Geographic information systems

All learning modules

Courses objectives

Provide basis for the conception, functioning and potential applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the management of environmental resources and forests.
Bring practical experience of a GIS software for the conception, design and use of a spatial database for natural resources management.
Develop skills for the assessment and expression of needs in GIS, and provide knowledge on what is possible to do with such a tool in a professional environment.

Course contents

Lectures
- Introduction to GIS: concepts and functions; basic data models
- Geographic databases and geo-referencing, projections systems
- Relational databases: entity relation-model; conceptual, logic and operational models; SQL language
- Links between GIS and relational databases
- Data capturing and organization
- Vector analysis
- Map design.
Practical work:
- GIS implementation (QGIS software) from data related to natural ecosystems management.

Teaching and learning methods

The course consists of lectures and practical work.

Course evaluation

Individual exam.

Target skills

By the end of the unit, students should be able to

explain the principles of GIS for applications in rural resource management
use a database management system to design and implement a database for forest resource management
use GIS software to complete a number of rural resource exercises, design a GIS model, enter data and complete a number of queries relevant to forest resources management.

This course does not provide skills of remote sensing.

Course Coordinator(s)

Dr. CHERY Jean-Pierre
Lecturer in Geomatics
jean-pierre.chery @ agroparistech.fr

Dr. Raphaël MANLAY
Lecturer in functional ecology
raphael.manlay @ agroparistech.fr

Carla BALTZER
Lecturer in forest engineering
carla.baltzer @ agroparistech.fr