Advanced pickup & delivery of parcels using GPS/GIS technologies

During prehistoric times, the Colorado River occasionally meandered into and filled the Salton Sea Basin, creating several huge inland lakes, variously called Lake LeConte and Lake Cahuilla. Previous researchers have identified high stands of these ancient lakes using standard survey methods. The objective of this investigation was to further delineate the prehistoric shorelines using satellite imagery, global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies. Using one-meter digital orthophotographs, points were selected in the laboratory and were located in the field using a GPS. Point data were integrated with a digital elevation model (DEM) and elevation contours were plotted on Landsat-TM images, generating a range of prehistoric shorelines. Contours were then correlated with archaeological site data, geomorphic features, and other factors to reconstruct Early American settlement patterns for Lake Cahuilla. The combined GIS coverages of ancient Lake Cahuilla and cultural resources may be used together as a model for cultural resource constraints, identifying areas of high cultural resource sensitivity for evaluation of potential impacts as a result of implementation of Salton Sea restoration project alternatives.

Soil fertility maps of Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh were prepared by using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS). Soils of different villages for each Gram Panchayat of the district were collected by Garmin extra MAKE GPS instrument. These GPS based soil samples were processed and analyzed in laboratory for pH, Organic Carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, available sulphur, hot water-soluble boron, DTPA extractable Zinc, Copper, Iron and Manganese by using standard methods. All these soil characteristics were entered in attributed table and linked with the GIS software to develop a relational database. The analogue soil fertility maps on 1:250000 scale were geo-referenced and digitized by using ArcGIS software. Thematic layer were developed for block boundaries to prepare the base map. Superimposing polygons (Spatial coverage) of block units on the base map, soil fertility maps were prepared. These maps were integrated in GIS to generate a composite database of GPS based soil fertility maps of Narayanpur district. These maps were divided into 2 mapping units (2 blocks of Narayanur district i.e; Narayanpur and Orchha block). The soils of all blocks were neutral in soil reaction and organic carbon content ranged from medium to high. Mineral nitrogen content was medium whereas, available phosphorus and available potassium content was ranged from medium to high. On the other hand, available sulphur was high. Hot water soluble boron and micronutrients content remained above the critical limits in both the blocks.

Assessing Culturally Appropriate Food Choices: A Need for Hispanic Specific Food Choices as Illustrated by GIS Mapping

Rustling is an age-old practice that was widespread in Italy until the first half of the 20th century. Today, incidents of cattle rustling are again being reported. However, the problem is not only found in Italy. It is also becoming a plague for ranchers in the US and is still rampant in East Africa. In Italy, the cattle rustling phenomena have usually been limited through the direct control of the herdsmen. Global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) combined technologies are increasingly applied for tracking and monitoring livestock with greater spatial and temporal resolution. However, so far, no case studies of the use of GPS technology to combat cattle rustling have been reported in the literature. The aim of this research was to develop a GPS/GSM (global system for mobile communication) collar, using commercial hardware and implementing a specific software [ARVAshepherd 1.0; ARVAtec Srl, Rescaldina (MI), Italy] to track animals’ movements outside their grazing area and to signal when animals are straying outside virtual perimeters. A phase I study was conducted from January to June 2011 to build the GPS/GSM collar and to assess its performances in terms of GPS accuracy and precision, while a phase II study was conducted in July 2011 to test the GPS collar under real-life operating conditions. The static GPS positioning error achieved a circular error probable (50%) and horizontal 95% accuracy of 1.462 m and 4.501 m, respectively. This is comparable with values obtained by other authors in static tests of a commercial GPS collar for grazing studies. In field tests, the system was able to identify the incorrect position of the cattle and the warning messages were sent promptly to the farmer, continuing until the animals had been repositioned inside the fence, thus highlighting the potential of the GPS/GSM collar as an anti-theft system.

Community forestry is a successful development programme of His Majesty's Government (HMG), in the sector of forest management in Nepal. The process of community forestry comprises the assessment of forest resources and drawing‐up of a plan of action for the management of forests. Forest boundary surveying is a mandatory activity in the formal handing over of the forest to the people or Forest User groups (FUG) as they are known in practice. The spatial issues in mapping are more related to the boundary of the forest, location of the forest itself, the geographic characteristics of the forest i.e. slope, aspect, altitude and area covered by particular forest resources i.e. the forest type, Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and information that could be useful in preparing a better management and implementation plan of the forest. The use of Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) in the field of community forest management combines the collection of quantitative and qualitative information in a way that is beneficial for the FUG (Jordan, 2000) i.e. mapping the boundary of the forest, block division of the forest area and preparing a multiple resource map. The quantitative spatial components can be collected and managed for sustainable forest management i.e. information on the length of forest boundary, resource distribution, stocking and incidence patterns. Without peoples’ participation in the application of GIS and GPS in mapping the forest, the accuracy cannot always be assured on the one hand, while on the other, the information cannot be properly utilized as the ultimate users of the community forest maps are the local communities themselves. Prior to handing over of the forest areas to the FUGs, transect walks are carried‐out in the relevant areas and features of interest are mapped using GPSs. The data is analysed in a GIS environment and maps i.e. Forest Boundaries, delineating NTFP species as well as the location of poor Households are produced. Assessment of products by plots of the relevant species, are also carried‐out. Thus the participatory GIS, incorporates both indigenous knowledge on spatial aspects of community forest management, as well as social, land cover, and cultural features.

