Estimated Length: 2.5 Hours Introduction GIS Analysis Development Siting Marine Protected Areas...

Estimated Length: 2.5 Hours

IntroductionIntroduction GIS Analysis Development

Siting Marine Protected Areas

Exercise AExercise A Brainstorm Data

LectureLecture GIS Analysis – Process Development

Exercise BExercise B Flowchart Development

Exercise CExercise C Site Suitability Analysis

Siting Marine Protected Areas 7-3

Coastal Applications of ArcGIS

Module Introduction

In 2000, President Clinton issued an executive order directing federal agencies to establish a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) for the conservation of marine resources. Geographic information system (GIS) technology has the capacity to play an integral support role in designating and managing these MPAs. This module will introduce you to the MPA initiative currently under way within NOAA and other federal agencies. Exercises will focus on the development of a GIS analysis and its use as a decision-support tool in the designation of MPA sites.

• Development and implementation of a GIS analysis

• Flowchart creation

• Customization of the ArcGIS interface

• Integration of Visual Basic with ArcGIS

ArcGIS Components

• ArcMap

ArcGIS Extensions

• Visual Basic Editor

Geoprocessing Tools

• Buffer Wizard• Select-By-Attributes• Select-By-Location• Union• Intersection

Tools and TechnologyOverview

Skills Learned



Introduction: GIS Analysis Development

• A successful GIS analysis consists of a series of process steps that will help solve the problem at hand

• The result of a GIS analysis should not be regarded as the total solution to your issue; think of a GIS as a decision-support tool that provides information

• This holds especially true in the issue of MPA siting; a GIS analysis is only one piece of the overall process

• The Tortugas Ecological Reserve site selection process will serve as an example of a successful GIS analysis involving the designation of an MPA

GIS Analysis Process Steps

1. Define Problem

2. Formulate Goals of Analysis

3. Create Objectives to Achieve Goals

4. Acquire Data

5. Develop Process to Solve Problem

6. Implement Process




Problem Definition

• The first step in a GIS analysis, as in any other analysis, is to define the problem at hand

• Several important questions need to be addressed at this point in the analysis:

1. What is the problem?

2. What are the users’ needs?

3. How can the problem be solved using GIS?

4. What are the final products that need to be created?

5. Who is the intended audience of the output?

• The answers to these questions will help you determine the scope of the analysis

Define ProblemDefine Problem Formulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire Data Develop Process Implement Process





Marine Protected Areas

• Used as management tools to protect, maintain, or restore natural and cultural resources in coastal marine waters

• Provide the following:• Natural resource protection• Historical and cultural resource protection• Social and economic benefits• Opportunities for research and education

• Established through executive order in 2000






Marine Protected Areas

• Include many diverse federal, tribal, and state areas

• Can range dramatically in size, protection, and use

• Several MPA initiatives under way since 2000:• Establishment of MPA Center and supporting

institutions• MPA advisory committee formation• Formal definitions under development

• For more information, visit www.mpa.gov






Tortugas Ecological Reserve Background

• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) draft management plan released in 1995 with first proposed Tortugas Ecological Reserve

• Much opposition from public, fishing community• Upset because not consulted in planning• Reserve would be “no take”• Proposed area too large, too much overlap with

existing commercial fishing areas

• Original Tortugas Reserve not included with original Florida Keys NMS management plan in 1997






Tortugas Ecological Reserve Background

• Tortugas Ecological Reserve Working Group established in 1997 to create alternative to original proposal

• 11 members from recreational, commercial fishing, and diving community

• 5 members representing scientific community• 9 members from federal, state, local government

• Problem: Numerous areas inside the Florida Keys ecosystem are being adversely affected by human interaction. Designation of a marine protected area in the area of the Dry Tortugas is necessary to protect the relatively pristine marine habitats located there and serve as a reference site for evaluating changes to other coral habitats in Florida Keys NMS






