coral-Sea.shp

Murray Island 20 Sept 2011 15cm SISP aerial imagery, Queensland Spatial Imagery Services Program, Department of Resources, Queensland
This is the high resolution imagery used to create the map of Mer.

World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery
The base image composites used in this dataset were based on an early version of Lawrey, E., Hammerton, M. (2024). Marine satellite imagery test collections (AIMS) [Data set]. eAtlas. https://doi.org/10.26274/zq26-a956. A snapshot of the code at the time this dataset was developed is made available in the 01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery folder of the download of this dataset.


Data Location:
This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2020-2029-AIMS\TS_AIMS_Torres-Strait-Sentinel-2-regional-maps. On the eAtlas server it is stored at eAtlas GeoServer\data\2020-2029-AIMS.


Change Log:
2025-05-12: Eric Lawrey
Added Torres-Strait-Region-Map-Masig-Ugar-Erub-45k-A0 and Torres-Strait-Eastern-Region-Map-Landscape-A0. These maps have a brighten satellite imagery to allow easier reading of writing on the maps. They also include markers for geo-referencing the maps for digitisation.

2025-02-04: Eric Lawrey
Fixed up the reference to the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset, clarifying where the source that was used in this dataset. Added ORCID and RORs to the record.

2023-11-22: Eric Lawrey
Added the data and maps for close up of Mer.
- 01-data/TS_DNRM_Mer-aerial-imagery/
- preview/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.jpeg
- exports/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.pdf
Updated 02-Torres-Strait-regional-maps.qgz to include the layout for the new map.

2023-03-02: Eric Lawrey
Created a merged version of the satellite imagery, with no alpha blending so that it can be used in ArcGIS Pro. It is now a single large GeoTiff image. The Google Earth Engine source code for the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery was included to improve the reproducibility and provenance of the dataset, along with a calculation of the distribution of image dates that went into the final composite image. A WMS service for the imagery was also setup and linked to from the metadata. A cross reference to the older Torres Strait clear sky clear water Landsat composite imagery was also added to the record.

This map is designed to be used as a basemap by marine GIS professionals and as a reference map by anyone interested in ocean data. The basemap includes bathymetry, marine water body names, undersea feature names, and derived depth values in meters. Land features include administrative boundaries, cities, inland waters, roads, overlaid on land cover and shaded relief imagery.

The map was compiled from a variety of best available sources from several data providers, including General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans GEBCO_08 Grid version 20100927 and IHO-IOC GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names August 2010 version (https://www.gebco.net), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Geographic for the oceans; and DeLorme, HERE, and Esri for topographic content. The basemap was designed and developed by Esri.

The Ocean Basemap currently provides coverage for the world down to a scale of ~1:577k; coverage down to ~1:72k in United States coastal areas and various other areas; and coverage down to ~1:9k in limited regional areas. You can contribute your bathymetric data to this service and have it served by Esri for the benefit of the Ocean GIS community. For details, see the Community Maps Program.

Tip: Here are some famous oceanic locations as they appear in this map. Each URL below launches this map at a particular location via parameters specified in the URL: Challenger Deep, Galapagos Islands, Hawaiian Islands, Maldive Islands, Mariana Trench, Tahiti, Queen Charlotte Sound, Notre Dame Bay, Labrador Trough, New York Bight, Massachusetts Bay, Mississippi Sound

