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  • From: Rich Blaha <rich@mossbackfarm.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org, paul.cereghino@comcast.net
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] GIS
  • Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:56:48 -0700

Hi Paul

There is some competition for ESRI, but Qgis is starting waaaaaayyyy behind the juggernaut, with a huge lead to overcome. But hey, they said that about firefox, too.

I've never worked with Qgis....I'm thinking of messing around with it some this winter, but I know for a fact it won't happen before then. Hawth's Tools (http://www.spatialecology.com/htools/tooldesc.php) is probably what you're looking for as a free plug in to Arc9x. It's got pretty much the functionality that I remember from the free Xtools, plus a little more.
I'd love to see your database/template/model. What's the best way to get it (with the understanding that I'm on a dialup connection.... :) )?

Cheers
Rich
www.mossbackfarm.com/journal

6. Re: introduction (Paul Cereghino)



------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 23:24:28 -0700
From: Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [permaculture] introduction
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4518C79C.6060503@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Rich -- Glad to hear that there is finally some competition for ESRI! Do you know if QGIS has the ability to draw and calculate the area of polygons. Or alternately if there is a free extension for ArcGis 9.x that has the same functions as XTools -- a once free extension created for ArcView 4.x by some forestry guys in Oregon? I have used GIS for site planning and have found it very useful... given that you have some rational for developing the proficiency. For native revegetation projects I typically divide sites into polygons based on the intersection of existing conditions and desired future conditions. GIS allows calculation of polygon area. The areas can be used as the basis for calculating plant counts based on templates and density... the fastest way to get from a landscape to a shopping or propagation list. I have developed an Access database that allows multiple planting templates to be applied in multiple phases over multiple zones and then it spits out a range of reports from nursery requests for availability to plant placement specs and cost estimates based on stock type. These reports can be 'rolled up' by phase or by zone or whatever your interest. The template concept translates well to the guild concept. Multiple templates in a zone can be a multiple guild mosaic. I am looking for critique and the database is roughly public domain if you have Access. I have been considering buying the Plants for a Future database so I can adapt this tool to agroforestry design, but I am unsure how well I would be able to query the PfaF database for species appropriate to my temperate maritime dry summer climate, though I could hand pick based on personal preference and availability.

Paul Cereghino
Olympia, WA, USA




  • Re: [permaculture] GIS, Rich Blaha, 09/26/2006

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