Formulation of Goals

• Once you have determined how GIS can be used in the problem-solving process, the formulation of specific goals will guide the rest of the GIS analysis process

• Use the answers from questions posed during problem definition

• Goal(s) should:– Produce an outcome that will assist in

problem solving using spatial analysis– Address needs of all users

Define Problem Formulate GoalsFormulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire Data Develop Process Implement Process





• Use various sources of spatial data in a GIS to site an ecological reserve in the Dry Tortugas that would

• Protect areas containing high habitat and species diversity

• Allow for fisheries sustainability • Minimize socioeconomic impact on the

rich commercial and recreational fishing

industry in the area• Encompass an area of sufficient size

Define Problem Formulate GoalsFormulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire Data Develop Process Implement Process


Goals of Tortugas Ecological Reserve Site Analysis




Objectives of Analysis

• If goals define the results of your GIS site analysis, then objectives will define how you will achieve your goals

• In a site analysis, your objectives will be defined by a list of criteria that a final site must meet

• Be specific in developing criteria, as they will be used to determine what data you will need to implement your analysis in a GIS

Define Problem Formulate Goals Create ObjectivesCreate Objectives Acquire Data Develop Process Implement Process





• A successful candidate site should• Contain several known spawning sites• Contain an established, undisturbed coral reef

habitat for reference purposes• Contain both shallow and deepwater habitats• Be located in an area that has a high potential for

maintaining species sustainability in other areas of the Florida Keys

• Minimize socioeconomic impact by not containing popular commercial and recreational fishing areas

• Contain boundaries that would facilitate enforcement

• Encompass an area large enough to meet the above-stated criteria

Define Problem Formulate Goals Create ObjectivesCreate Objectives Acquire Data Develop Process Implement Process


FLORIDA

Everglades Nat'l Park

Cape Sable

Marquesas KeysDry Tortugas

Key West

Florida Bay

Pourtales Terrace

Yucatan

Cuba

Bahamas

Florida

Loop Current

Florida Current

Gulf Stream

Gulf of Mexico Regional Circulation

Benthic Habitats of the TortugasTortugas Ecological Reserve Site Analysis Criteria



Define Problem Formulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire DataAcquire Data Develop Process Implement Process



Data Acquisition

• Often the most time-consuming part of a GIS analysis

• A wealth of data is available via the Internet:• The Geography Network• Federal and state clearinghouses• Private companies

• Most often, data sets will have to be created through the following means:

• Digitizing paper maps• Remotely sensed data classification• GPS data collection• Database, text file incorporation

GIS DATAGIS DATA

GPS

REMOTE SENSINGMAPS

DATABASE, TEXT FILE



Scale• What scale of data is required to

solve the analysis problem?

Data Availability• Web data sources not always reliable• Data may be out of date• Cost?

Data Format• Raster or vector?• Image, shapefile, or coverage?• Do I have the required software to

convert between formats?


Define Problem Formulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire DataAcquire Data Develop Process Implement Process


Data Medium• Paper maps, aerial photos, CDs, DVDs, floppy

disks• Do I have the required hardware to obtain/view

data?

Projection• What projection will the analysis be working in? • Will I need to project the data?

Metadata?• Sometimes incomplete, inaccurate, or not

available• If complete, will answer many questions about

the data

Data Issues and Limitations



Exercise A: Brainstorm Data

Background

The year is 1999. As a recently hired GIS technician for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), your first job is to assist the Tortugas Working Group in gathering data for its upcoming site analysis. Through a series of working group meetings, a number of criteria have been established outlining the parameters of the new Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Use this criteria to decide what data sets you would like to use in the analysis. Remember the issues surrounding data limitations when deciding what data to search for.

Objectives

1. Discuss data that would be necessary to help

site an MPA

2. Review data available and compare with your

data wish list

Goal

After hearing the lecture and working through the exercises, the student will be able to address the issues surrounding data collection and application.




