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The increase in massive volumes of point data that are continuously being generated calls for more powerful solutions to analyze and explore this data. Very often, such data includes a direct or indirect reference to a location on the Earth and can then be referred to as ‘big geospatial data’. Maps are one of the best ways to assist humans with understanding geospatial relationships in such data. In this paper, we present a comprehensive workflow for generating all possible thematic map types from two-dimensional univariate big geospatial point data. The objective is twofold: to facilitate and support thematic map automation, and to make this information accessible to software developers. The workflow illustrates processing steps, design choices and dependencies between them based on the characteristics of input data. Processing steps and design choices that can be automated and those requiring human intervention are identified. The scope of the workflow in this paper was restricted to two-dimensional univariate geospatial point data and planar and true geometrical map depictions. The results presented in this paper support the development of geovisualization and geovisual analytics tools for big geospatial data.

Python programming and the application of web services technology can be considered important skills for geomatics students when looking for employment later. A course on Web Processing Services (WPS) as part of the International Geomatics master programme at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences takes this into consideration while using the opportunity of making students aware of less-known thematic mapping methods. Students are introduced to automating a complex geoprocessing task and finally wrapping it into a WPS. It is achieved by following the phases of first conceptualizing the single steps before then using ArcGIS ModelBuilder and Python scripts in combination to build the processing chain. The alternate band map method serves as example in the hands-on exercise. Later students are asked to automate the generation of the geometries for the map face and/or map legend supporting other thematic mapping methods like the square density map or the absolute value raster map. The paper discusses the teaching approach and experiences made so far. Conceptualizing the automatization of a given complex geoprocessing problem proved to be the most challenging part for the students.

A purpose-built mobile data collection application is used to plan and implement community-oriented primary care (COPC) in a pilot project in the City of Tshwane (South Africa). Web reports present the data in the form of tables, graphs and point maps, but other types of thematic maps have not yet been implemented. We describe a proof-of-concept web map application that presents the COPC data in different cartographic representations. To reveal spatio-temporal patterns and correlations in the daily growing dataset, the user can choose between choropleth maps, segmented proportional circle maps, or a combination of these. The data is shown aggregated by administrative unit or by regular grid cell. As the user zooms in, the aggregation level automatically changes to smaller aggregation units. The setting of a threshold ensures data privacy protection. Spider diagrams link households visited by community health workers during a user-specified period to the sending clinic. The web maps can empower those involved in COPC to dynamically tailor health care provision to the complexity of people’s health needs. It is a valuable addition to the mobile application and web reports, and could contribute to more effective and efficient service delivery to meet the specificity of localized needs.

To date, most studies on uncertainty visualisations have focused on two-dimensional representations. The closing of the software gap between three-dimensional (3D) graphics and geovisualisation pre...

Geospatial tools in a Web 2.0 environment can encourage citizens to engage with and influence their environment through online participation. In the field of geomatics, today’s students have to develop competencies in current technologies and learn how to adapt to continuously and rapidly changing technologies and applications. At the same time, we live in a globalized world where we increasingly deal with people from different backgrounds or have to commute to unknown places and environments for work. In this paper, we report about the experiences of students and lecturer participants from Germany and South Africa in a summer school on geomatics and participation, held in Karlsruhe, Germany, in July 2016. The starting point was to learn about nature conservation in Germany, particularly about the Rhine floodplains close to Rastatt. Mobile mapping apps were developed for this area with the aim of supporting conservation efforts. Confronting the participants with a new geographic area, a software development environment unknown to them and group work with participants from both universities has led to interesting insights beyond getting to know the partner university. From an evaluation of the summer school by participants, it was evident that the summer school succeeded in raising interest for participation in the student exchange programme and that participants expect clear guidance on the objectives of different activities. The balance between socializing and work provides a unique atmosphere for effective teaching and working, making a summer school such an enjoyable experience for students and lecturers.

