Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership

What Is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) uses computers and software to leverage the fundamental principle of geography – that location is important in people’s lives. GIS is computer software that links geographic information (where things are) with descriptive information (what things are like). A GIS generated map has many layers of information for many ways of thinking about a geographic space. GIS can integrate georeferenced imagery as data layers or themes and link them to other data sets to produce geospatial representations of data. The ability of GIS to manage, correlate, predict, model and share geographic information makes GIS an essential analytical tool.

Reason for GIS :
A geographic information system can show the time and spatial relationships of datasets, allowing changes to be analyzed and visualized. The GIS utilizes computer technology that makes these specialized data available to external users via a simple web interface. The intent is to provide a resource for consolidating important data.

How it Works:
A GIS organizes information associated with specific geographic locations into a database that can be queried by topic and location. The results can be displayed as maps with overlays of various kinds of information, allowing the spatial relationship of the data to be seen.

Accessing the Data:
By using web links, remotely located smaller computers can easily access the powerful computers and complex software required for such work. The GIS has therefore been designed to respond to queries from users’ desktop computers for specific datasets and mapping functions, whether or not they have GIS software themselves.

Benefits:
Researchers can combine data in new ways to analyze patterns and trends not evident in separate databases. The GIS enables data to be extracted, combined in new ways, and displayed. Computer models and GIS can thus provide valuable planning tools for project stakeholders. The public interest is well served by having GIS data available to help people understand the research being conducted in their region.

*How the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership is using GIS:* The Big Sky Partnership will be integrating the use of GIS into six focus areas to serve our region and support the national carbon sequestration effort.
•	Core Data – Comprehensive digital library of map-based data layers needed by project stakeholders (researchers, managers, decision makers, and the public)
•	Communication – Communication between project stakeholders to assure data needs are met
•	Model/Data Integration – Fusion, data/model coupling, data/model warehousing
•	GIS Tools – state of the art capabilities for spatial information management, consensus building, data fusion, model coupling, technical/policy analysis and visualization
•	Data Delivery – enterprise design that assures reliable access and integration for the decision-making process
•	Education and Outreach – intuitive map-based approach that explains fundamental carbon science and enables critical thinking

Sources:
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), http://www.esri.com;
Los Alamos National Laboratoy (LANL), http://www.cgrp-gis.lanl.gov

Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership
PO Box 172460
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717-2460
406-994-3755
bigskycarbon@montana.edu