In small groups:

1. Discuss and record data that would be necessary to help site an MPA. The list of site criteria, shown at right, will help you in this task.

2. Prioritize the data in your wish list.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Try to choose an area that would:

• Contain the greatest level of biological diversity

• Provide the greatest benefit in protecting and enhancing important fish species

• Contain boundaries and craft regulations that would facilitate enforcement

• Encompass an area large enough to meet the above-stated criteria

• Serve to minimize adverse socioeconomic impacts on established users of resources in the area

Site Criteria




3. Your instructor will provide a list of data sets that were used in the actual site analysis for the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Do they differ from the data sets you came up with in your groups? If so, why?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

END OF EXERCISE A



Exercise Summary

This exercise introduced you to the MPA initiative currently under way within NOAA and other federal agencies, in particular the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). In a group setting, you were asked to discuss what types of data might be necessary to help site an MPA. You were then asked to look at current available data and compare it with your data wish list. Hopefully, this process has helped you to understand the limitations surrounding data when deciding what data to search for.




Discussion: Data Issues and Limitations

• What other data, realistic or otherwise, would you like to have for your analysis?

• How are your choices affected by data limitations?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________



Lecture: GIS Analysis – Process Development

• Rarely are you able to solve your GIS analysis problem with data as-is

• A set of geoprocessing operations must be performed on your data to obtain your desired result

• These operations include:• Buffering• Map Overlay (Union and Intersection)• Dissolve• Clip• Merge

• Developing a flowchart showing original data sets, operations, and resultant data sets will aid in carrying out the analysis

Define Problem Formulate Goals Create Objectives Acquire Data Develop ProcessesDevelop Processes Implement Process


ArcGIS GeoProcessing Wizard




Buffers

• A polygon created through reclassification at a specified distance from a point, line, or area

• Buffers are useful for denoting areas that lie either within or outside a certain proximity of a feature

• ArcView 8 provides a Buffer Wizard for easy buffer creation



1 Kilometer Buffer Function

River layer

Flood Plain layer




Spatial Data Overlay

• Allows you to combine the attributes of one layer with the attributes of another layer

• The Geoprocessing Wizard in ArcView 8 allows you to perform overlays

• Intersection – produces a new layer that has the combined attributes of both layers but only the features that fall within the spatial extent of both layers

• Union – produces a new layer combining the features and attributes of two polygon layers



Intersection

Union




More Geoprocessing

• Dissolve – Creates new features based on similar attribute values between features in single layer

• Clip – Sets the spatial extent of one layer to equal that of another layer

• Merge – Combines the features of two or more adjacent layers



+ =

+ =




Interpolation

• The procedure of predicting unknown values using the known values at neighboring locations

• Useful for creating a surface from scattered point data

• The resulting surface can be used in overlay operations

• Most often associated with raster data






Visual Basic in ArcGIS

• Visual Basic is an object-oriented programming language that is used to customize ArcGIS

• Scripts, which can be written to control spatial analysis functions, can be integrated into forms that allow user interaction

• Forms can be attached to user interface controls, such as buttons, menus, and tools






Flowchart Development

• A flowchart is an analysis “roadmap”

• Requires that you isolate each item or element (data layer)

• Lines connecting data layers represent the processes necessary to move from one data set to the next



Layer Layer

IntermediateLayer

Result

operation

operation




Flowchart Development



Buildings(Points)

Roads(Polylines)

Rivers(Polylines)

Towns(Polygons)

Schools(Points)

TravelTime(Polygon)

Riverbuf(Polygon)

Townsbuf(Polygon)

Schoolbuf(Polygon)

Intersect1(Polygon)

Union1(Polygon)

State_lands(Polygons)

Finalsite(Polygon)

Select byattributes

NetworkAnalysis

Buffer1000 m

Buffer10 km

Buffer5280 m(3 mi.)