The Digital Geomorphic-GIS Map of the Great Swash to Quork Hammock Area (1:10,000 scale 2006 mapping), North Carolina is composed of GIS data layers and GIS tables, and is available in the following GRI-supported GIS data formats: 1.) a 10.1 file geodatabase (gsqh_geomorphology.gdb), and a 2.) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) geopackage. The file geodatabase format is supported with a 1.) ArcGIS Pro map file (.mapx) file (gsqh_geomorphology.mapx) and individual Pro layer (.lyrx) files (for each GIS data layer), as well as with a 2.) 10.1 ArcMap (.mxd) map document (gsqh_geomorphology.mxd) and individual 10.1 layer (.lyr) files (for each GIS data layer). Upon request, the GIS data is also available in ESRI 10.1 shapefile format. Contact Stephanie O'Meara (see contact information below) to acquire the GIS data in these GIS data formats. In addition to the GIS data and supporting GIS files, three additional files comprise a GRI digital geologic-GIS dataset or map: 1.) A GIS readme file (caha_fora_wrbr_geology_gis_readme.pdf), 2.) the GRI ancillary map information document (.pdf) file (caha_fora_wrbr_geomorphology.pdf) which contains geologic unit descriptions, as well as other ancillary map information and graphics from the source map(s) used by the GRI in the production of the GRI digital geologic-GIS data for the park, and 3.) a user-friendly FAQ PDF version of the metadata (gsqh_geomorphology_metadata_faq.pdf). Please read the caha_fora_wrbr_geology_gis_readme.pdf for information pertaining to the proper extraction of the GIS data and other map files. QGIS software is available for free at: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/. The data were completed as a component of the Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) program, a National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division funded program that is administered by the NPS Geologic Resources Division (GRD). For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: For a complete listing of GRI products visit the GRI publications webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geologic-resources-inventory-products.htm. For more information about the Geologic Resources Inventory Program visit the GRI webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/gri,htm. At the bottom of that webpage is a "Contact Us" link if you need additional information. You may also directly contact the program coordinator, Jason Kenworthy (jason_kenworthy@nps.gov). Source geologic maps and data used to complete this GRI digital dataset were provided by the following: East Carolina University. Detailed information concerning the sources used and their contribution the GRI product are listed in the Source Citation section(s) of this metadata record (gsqh_geomorphology_metadata.txt or gsqh_geomorphology_metadata_faq.pdf). Users of this data are cautioned about the locational accuracy of features within this dataset. Based on the source map scale of 1:10,000 and United States National Map Accuracy Standards features are within (horizontally) 8.5 meters or 27.8 feet of their actual location as presented by this dataset. Users of this data should thus not assume the location of features is exactly where they are portrayed in ArcGIS, QGIS or other software used to display this dataset. All GIS and ancillary tables were produced as per the NPS GRI Geology-GIS Geodatabase Data Model v. 2.3. (available at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/gri-geodatabase-model.htm).

This dataset contains open vector data for railways, forests and power lines, as well an open digital elevation model (DEM) for a small area around a sample forest range in Europe (Germany, Upper Bavaria, Kochel Forest Range, some 70 km south of München, at the edge of Bavarian Alps). The purpose of this dataset is to provide a documented sample dataset in order to demonstrate geospatial preprocessing at FOSS4G2019 based on open data and software. This sample has been produced based on several existing open data sources (detailed below), therefore documenting the sources for obtaining some data needed for computations related to forest accessibility and wood harvesting. For example, they can be used with the open methodology and QGIS plugin Seilaplan for optimising the geometric layout cable roads or with additional open software for computing the forest accessibility for wood harvesting. The vector data (railways, forests and power lines) was extracted from OpenStreetMap (data copyrighted OpenStreetMap contributors and available from https://www.openstreetmap.org). The railways and forests were downloaded and extracted on 18.05.2019 using the open sources QGIS (https://www.qgis.org) with the QuickOSM plugin, while the power lines were downloaded a couple of days later on 23.05.2019. Additional notes for vector data: Please note that OpenStreeMap data extracts such as forests, roads and railways (except power lines) can also be downloaded in a GIS friendly format (Shapefile) from http://download.geofabrik.de/ or using the QGIS built-in download function for OpenStreetMap data. The most efficient way to retrieve specific OSM tags (such as power=line) is to use the QuickOSM plugin for QGIS (using the Overpass API - https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API) or directly using overpass turbo (https://overpass-turbo.eu/). Finally, the digitised perimeter of the sample forest range is also made available for reproducibility purposes, although any perimeter or area can be digitised freely using the QGIS editing toolbar. The DEM was originally adapted and modified also with QGIS (https://www.qgis.org) based on the elevation data available from two different sources, by reprojecting and downsampling datasets to 25m then selecting, for each individual raster cell, the elevation value that was closer to the average. These two different elevation sources are: - Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - EU-DEM v.1.1 (TILE ID E40N20, downloaded from https://land.copernicus.eu/imagery-in-situ/eu-dem/eu-dem-v1.1; this original DEM was produced by the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service “with funding by the European Union” based on SRTM and ASTER GDEM) - Digitales Geländemodell 50 m Gitterweite (https://opendata.bayern.de/detailansicht/datensatz/digitales-gelaendemodell-50-m-gitterweite/), produced by the Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung – www.geodaten.bayern.de –and downloaded from http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/opendata/DGM50/dgm50_epsg4258.tif This methodology was chosen as a way of performing a basic quality check, by comparing the EU-DEM v.1.1 derived from globally available DEM data (such as SRTM) with more authoritative data for the randomly selected region, since using authoritative data is preferred (if open and available). For other sample regions, where authoritative open data is not available, such comparisons cannot longer be performed. Additional notes DEM: a very good DEM open data source for Germany is the open data set collected and resampled by Sonny (sonnyy7@gmail.com) and made available on the Austrian Open Data Portal http://data.opendataportal.at/dataset/dtm-germany. In order to simplify end-to-end reproducibility of the paper planned for FOSS4G2019, we use and distribute an adapted (reprojected and resampled to 25 meters) sample of the above mentioned dataset for the selected forest range. This sample dataset is accompanied by software in Python, as a Jupiter Notebook that generates harmonized output rasters with the same extent from the input data. The extent is given by the polygon vector dataset (Perimeter). These output rasters, such as obstacles, aspect, slope, forest cover, can serve as input data for later computations related to forest accessibility and wood harvesting questions. The obstacles output is obtained by transforming line vector datasets (railway lines, high voltage power lines) to raster. Aspect and slope are both derived from the sample digital elevation model.

