Conservation Geography: Case Studies in GIS, Computer Mapping, and Activism sets a new precedent in the publication of geographic information system (GIS) case studies. This beautiful, full-color publication clearly demonstrates the power of computers and GIS in transforming the way environmental problems and conservation issues are addressed. Conservation Geography: Case Studies in GIS, Computer Mapping, and Activism shows how the most powerful tool in conservation is one that allows the integration of knowledge from all the different aspects of nature. The level of integration that is possible with a GIS is unparalleled. For anyone involved in GIS or who is interested in conservation, reading Conservation Geography: Case Studies in GIS, Computer Mapping, and Activism is a worthwhile endeavor. This book addresses how GIS relates to issues ranging from environmental justice to watersheds to forests to conservation design. It tells of the ways GIS is revolutionizing the work of nonprofit organizations and conservation groups worldwide as they rush to save the earth's plants, animals, and cultural and natural resources. The fight of the people in this book is not a simple or easy one. Their work encircles the globe, from New York City to Kenya to Borneo to Puget Sound. Their efforts touch living creatures of every size and stature.
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Top Stories
WINfirst expands SPATIALinfo Network Inventory Management System
SPATIALinfo, a supplier of network information solutions, has announced that Denver-based WINfirst had requested it to quickly expand the recent implementation of its core SPATIALnet(tm) network database system, with the inclusion of its integrated engineering and web access client applications, to underpin the rollout and management of WINfirst's innovative fiber-to-the-home network. The SPATIALnet engineering client will allow WINfirst to interface its design and engineering workstations directly to a new Oracle(r)-based Network Inventory Management database, and to enter rules-based design and rollout details of new service areas directly into the database over a high speed WAN connection, using AutoCAD 2000i Map(r) as the graphics editing client. WINfirst will be able to update and maintain network records on an ongoing basis directly in the Oracle database. This more efficient approach will replace the present method of performing engineering and design in AutoCAD 2000i(r), and importing the resulting drawings into the Network Inventory Management system when as-built records are complete. The SPATIALinfo application will deliver design assistance, in-built records entry quality control, radically improved workflow management and reporting, and a consistent automated productivity toolset usable by all of WINfirst's current and future design personnel and contractors. To maximize ease of use, the SPATIALweb client will deliver customized access for specific departments including multiple map views, forms-based views allowing non-graphical read and write access, configurable template reports, and traditional GIS analysis including thematic mapping, all packaged from a common set of components.
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www.winfirst.com &
www.spatialinfo.com
SSESCO launches WxPortal for weather sensitive businesses at American Meteorological Society's 82nd annual meeting
SSESCO, a provider of products and services to the environmental and meteorological markets, has announced the launch of its' new WxPortal web service at the American Meteorological Society's 82nd Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. WxPortal (pronounced Weather Portal) is an entirely new and powerful way to view, analyze and explain complex weather situations. It is available at a fraction of the cost of traditional professional weather services with similar features and benefits. The service, initially aimed at professional meteorologists, is designed to assist weather sensitive enterprises in making improved financial and operational decisions by letting users select from and combine dozens of weather layers on a single, unified web page. "WxPortal is a unique tool to interactively display multiple data sets," says Certified Consulting Meteorologist, Dr. Walt Lyons. The WxPortal system architecture currently generates nearly 500,000 new weather maps every day from data provided by the National Weather Service (NWS) and other sources. WxPortal is built on a powerful paradigm known as ensemble decision-making. Rather than rely on just one forecast model, WxPortal users look at several overlaid together to see how they agree or differ, then make a decision and judge the certainty of their decision based on the collective information.
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www.ssesco.com
Asia News
ESRI's GIS Software Manages DMS and SCADA Information Systems for Chinese Utility Company
ESRI is pleased to announce that the Jiangsu Provincial Power Company, located in eastern China, has implemented a geographic information system (GIS) based on its software. The implementation includes ESRI's ArcInfo, ArcSDE, and MapObjects software for network and database management for the company's distribution and energy management systems (DMS/EMS). The GIS is also being used to analyze real-time data from the company's supervisory control system (SCADA).
Following the success at the company's headquarters, the utility has also implemented GIS at its seven subsidiaries. Now, more than 100 people from the utility's distribution and planning departments are using the GIS. In the future, the Jiangsu Provincial Power Company plans to implement GIS in its other service areas.
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