IntersectionOverlay

UnionOverlay

Select byLocation

• An example of a flowchart for an industrial site suitability analysis



Exercise B: Flowchart Development

Background

A colleague in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) has requested your assistance in a preliminary GIS site suitability analysis. Marine zoning is one of the most important tools that FKNMS uses to manage the diverse aquatic resources within its boundaries. One type of marine zone is the Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA). These marine protected areas are typically used to protect areas surrounding shallow, heavily used reefs where concentrated visitor activity has lead to resource degradation. The sanctuary wishes to determine locations where future SPAs may need to be established. Many aspects of the analysis have already been completed: the goals and criteria have been developed by the Sanctuary Advisory Committee, and data have been collected from numerous state and federal agencies. Your job is to create the “blueprint” for the analysis: an analysis flowchart. This flowchart will map out the process to successfully determine a site or multiple sites that meet all criteria.

Objectives

1. Review the analysis data sets and criteria

2. Create a flowchart that will map the analysis

Goal

After hearing the lecture and working through the exercise, the student will be able to successfully create a flowchart to map out a GIS analysis.




In small groups:

Develop a flowchart for a GIS site suitability analysis using the following criteria, as well as the data sets and processes listed at right.

Goal of the Preliminary SPA Site Analysis:

The goal of this GIS site suitability analysis is to determine where areas exist that meet the criteria for establishment of a SPA. A successful site must meet all of the analysis criteria stated below.

Criteria for the Site

• Must lie within the boundaries of FKNMS• Must be within 10 miles of the nearest marina or boat launch facility• Must lie in no more than 10 meters (30 feet) of water• Must contain a seagrass habitat• Must contain a coral reef formation• Must contain at least 1/4 square mile of contiguous area

• FKNMS boundaries• Point locations of both

marinas and boat launches

• Bathymetry contour polygons for the area

• Benthic habitat shapefiles for the area

• A point shapefile containing the locations of coral reefs

• Select-By-Attributes• Select-By-Location• Intersection• Buffering• Union

Data

Processes

CREATE YOUR ANALYSIS FLOWCHART HERE

END OF EXERCISE B



Exercise Summary

In this exercise, you were asked to develop a flowchart for a GIS site suitability analysis based on specific criteria, data sets, and processes. Then, you used this analysis tool (process steps) to determine the areas that meet all the criteria and are, therefore, suitable for area designation.




Discussion: Successful Flowchart Development

• If you turn to page 7-39, you will see an example of the flowchart that was developed for this exercise. Does your flowchart differ from the example? If so, why?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________



Exercise C: Site Suitability Analysis

Background

The analysis flowchart that you developed in the last exercise allowed you to determine the processes that would need to be carried out on the collected data sets to achieve the goal of the analysis. In this exercise, you will use ArcView 8 to implement the analysis in a GIS and determine preliminary locations of future SPAs. Data sets and processes from the last exercise, along with geoprocessing operations such as union and intersection, will help you successfully achieve the goal of your analysis. The results of your preliminary site suitability analysis can be used in the future, along with socioeconomic data, to better analyze each site’s eligibility as a candidate for SPA designation.

Objectives of the Exercise

1. Use the flowchart provided to determine the geoprocessing operations that will be used in the analysis

2. Customize the user interface to group all necessary geoprocessing operations into one toolbar

3. Perform geoprocessing operations to achieve desired result

4. Import and attach a customized Visual Basic script to the user interface

Goal of the Exercise

After hearing the lecture and working through the exercise, the student will be able to successfully implement an analysis in a GIS. To achieve this goal, the student will become familiar with some of the more advanced functions of ArcView 8.




