Environmental Information Systems - Paperback

by Oliver Günther (Author)

This is the first textbook on environmental information systems. It gives a thorough introduction to the relevant information systems technology and its application in environmental management.

Back Jacket

Environmental information systems are concerned with the management of data about the soil, the water, the air, and the species in the world around us. This is the first textbook on the topic. It presents a conceptual framework for environmental information systems by structuring the data flow into four phases: data capture, data storage, data analysis, and metadata management. This flow corresponds to a complex aggregation process during which the incoming raw date is gradually transformed into concise documents that can be used for high-level decision support. The book covers the concepts underlying this process, including statistical classification, data fusion, uncertainty management, knowledge based systems, GIS, spatial databases, multidimensional access methods, object-oriented databases, simulation models, and Internet-based information management. It also presents several case studies of environmental information systems in practice.