Aim: Effective management decisions depend on knowledge of species distribution and habitat use. Maps generated from species distribution models are important in predicting previously unknown occurrences of protected species. However, if populations are seasonally dynamic or locally adapted, failing to consider population level differences could lead to erroneous determinations of occurrence probability and ineffective management. The study goal was to model the distribution of a species of special concern, Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), in California. We incorporate seasonal and spatial differences to estimate the distribution under current and future climate conditions. Methods: We built species distribution models using all records from statewide roost surveys and by subsetting data to seasonal colonies, representing different phenological stages, and to Environmental Protection Agency Level III Ecoregions to understand how environmental needs vary based on these factors. We projected species’ distribution for 2061-2080 in response to low and high emissions scenarios and calculated the expected range shifts. Results: The estimated distribution differed between the combined (full dataset) and phenologically-explicit models, while ecoregion-specific models were largely congruent with the combined model. Across the majority of models, precipitation was the most important variable predicting the presence of C. townsendii roosts. Under future climate scnearios, distribution of C. townsendii is expected to contract throughout the state, however suitable areas will expand within some ecoregions. Main conclusion: Comparison of phenologically-explicit models with combined models indicate the combined models better predict the extent of the known range of C. townsendii in California. However, life history-explicit models aid in understanding of different environmental needs and distribution of their major phenological stages. Differences between ecoregion-specific and statewide predictions of habitat contractions highlight the need to consider regional variation when forecasting species’ responses to climate change. These models can aid in directing seasonally explicit surveys and predicting regions most vulnerable under future climate conditions. Methods Study area and survey data The study area covers the U.S. state of California, which has steep environmental gradients that support an array of species (Dobrowski et al. 2011). Because California is ecologically diverse, with regions ranging from forested mountain ranges to deserts, we examined local environmental needs by modeling at both the state-wide and ecoregion scale, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Level III ecoregion designations and there are thirteen Level III ecoregions in California (Table S1.1) (Griffith et al. 2016). Species occurrence data used in this study were from a statewide survey of C. townsendii in California conducted by Harris et al. (2019). Briefly, methods included field surveys from 2014-2017 following a modified bat survey protocol to create a stratified random sampling scheme. Corynorhinus townsendii presence at roost sites was based on visual bat sightings. From these survey efforts, we have visual occurrence data for 65 maternity roosts, 82 hibernation roosts (hibernacula), and 91 active-season non-maternity roosts (transition roosts) for a total of 238 occurrence records (Figure 1, Table S1.1). Ecogeographical factors We downloaded climatic variables from WorldClim 2.0 bioclimatic variables (Fick & Hijmans, 2017) at a resolution of 5 arcmin for broad-scale analysis and 30 arcsec for our ecoregion-specific analyses. To calculate elevation and slope, we used a digital elevation model (USGS 2022) in ArcGIS 10.8.1 (ESRI, 2006). The chosen set of environmental variables reflects knowledge on climatic conditions and habitat relevant to bat physiology, phenology, and life history (Rebelo et al. 2010, Razgour et al. 2011, Loeb and Winters 2013, Razgour 2015, Ancillotto et al. 2016). To trim the global environmental variables to the same extent (the state of California), we used the R package “raster” (Hijmans et al. 2022). We performed a correlation analysis on the raster layers using the “layerStats” function and removed variables with a Pearson’s coefficient > 0.7 (see Table 1 for final model variables). For future climate conditions, we selected three general circulation models (GCMs) based on previous species distribution models of temperate bat species (Razgour et al. 2019) [Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2 Earth Systems model (HadGEM3-GC31_LL; Webb, 2019), Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace Coupled Model 6th Assessment Low Resolution (IPSL-CM6A-LR; Boucher et al., 2018), and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model