Summary of Process Steps

1. Customize the Graphical User Interface – Create a custom toolbar containing all of the tools that will be needed for the analysis

2. Buffer Marinas and Boat Ramps – Create ten mile buffer polygons surrounding marina and boat ramp point locations

3. Select Bathymetry and Benthic Habitat Features by Attribute – Use Select by Attributes function to select bathymetry contours <= 10 meters in depth and seagrass benthic habitats

4. Perform Geoprocessing Operations – Use Geoprocessing Wizard to perform polygon overlay functions (union, intersection)

5. Determine Area Using Visual Basic Script – Create a custom tool using a Visual Basic form to calculate area of final sites

“Tools” Menu

Buffer Wizard – Allows you to create a polygon buffer surrounding another feature

Geoprocessing Wizard – Allows you to perform union and intersection overlay operations

“Selection” Menu

Select by Attributes – Allows you to select features by attribute values

Select by Location – Allows you to select a feature based on its location relative to other features

Tools to Use

Data

In the Site_Analysis data directory:

SPA_Site_Analysis.mxd ArcMap documentReefnames.shp Point shapefileS_FL_Marinas.shp Point shapefileS_FL_Btrmp.shp Point shapefileLand.shp Polygon shapefileFKNMS.shp Polygon shapefileBen_hab.shp Polygon shapefileBathy.shp Polygon shapefile



Marinas(Point)

Boat Ramps(Point)

Bathymetry(Polygon)

Benthic(Polygon)

Coral Reefs(Point)

FKNMS(Polygon)

MarinaBuf(Polygon)

RampBuf(Polygon)

OKDepth(Polygon)

Seagrass(Polygon)

VisitorArea(Polygon)

OKGrass(Polygon)

NMSVisitDepth(Polygon)

FKNMSVisitor(Polygon)

ReefSelect(Polygon)

Buffer 10 miiles

Buffer10 miles

Select byAttribute

Select<=10 meters

Union

Intersect

Intersect

Intersect

Select byLocation

FinalSite(Polygon)

DetermineArea UsingVB Form


Analysis Flowchart




1. Customize the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

To begin, examine the flowchart on page 7-39; this will contain all of the data sets and processes that will be used in the exercise (it might be a good idea to remove it from the manual and keep it close by). Open ArcMap, navigate to the Site_Analysis data directory and open the SPA_Site_Analysis.mxd map document.

Notice that six of the seven layers in the map document are represented on the left side of the flowchart. All of the processes that you will be performing in this exercise and their resultant data sets are represented. It may be helpful to remove the flowchart from the manual as you will use it throughout this exercise to determine how the analysis will proceed.

In an effort to simplify the analysis process, you will create a customized toolbar that will contain only the tools that you will need for this exercise. Click on Tools > Customize. The Customize window displays all of the toolbars that are available to you; toolbars that are visible are checked. Click on the New button to create a new custom toolbar. In the next dialog window, name the toolbar Site Analysis and choose to save it in the SPA_Site_Analysis.mxd map document. Click OK to create the toolbar.

The other choice you have is to save the toolbar to the normal.mxt file. This is known as a map document template file. Any changes you save to this file will be reflected in the ArcMap program interface, not just your current project file. It’s a good idea not to save changes to this document, as they will show up every time you run ArcMap.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): The collective group of all buttons, menus and tools that allow the user to interact with the program

Map document template: Similar to the ArcView 3.x project file (*.apr); a kind of map document that contains user customizations to the interface, map layout, etc. The default template is normal.mxt

Glossary Terms




1. Customize the Graphical User Interface (continued)

Now that you have created a custom toolbar, you can add the tools you will need for the analysis. In the Customize window, click on the Commands tab. The tools that you will be using in the analysis are found in the Selection and Tools categories.

Click on Selection in the Categories dialog box. On the right-hand side are all of the selection commands (tools). Scroll down until you see the Select by Attributes tool. Click and drag the tool away from the Customize window and drop it onto the Site Analysis toolbar that you just created (it should be floating on the interface). Repeat the same process for the Select by Location tool.

