GIS- and RS-based spatial decision support: Structure of a spatial environmental information system (SEIS)

Abstract

The development of spatial decision support for environmental resource management, e.g. forest and agroecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, or hydrological planning, started in the 1980s and was the focus of many research groups in the 1990s. The combined availability of spatial data and communication, computing, positioning, geographic information system (GIS)- and remote sensing (RS)-technologies has been responsible for the implementation of complex SDSS since the late 1990s. The regional GIS-based modelling of environmental resources, and therefore ecosystems in general, requires setting-up an extensive geo and model database. Spatial data on topography, soil, climate, land use, hydrology, flora, fauna and anthropogenic activities have to be available. Therefore, GIS- and RS-technologies are of central importance for spatial data handling and analysis. In this context, the structure of spatial environmental information systems (SEIS) is introduced. In SEIS, the input data for environmental resource management are organised in at least seven sub-information systems: base geodata information system (BGDIS), climate information system (CIS), soil information system (SIS), land use information system (LUIS), hydrological information system (HIS), spatial/temporal biodiversity information system (STBIS), forest/agricultural management information system (FAMIS). The major tasks of a SEIS are to (i) provide environmental resource information on a regional level, (ii) analyse the impact of anthropogenic activities and (iii) simulate scenarios of different impacts. © 2009, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.