GIS for Recorders

GIS :
an introduction for
Recorders
JerryClough
Maps Matter Blog: sk53-osm.blogspot.com
@SK53onOSM; jrclough2@yahoo.co.uk
Reusable under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA
or beyond MapMate & Excel

Outline
●
Introduction
– GIS in BSBI context
– Focus on specific aspects
– QGIS & Data
●
Common Principles
– Key things to know
– Stuff which can be ignored
●
Some basic Processes
– Base Maps
– Progress Maps (from data)
– Maps for print/web
– Distribution maps
●
Learning more

A little history
●
Invented around 1960 in Canada
– Used mainframe computers
●
Desktop GIS appeared in the 1980s
– Still very specialised & expensive
●
Widespread usage by 2000
– Including nature conservation
– But costs limited skill base
●
Open Source GIS in 2000s
– Free, initially less powerful
●
Democratised in 2010s
– Rapid improvement of free software
– Availability of Open Data from 2010

A little history
●
Invented around 1960 in Canada
– Used mainframe computers
●
Desktop GIS appeared in the 1980s
– Still very specialised & expensive
●
Widespread usage by 2000
– Including nature conservation
– But costs limited skill base
●
Open Source GIS in 2000s
– Free, initially less powerful
●
Democratised in 2010s
– Rapid improvement of free software
– Availability of Open Data from 2010
BUT...

GIS: Toolbox for Geographical Data
●
Creation
●
Manipulation
●
Viewing &
Visualisation
●
Exploration
●
Maps
●
Analysis
●
Producing Outputs
– Images
– Printed Maps
– Input for DTP

QGIS : Free & Open GIS software
●
Developed by OSGeo
– worldwide consortium of companies &
universities
– since 2002
●
Long-term stable releases available
– Now on version 3.
●
Comparable to ArcGIS (market leader)
●
Free
●
Easy to install
●
Multiplatform (Macs, PCs & Linux)
●
Extended by add-on ‘Plug-ins’
– Notably FSC Tools (no support for Irish Grid)
●
Support available
– User Groups in UK
●
Scotland
●
South East
●
Google+ Group
– Widely used:
●
Local authorities
●
RSBP / Woodland Trust
●
BAS Mapping Group (Magic)
●
? some Wildlife Trusts
– FSC run courses

Available (Open) Data of Interest
●
Vice county boundaries
– GB: NBN; Ireland: OSM
●
General geographic data
– OSGB Open Data
– Osi/OSNI more limited
– OpenStreetMap
●
Admin boundaries (all 3 OS)
●
Elevation & contours
– OSGB (25 m)
– SRTM (30 m)
– EA/NRW (1-2 m, but partial)
●
Habitat/Landuse/Landcover
– Natural England (many datasets)
– SNH (only via WMS?)
– NRW (Phase 1 etc)
– EEA (Corine & Urban Atlas)
– CEH (Crop Map)
●
Other records
– NBN/GBIF
●
Geology
– BGS only (1:625k scale only)

Common Principles
●
Data
●
Layers
●
Projections
●
Grid References

Layers
●
Data is held in set of
ordered layers (a project)
– Crucial for map making
– ‘Painter’s Algorithm’
●
Each of a consistent type
– Points, lines, areas etc
– One to many elements
●
Layers can be styled
●
Vector layers are attributed
– Basically tabular data
●
Layers can be filtered
– Vectors by attributes
– Rasters by pixel values

Projections
OSGB (27700) OSi/OSNI (29002) Webmaps (3857) WGS84 (4326)
Showing 100k grid squares of British Grid. Numbers in brackets are EPSG references)

GIS & Grid References: A WARNING
●
GIS Software is designed to work with hundreds of different
projections.
●
It deals in x & y co-ordinates as numeric values
●
Classic grid references will not be interpreted as locations
– Exceptionally the FSC tools do know about OSGB GRs.
●
100km Grid Squares also have numeric x,y co-ordinates at
their origin (SJ is 300 000, 300 000; C is 400 000, 200 000)
●
Files of GIS data for monads, tetrads, hectads are useful.