On the left-hand side of the Customize window, click on the Tools category (you may need to scroll down). Repeat the process outlined above to add the Buffer Wizard and Geoprocessing Wizard to the Site Analysis toolbar. Once you have finished, click Close.

The site analysis toolbar will most likely be a floating toolbar at this point. Click and drag the toolbar next to any of the other toolbars to dock it onto the graphical user interface.

Besides eliminating multiple keystrokes or mouse clicks, can you think of any other advantages to customizing the interface? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just about anything can be customized in the user interface, including menus and text boxes

Did You Know?




2. Buffer Marinas and Boat Ramps

If you refer to the flowchart, you will notice that the first two operations that you will need to perform involve creating a

buffer. Click on the Buffer Wizard tool . In the first dialog box, choose to buffer the features of a layer and select

Marinas as the layer you want to use. Click Next.

The Buffer Wizard allows you to create a polygon around each marina and boat ramp location. It will be assumed that areas that fall within these buffer polygons will be easily accessible, as they will all lie no more than 10 miles from the nearest boat launch location.

In the second dialog box, choose to create the buffers at a specified distance and enter 10. Make sure the distance units are set to Miles and click Next.

The third dialog box asks if you would like to dissolve barriers. Click Yes as we want to create one single polygon feature.

At the bottom of the third dialog box, you are asked where you want to save the buffer data. Choose to save the buffers in a new layer. Name the new layer Marinabuf.shp and save the file in your Site_Analysis data directory. Click Finish to begin the buffering process.

Repeat the same process for the Boat Ramps layer. The distance will be the same (10 miles). Save the output file as RampBuf.shp in the Site_Analysis directory.




3. Select Bathymetry and Benthic Habitat Features by Attribute

Click on the Select by Attributes tool . Set the layer to Bathymetry and the method to create new selection. The flowchart shows that you will want to select the contours that are less than or equal to 10 and greater than 0 meters in depth. Create a SQL expression that will select these values from the MAX_DEPTH field. Don’t forget to use the Verify button a to make sure the expression that you create is valid.

There is another field that can be used to select the desired bathymetry contours. Can you figure out which one? Which values would you use? __________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Now that the desired depth contours have been selected, you will want to export them to a new shapefile. Right-click on the Bathymetry data layer in the table of contents. Select Data > Export Data. Choose to export only the selected features using the same coordinate system as the layer’s source data. Save the file as OKDepth in the Site_Analysis data directory.

Repeat the above process to select and export benthic habitat features by attribute. Create a SQL expression that will select all seagrass categories in the HAB_GROUP field [HINT: There are two categories: continuous and patchy – use the “or” expression to select features that have either habitat group]. Export the selected features as Seagrass.shp in the Site_Analysis directory.

For more information on the benthic habitats of the Florida Keys, visit the project page of the National Ocean Service (NOS) Special Projects Office

spo.nos.noaa.gov/ projects/benthic_ habitats/

Web Links




4. Perform Geoprocessing Operations

The Geoprocessing Wizard provides a step-by-step methodology for performing geoprocessing operations on data sets. Click on the Geoprocessing Wizard tool .

Examining the flowchart from left to right, the first geoprocessing operation that needs to be performed is a union of the buffer polygon data sets that you just created. In the opening screen of the Geoprocessing Wizard, choose to union two layers. Click Next. In the next screen choose MarinaBuf as the input layer to union and RampBuf as the layer you want to use as the polygon overlay layer. Save the output layer as VisitorArea in the Site_Analysis data directory. Click Finish to process the operation.

Why did you perform a union operation here, as opposed to an intersection? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Continuing to the right on the flowchart, the next operation that is encountered is an intersection of the VisitorArea layer that was just created and the Florida Keys NMS polygon boundary layer. Open the Geoprocessing Wizard again, but this time choose to intersect two layers. In the next screen, choose the VisitorArea and FKNMS boundaries as the input and overlay layers. In the third and final screen, save the output layer as FKNMSVisitor in the Site_Analysis directory.