Over the past two decades, physical activity (PA) promotion has been transformed by technological innovation. Accelerometers, wearable devices, mobile health (mHealth) applications, and immersive virtual reality systems have expanded opportunities to reduce sedentary behavior, increase PA, and prevent chronic diseases related to physical inactivity. Among the most versatile of these tools are Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—technologies that connect individual movement behaviors with the broader built, social, and environmental contexts in which health occurs.

Mobile Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an outcome of integrating GIS, wireless communication, embeds and mobile computing technologies. Based on .NET Compact Framework and GPRS a Mobile GIS with own patent is developed. Services in the system include: downloading map by General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), defining geographical coordinate system of maps, Global Position System (GPS) connection and information dynamically showing on map, sharing users' GPS information through SMS (Short Message Service) to establishes communication between system users, vector feature map and related property data editing and shortest route planning. The system is now used in field data collection and simple navigation. This paper introduces the implementation of some basic GIS services in mobile environment. And some implemented services are presented and studied in detail.

The use of amenities in high density neighbourhoods by older urban Australians residents

Using Spatial Information Technologies to Map Chinese Tamarisk (<i>Tamarix chinensis</i>) Infestations

Canopy spectra of giant reed and associated vegetation

Geo-information technology is a complex applied technology mainly consisting of remote sensing, geographic information system and global positioning system, which is gradually becoming the important part of the information technology and the key competition point of all countries in information field. The technologies of global positioning system, remote sensing and geographic information system are discussed. Their integrative applications in natural disaster monitor and management, resources investigation and monitor, and fine farming are also discussed.

Soil and water are important natural resources needed for the sustained quality of human life and the foundation of agricultural development. Efficient management of these natural resources is the major challenge for the agricultural scientists, planners, administrators and farmers to ensure food, water and also environmental security for the present and future generations. Soil is the essence of life. An intimate knowledge on their characteristics, classification, location, extent and distribution, potentials and problems is a prerequisite for developing rational land use planning. Soil resource inventory provides an insight into the potentialities and limitation of soil for its effective exploitation. Modern tools such as satellite Remote Sensing, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) have been providing newer dimensions to monitor and manage soil resources for their effective utilization. Especially remote sensing techniques have reduced our field work to a considerable extent and soil boundaries are more precisely delineated than in conventional methods. Hence it is a highly proven technology that is effective for mapping and characterizing land resources.

A study was conducted during 2012-13 to build union level digital databases and maps of maize growing areas using both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected from maize growing areas of the upazilla namely Pirgonj of Thakurgaon district. For summer and winter maize; union, upazila, district and country level digitized maps were used in the study. Geographical Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Management Information System (MIS) related Information Technology (IT) were also applied. Total cultivable land 28138 ha in Pirgonj upazila and area and production of maize were 5100 ha and 34508.75 t respectively. Sixteen (16) varieties were cultivated in the study areas and maximum area (74.09%) of maize was cultivated by the executive varieties NK40, Pacific 984, 900M Gold, 900M, 3396, and Supergold. Average maize yield of the study areas was 6.77 t/ha during 2012-13. A web site was developed for variety wise area coverage data collection of maize as well as for other crops. This web site can also be used in mobile phone.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 693-702, December 2015

Global Positioning System (GPS) information is stored in EXchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) in the image file. It is considered personal information; therefore, sharing it without the owner’s consent could lead to personal information disclosure. GPS information is embedded on the images uploaded by many people on social network services or stored in the Cloud. Images must be encrypted to prevent GPS information from being disclosed. However, there are no existing methods to encrypt them in EXIF. Using block cipher for encryption can exceed the tag value range of EXIF. In this paper, we propose a method to encrypt the GPS information of an image file using Format-Preserving Encryption, which preserves the length and format of the plaintext. We confirmed that GPS information can be secured by encrypting it in image files.

Knowledge of the spatial arrangement of the seagrass distribution and biomass within the Hopkins Estuary is an essential step towards gaining an understanding of the functioning of the estuarine ecosystem. This study marks the first attempt to map seagrass distribution and model seagrass biomass and epiphyte biomass along depth gradients by the use of global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information system (GIS) technologies in the estuary. For mapping seagrass in small estuaries, ground-surveying the entire system is feasible. Three species of seagrasses, Heterozostera tasmanica (Martens ex Aschers), Zostera muelleri (Irmisch ex Aschers) and Ruppia megacarpa (Mason), were identified in the Hopkins Estuary. All beds investigated contained a mixed species relationship. Three harvest techniques were trialed in a pilot study, with the 25 × 25-cm quadrat statistically most appropriate. Biomass of seagrasses and epiphytes was found to vary significantly with depth, but not between sites. The average estimate of biomass for total seagrasses and their epiphytes in the estuary in January 2000 was 222.7 g m–2 (dry weight). Of the total biomass, 50.6% or 112.7 g m–2 (dry weight) was contributed by seagrasses and 49.4% of the biomass (110.0 g m–2) were epiphytes. Of the 50.6% of the total biomass represented by seagrasses, 39.3% (87.5 g m–2) were leaves and 11.3% (25.2 g m–2) were rhizomes. The total area of seagrasses present in the Hopkins Estuary was estimated to be 0.4 ± 0.005 km2, with the total area of the estuary estimated to be 1.6 ± 0.02 km2 (25% cover). The total standing crop of seagrasses and epiphytes in the Hopkins Estuary in January 2000 was estimated to be 102.3 ± 57 t in dry weight, 56% (56.9 ± 17 t, dry weight) seagrasses and 44% (45.4 ± 19 t, dry weight) epiphytes. Of the seagrass biomass, 39% (39.7 ± 13 t, dry weight) was contributed by leaves and 17% (17.3 ± 7 t, dry weight) by rhizomes.