Types of Data
●
Points, lines, areas etc.
●
Available as data (files) or services
●
Many file formats:
– Shapefiles
– MapInfo
– GPX (GPS), KML (Google Earth)
– Geojson
– CSV with co-ordinates
●
2D array of pixels or other data
●
Associated information about the
area covered (‘georeferenced’)
– Internal to data (GeoTIFF)
– External ‘world’ file
●
Each pixel represents a given
area on the ground
– e.g. imagery: 30m Landsat 25 cm
Google, 3 cm drone.
RasterVector

Types of Data
Raster: Bing Imagery
Vector: GPS Track
Aerial Imagery: Bing Maps

QGIS Basics: Creating a simple VC base map
https://sk53-osm.blogspot.com/2013/02/mundane-cartography-mapping-vice.html

QGIS Basics: Progress Reporting
●
Layers can be linked on a
shared attribute
– VC Number
– Grid Square name
●
CSV or S/s data as a layer
– e.g., from MapMate
●
Better quality reporting
●
Easier to maintain

QGIS Basics: Print (& other output) Layout
●
Like a drawing package
●
Layout elements
– 1 or more maps (e.g.,
Shetland in a box)
– Map furniture (scale,
legend, title, N arrow,
grids, copyright)
●
Control styling
●
Scale & bounds
●
Templates
●
Output size
●
Output formats
– Image, SVG, PDF

Resources & Learning More
●
Today
– I’m here all day for
queries/demos/workshop
sessions
●
DVD with Open Data & QGIS
Installation
– Copies with Louise & Country
Reps
●
Video showing principles in action
– https://vimeo.com/271445019 (~
10 minutes, no commentary)
●
Maps for MapMate
– Ireland only at present (on
DVD)
– Other VCs & alternative
styles by request
●

Maps & Floras
●
… new Flora of Sussex ...
arrived … so I looked for a
map to refresh my memory
of locations … surely a
decent map is a
prerequisite of a county
Flora?
●
David Pearman
letter in BSBI News Sept 2018 p. 80.
●
This vast tome, measuring 7cm
thick and weighing several
kilograms, sets out to be 'the first
post-modernist county flora'
….On the other hand, the normally
obligatory distribution maps are
dispensed with. In the author’s
view, dot maps are insufficiently
detailed …
●
Peter Marren’s review of Mick
Crawley’s Flora of Berkshire.
British Wildlife, December 2005

Data: Open Data Portals
●
Great Britain
– OS(GB) Open Data
– BGS
●
England
– Natural England
– Environment Agency
●
Wales
– Natural Resources Wales
●
Scotland
– SNH
●
Northern Ireland
– OSNI Open Data
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/osni-open
-data-portal
●
Republic of Ireland
– OSI Open Data
https://data-osi.opendata.arcgis.com/
●
EEA
●
OpenStreetMap
– Geofabrik Download server
– Overpass-Turbo

Examples of Vector Data
●
Plant records!
●
Boundaries:
– Vice Counties
– SSSI/ASSI, NNR/LNR, etc
– Administrative
●
Habitats
– CCW Phase 1 for Wales
– NVC mapping SNH
– NE Priority Habitats
●
Landuse/landcover
– EEA Corine
●
General geographical features
– Roads
– Waterways (centre lines & areas)
– Woods
– Place names
●
2D array of pixels or other data
●
Pictures (scans of maps)
●
Many web maps
●
Aerial & Satellite Imagery
●
Elevation models
●
Map ‘tiles’ (web maps)

Examples of Raster Data
●
Pictures
– Old maps
●
Many web maps
●
●
Elevation models
●
●
2D array of pixels or other
data
●
Pictures (scans of maps)
●
Many web maps
●
●
Elevation models
●

Fauld Crater, Digital Surface Model
●
Created from
Environment
Agency Lidar
●
Use Raster
Hillshade option
●
Crater(s) caused
by explosion in
ordnance store in
old gypsum mine
1944,

Gall new to B&I: Dasineura cf aceris
●
CSV file of
records (lat/lon,
vc, local auth,
recorder)
●
Combined with
– NBN VC shapes
– OS Boundary
Line shapes

Distance of places from nearest road
●
Prepared for Hugh Warwick
– Author of Edgescapes
– Hedgehog expert/enthusiast
– By chance we have a mutual
friend
●
Use road shape (from
OpenStreetMap)
– Buffer roads by increasing
distances
– Overlay areas so that smaller
distances are on top.

Ufton Fields Nature Reserve, VC38
●
Prepared for me & Coventry NHS
– Gall recording field meeting
– Share detailed location finds
●
Use :
– OpenStreetMap base map
– EA Lidar data
– Contours from Lidar data
– Grid overlay in composer
– Composer for layout

Birmingham Street Trees, VC38
●
Prepared for me
– Check sample of trees in
Birmingham open data
– 1% sample (180ish)
●
Centre of city
●
QEH/University, Edgbaston
●
Data use :
– OpenStreetMap base map
– Trees from Birmingham council
– Quick colour coding by
species/taxon

Birch species distribution: Polar Projection
●
Prepared for me
– Semudobia spp.
●
Galls in catkins
& fruits
●
Cryptic spp?
●
Data use :
– AFE maps
●
Areas digitised
– Polar projection
– Print Layout

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