Union – An overlay operation in which the output data set contains the spatial bounds of both input data sets while containing the attributes of only one of the data sets. Think of union as the equivalent of the Boolean “or” operator

Glossary Terms




4. Perform Geoprocessing Operations (continued)

Why did you perform an intersection operation here, as opposed to a union operation? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use the flowchart to determine what data sets should be used in the next two intersections and perform them using the previously outlined geoprocessing operations. The result of these two operations will be a shapefile named OKGrass that will contain areas that meet all but two of the analysis criteria. (NOTE: Due to the large number of features in the benthic habitat data, the intersection involving the seagrass layer will take a couple of minutes to process).

Once you have created the OKGrass layer, click on the Select by Location tool . In the Select by Location window, choose to select features from the OKGrass layer that contain features in the Coral Reefs layer. Click Apply and then Close.

Once you have selected the features from the OKGrass layer, export them to a new shapefile by right clicking on the OKGrass layer in the table of contents. Select Data > Export data. Choose to export the selected features using the same coordinate system as the layer’s source data and name the output shapefile ReefSelect in the Site_Analysis directory.

Intersection – An overlay operation in which the output data set contains the spatial bounds of those areas that have attribute values from both input data sets. Think of intersection as the Boolean “and” operator

Glossary Terms




5. Determine Area Using Visual Basic Script

One of the largest changes made in the transition from ArcView 3 to ArcView 8 is the elimination of the Avenue programming language. ArcView 8 relies on a more universal object-oriented language, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Users can employ VBA to create custom programs, contained in interactive forms, that can be associated with a new button on the interface. ArcView 8 contains a Visual Basic Editor that allows users to write, compile, and debug program code without the need of a separate program.

Click on Tools > Customize in the ArcMap menu.

In the Customize window:

1. Click on the Commands tab

2. Select UIControls

3. Click on the New UIControl button

Visual Basic for Applications – An object-oriented programming language that provides a graphical programming environment and allows for easy development of user interfaces

Glossary Terms

1

2

3

1

3

2




5. Determine Area Using Visual Basic Script (continued)

In the New UIControl window:

4. Set the UIControl type to UIButtonControl

5. Click on the Create and Edit button.

This will open the Visual Basic Editor.

On the left-hand side of the Visual Basic Editor is the Project Explorer window. There will be two items in the window, Normal and Project. Click on the (+) button next to Project (SPA_Site_Anlaysis.mxd). There you will find two subdirectories: ArcMap Objects and References. You will be using the ArcMap Objects subdirectory.

As discussed previously, the Normal object (Normal.mxt) in the Project Explorer window is the map document template file. In this exercise you will be working with the Project (Siting A SPA.mxd) object, as changes made to this object will only affect the current map document and not the program interface as a whole.

Have you ever had experience with Visual Basic? If so, can you think of the advantages of using VBA to customize ArcView? ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UIControl – User Interface Control: Visual Basic code that controls the activities of a button, tool, or menu on the user interface

Glossary Terms

4

5 4

5





NOTE: Make sure that Project (SPA_Site_Analysis.mxd) is selected in the Project Explorer window. Click on File > Import File. In the Import File window, navigate to the Site_Analysis directory and select the frmArea1.frm file.

The majority of the main window is taken up by VBA code in the Full Module View window. Click on the Procedure View button in the bottom-left-hand portion of the window to view code that applies only to the button you just created (UIButtonControl1). Enter the following block of code (highlighted in blue) into the Procedure View window:

Private Sub UIButtonControl1_Click() Load frmArea1

frmArea1.ShowEnd Sub

NOTE: If the code that appears in black shown above does not appear in the Procedure View window, make sure the pull-down menu at the top left is set to UIButtonControl1.

Click on File > Save SPA_Site_Analysis.mxd to save the changes you made to the code.