Low Resolution (MPI-ESM1-2-LR; Brovkin et al., 2019)] and two contrasting greenhouse concentration trajectories (Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs): a steady decline pathway with CO2 concentrations of 360 ppmv (SSP1-2.6) and an increasing pathway with CO2 reaching around 2,000 ppmv (SSP5-8.5) (IPCC6). We modeled distribution for present conditions future (2061-2080) time periods. Because one aim of our study was to determine the consequences of changing climate, we changed only the climatic data when projecting future distributions, while keeping the other variables constant over time (elevation, slope). Species distribution modeling We generated distribution maps for total occurrences (maternity + hibernacula + transition, hereafter defined as “combined models”), maternity colonies , hibernacula, and transition roosts. To estimate the present and future habitat suitability for C. townsendii in California, we used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm in the “dismo” R package (Hijmans et al. 2021) through the advanced computing resources provided by Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing. We chose MaxEnt to aid in the comparisons of state-wide and ecoregion-specific models as MaxEnt outperforms other approaches when using small datasets (as is the case in our ecoregion-specific models). We created 1,000 background points from random points in the environmental layers and performed a 5-fold cross validation approach, which divided the occurrence records into training (80%) and testing (20%) datasets. We assessed the performance of our models by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC; Hanley & McNeil, 1982), where values >0.5 indicate that the model is performing better than random, values 0.5-0.7 indicating poor performance, 0.7-0.9 moderate performance and values of 0.9-1 excellent performance (BCCVL, Hallgren et al., 2016). We also measured the maximum true skill statistic (TSS; Allouche, Tsoar, & Kadmon, 2006) to assess model performance. The maxTSS ranges from -1 to +1:values <0.4 indicate a model that performs no better than random, 0.4-0.55 indicates poor performance, (0.55-0.7) moderate performance, (0.7-0.85) good performance, and values >0.80 indicate excellent performance (Samadi et al. 2022). Final distribution maps were generated using all occurrence records for each region (rather than the training/testing subset), and the models were projected onto present and future climate conditions. Additionally, because the climatic conditions of the different ecoregions of California vary widely, we generated separate models for each ecoregion in an attempt to capture potential local effects of climate change. A general rule in species distribution modeling is that the occurrence points should be 10 times the number of predictors included in the model, meaning that we would need 50 occurrences in each ecoregion. One common way to overcome this limitation is through the ensemble of small models (ESMs) (Breiner et al. 2015., 2018; Virtanen et al. 2018; Scherrer et al. 2019; Song et al. 2019) included in ecospat R package (references). For our ESMs we implemented MaxEnt modeling, and the final ensemble model was created by averaging individual bivariate models by weighted performance (AUC > 0.5). We also used null model significance testing with to evaluate the performance of our ESMs (Raes and Ter Steege 2007). To perform null model testing we compared AUC scores from 100 null models using randomly generated presence locations equal to the number used in the developed distribution model. All ecoregion models outperformed the null expectation (p<0.002). Estimating range shifts For each of the three GCMs and each RCP scenario, we converted the probability distribution map into a binary map (0=unsuitable, 1=suitable) using the threshold that maximizes sensitivity and specificity (Liu et al. 2016). To create the final maps for each SSP scenario, we summed the three binary GCM layers and took a consensus approach, meaning climatically suitable areas were pixels where at least two of the three models predicted species presence (Araújo and New 2007, Piccioli Cappelli et al. 2021). We combined the future binary maps (fmap) and the present binary maps (pmap) following the formula fmap x 2 + pmap (from Huang et al., 2017) to produce maps with values of 0 (areas not suitable), 1 (areas that are suitable in the present but not the future), 2 (areas that are not suitable in the present but suitable in the future), and 3 (areas currently suitable that will remain suitable) using the raster calculator function in QGIS. We then calculated the total area of suitability, area of maintenance, area of expansion, and area of contraction for each binary model using the “BIOMOD_RangeSize” function in R package “biomod2” (Thuiller et al. 2021).