Linking Data Between the Worksheets and GIS Databases for Effective Management of the Environmental Projects
Résumé
The paper focuses on the spatial and attributive data structuring, sorting and effective organizing by means of GIS. Introduction. The effective organization of the data and linking various formats for smart environmental data management is the aim of this work. The research has been done during author's research stay at the Biogeochemistry Group of the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Kuopio (Eastern Finland). Updating and structuring geodatabase, and data linking from different projects is the essential part of the environmental data management.
1. Data compilation and preparing for the database. The available thematic tables were compiled and stored on a computer, dedicated for database management. These data are mostly MS Excel thematic tables containing several different data: climatic, soil, chemical elements, relevant emissions or flux data (CO2, N2O and CH4). The data were saved in their initial form and used for the main table 'Measurements.xls' containing all information in a standard form. All tables contain their metadata on the projects (coordinates, place and date of the measurements, researcher ID, publications from previous projects etc). The standards for the main table were set up: number, contain and form of the thematic fields. The data were organized according to their requirements and suggestions about the intended database structure. After analysing the data content, the table 'Metadata_Finland.xls' containing common following fields with the explanation of their meaning was created.
Once the data are organized in a geodatabase by the workspace, they enables logical and spatial operations: controlling access to datasets with measurements; providing transaction framework for updating and sharing datasets when new data received at the fieldwork; organizing, documentation and storing in a catalog geographic datasets. Final content in the Geodatabase workspace includes: ArcGIS files, e.g. Finland.mxd ArcMap with the Finland shape files (.shp) and maplayer files (.lyr), External datasets of Excel tables; Subfolders containing file geodatabases in different coordinate systems (Finnish national and world ArcGIS coordinate system), Microsoft Access files (.mdb) containing personal geodatabase. Current research demonstrated effective data management for environmental research. So far, the data were stored by individual researchers responsible for their own projects. Now the data are collected together in a very structured system. Thus, it is possible to add further information and relevant data into this database systematically and to use them for the thematic research. The necessary amendments or additions of the information can be done as new data from the field expeditions become available. The data of both terrestrial and acquatic ecosystems of Finland with the key information of fluxes measurements of chemical elements (CO2, N2O, CH4) are collected in one main Table Measurements.xls with a separate catalogue of all this data: Metadata_Finland.xls containing essencial information and site codes.
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