Over the last 100 years the Kakamega-Nandi forests area, western Kenya, experienced a loss of about 60 % in natural forest cover due to human interferences. In order to create awareness for sustainable forest use among the local population, tools for environmental education have been developed. The tools, here among others a jigsaw puzzle and a card game, aim at making use of geospatial data because map reading literacy is considered a prerequisite in any natural resource management and planning. The tools are introduced as well as the chosen participatory approach, which allowed enhancement of prototypes in an iterative manner.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is Africa’s most endangered large felid. In Kenya, cheetahs are extirpated from 25% of their historic range with 75% of the population residing outside protected areas. Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) endeavours to understand cheetah ecology and threats in human-dominated landscapes. The NGO is a suitable candidate for benefitting from the development and deployment of mobile map apps on smartphones to support the monitoring of species, also by so-called citizen scientists. The apps enable a digital workflow of data collection, transfer and analysis. This paper describes the process of developing custom mobile map apps from the conceptualizing of a system from data collection to data storage. We discuss the implementation as well as on the ground testing which included a usability study. The software environment from Esri’s platform tools were used but aiming at a low-cost solution which supports both secure monitoring in the field and the management of sensitive data. Due to hardware constraints the implemented system cannot be considered a state-of-the art version, but for ACK it is a big step towards digital data collection by means of an app family and data management in a database. A Web frontend allows for input on cheetah sightings also from outside the organization and serves the purpose of visualizing observation efforts for potential donors. While software development took place mainly in Germany, the usability study following the installation of the mobile app monitoring system targeted twelve ACK staff members on the ground in Kenya. Before the testing the users expected faster and less work in particular in the field and an easier reporting to office staff and streamlined data collection. After testing the mobile apps or the data management routines, answers shifted to pointing out benefits of faster data transfer and in-time data access. The evaluation provided valuable insights in the needs for reaching a routine level and high quality data recording and management.

Large-scale modifications of natural ecosystems lead to mosaics of natural, semi-natural and intensively used habitats. To improve communication in conservation planning, managers and other stakeholders need spatially explicit projections at the landscape scale of future biodiversity under different land-use scenarios. For that purpose, we visualized the potential effect of five forest management scenarios on the avifauna of Kakamega Forest, western Kenya using different measures of bird diversity and GIS data. Future projections of bird diversity combined: (1) remotely sensed data on the spatial distribution of different forest management types; (2) field-based data on the biodiversity of birds in the different management types; and (3) forest management scenarios that took into account possible views of various stakeholder groups. Management scenarios based on the species richness of forest specialists were very informative, because they reflected differences in the proportions of near-natural forest types among the five scenarios. Projections based on community composition were even more meaningful, as they mirrored not only the proportions of near-natural forest types, but also their perimeter to area ratios. This highlights that it is important to differentiate effects of the total area of available habitat and the degree of habitat fragmentation, both for species richness and community composition. Furthermore, our study shows that an approach that combines land-use scenarios, remote sensing and field data on biodiversity can be used to visualize future biodiversity. As such, visualizations of alternative scenarios are valuable for successful communication about conservation planning considering different groups of stakeholders in species-rich tropical forests.

A student assignment within the concluding module on map compilation is taken to elaborate on the difference between maps (cartography) and info graphics (information design). By describing the task and approach, the various skills adding to the outcomes — a more traditional newspaper map and an appealing info graphics each for up to now 47 distinct topics — are demonstrated and discussed. This is meant to highlight the still existing need of important original carto-graphic skills in the otherwise rather IT-focused training of nowadays.

Remote sensing and geoinformation systems (GIS) play an important role in biodiversity research and management, strengthened by the increasing availability of very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. The interdisciplinary research project BIOTA East Africa has acquired five QuickBird scenes of early 2005 covering Kakamega Forest (western Kenya) and surrounding farmland. Pre-processing steps applied to the imagery included the correction of atmospheric and orographic influences as well as a mosaicing procedure. This study demonstrates the benefits to object-based image analysis: after a thorough pre-processing, a) objects of the same kind have more consistent characteristics, b) segments do not orientate themselves to the join of adjacent image swaths. A rule-based multi-resolution classification scheme is presented for deriving landscape structures in the agricultural matrix surrounding the forest. The high complexity of the farmland, with extremely small structured parcels, demands analysis strategies that make use of image derivates obtained from cadastral maps as well as ground truth information. Finally, the classification result is compared to one based on the unprocessed imagery, emphasizing implications of pre-processing for object-based image analysis.

Today, graduates seek employment in a global marketplace, regardless of the country in which they studied. Comparing academic programs helps students, academics and employers to make informed decisions about study options, program offerings and the employment of recent graduates. In this study, we juxtapose geospatial technologyrelated programs at three universities located in Europe, Africa and America. Initially, the authors contributed information about these programs through a questionnaire comprising several open-ended questions about the origins and development of the respective programs. Subsequently, the proportional thematic compositions of programs at the three universities were compared. As expected, this study was not without challenges. From the outset, we struggled with agreeing on terminology and semantics. Results of the study indicate that there is not a one-size-fits-all strategy for establishing, shaping and sustaining such programs. Program composition is guided by many factors, including staff expertise, university politics, legislation, attractiveness to students, technological developments, demands in the job market and requirements set by a professional body. Some of these factors are strongly influenced by the local (university) environment (e.g. staff expertise), others are of national relevance (e.g. legislation and a national professional body), while some apply globally (e.g. technological developments). The study illustrated how a comparison of proportional program composition can reveal significant differences and similarities that are not obvious when only content is compared. The compositional differences naturally result in graduates with different knowledge and skills that allow different career paths and meet different needs of the job market.