For more information on Visual Basic, visit Microsoft’s site at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/

Web Links





The code that you just entered assigns an action to a control. In this case, the assigned action tells ArcMap to open and display a premade Visual Basic form named frmArea1 when you click a button on the interface. Now you will attach the button control (UIButtonControl1) to a button on the interface.

Click on File > Close and return to ArcMap.

Click on Tools > Customize. In the Customize window, click on the Commands tab. The menu should automatically scroll to and highlight UIControls. The control that you just created, Project.UIButtonControl1, will appear in the Commands window.

In order to add the button control to a new button on the interface, simply click on Project.UIButtonControl1 and drag it to the Site Analysis toolbar that you created at the beginning of the exercise. In order to give the new button an icon, right-click on the button and select Change Button Image. Choose the happy face button . Click Close on the Customize window.

The final criterion that a successful site must meet is that the site must be at least ¼ square mile in area. You can now use this new button and associated form to calculate the area of your final sites.

ESRI provides numerous Visual Basic scripts to on-line users as free shareware. Visit ESRI’s Web site

arcscripts.esri.com

Web Links





Select the ReefSelect layer in the table of contents. Click on the new button to bring up the Calculate Area window. Click on the Calculate Area button to run the VB script. A new field, Area2, will be added to the table and populated with the area of each feature in the units specified by its projection. In this case, the units will be square meters as the projection of each shapefile is UTM.

According to the site selection criteria, a successful site should contain at least ¼ square mile in contiguous area (approximately 647,500 square meters). Open the attribute table of the ReefSelect layer and go to Options and use the Select by Attributes tool to create a SQL expression that will select those features in the ReefSelect layer that contain at least 647,500 square meters (Don’t forget to use the “Area2” field). Export the selected features, name the new shapefile FinalSite and choose to use the same coordinate system as the source data.

If the exercise was completed successfully, there should be four selected sites. The northernmost adjacent sites are already home to an SPA (Grecian Rocks), as is the large site candidate in the center of the display (Hen and Chickens). This leaves you with one candidate site that is not already designated as an MPA. A more detailed GIS analysis can be carried out on this site to determine if it meets socioeconomic criteria. In this exercise you learned how to carry out a simple site suitability analysis using advanced operations in ArcView.

END OF EXERCISE C



Exercise Summary

In the previous exercise, you were asked to design your own flowchart mapping out process steps for a GIS site suitability analysis. However, in this exercise you were already given a flowchart to work with and then asked to determine the geoprocessing operation used in the analysis. Following that procedure, you were then asked to customize the ArcMap interface to include a toolbar with the functionality of all the necessary geoprocessing operations. Once you completed the new and improved GUI (Graphical user interface), you were asked to perform the geoprocessing operations in order to accomplish the task at hand. Finally, you were asked to import and include a customized VB script to the ArcMap interface. So not only did you design the process step for a site suitability analysis, but you can now package that functionality into the ArcMap interface for others to use.




Module Summary

You should now have a better understanding of the processes surrounding a GIS analysis. As you have seen, a successful analysis involves a significant amount of preparation before it can be implemented in a software program such as ArcView 8. It is important to reemphasize that the results of a GIS analysis should not be regarded as THE solution to your issue, but as a decision-support tool.

The effective management and conservation of valuable marine resources is one of the major focuses of the coastal zone management community. The ongoing MPA initiative will provide a better understanding of marine protected areas and their capacity in the resource management and conservation role. The ultimate goal of MPAs is to balance conservation with commercial and recreational activity; successful designation will involve input from all involved parties. The formal role of GIS in MPA designation has yet to be determined, but the results of the Tortugas 2000 initiative show that GIS provides a valuable asset to this complex process.

Estimated Length: 2.5 Hours Introduction GIS Analysis Development Siting Marine Protected Areas...

Documents

Transcript of Estimated Length: 2.5 Hours Introduction GIS Analysis Development Siting Marine Protected Areas...