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Open-Source Tools for Environmental Modeling

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Springer Handbook of Geographic Information

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Abstract

Environmental modeling and management is an important application area for geographic information. At the outset of a modeling or management project, the location of the study is explored and existing data are mapped and visualized. When the project progresses, data need to be stored and equations need to be implemented. Free and open-source software (FOSS) provides tools that are shared by their developers to be used, studied, extended, and redistributed. The total body of FOSS is already enormous and includes a substantial collection of geospatial software. FOSS is maintained and developed further by a community, which can be freely joined and which appreciates contributions. The geospatial FOSS community, represented by the OSGeo foundation, develops several software products that can be linked together, to environmental models, and to other software. The software platform for environmental modeling and management is a set of tools and a set of services. Generic FOSS modeling tools, such as R and Python, have been made geospatially aware by geospatial FOSS libraries. Geospatial FOSS constitutes platforms for developing applications for environmental management. It supports web services well, which is an important part of the geospatial platform.

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Abbreviations

2-D:

two-dimensional

3-D:

three-dimensional

API:

application programming interface

ASCII:

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

BASINS:

better assessment science integrating point and nonpoint sources

BLM:

US Bureau of Land Management

CGAL:

Computational Geometry Algorithms Library

CLI:

common language infrastructure

CPAN:

Comprehensive Perl Archive Network

CRAN:

Comprehensive R Archive Network

DEM:

digital elevation model

DSS:

decision support system

EPA:

US Environmental Protection Agency

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

FFI:

foreign function interface

FOSS:

free and open-source software

GDAL:

Geospatial Data Abstraction Library

GEOS:

Geometry Engine – Open Source

GIS:

Geographic Information System

GLPK:

GNU linear programming kit

GNOME:

GNU object model environment

GRASS:

Geographic Resources Analysis Support System

GUI:

graphical user interface

IA:

integrated assessment

IPC:

interprocess communication

JTS:

Java Topology Suite

KDE:

K desktop environment

LGPL:

GNU Lesser General Public License

LIDAR:

light detection and ranging, Laser Scanning

MIP:

Multilateral Interoperability Programme

NM:

nautical miles

OGC:

Open Geospatial Consortium

OGR:

OpenGIS Simple Features Reference Implementation

OSGeo:

Open Source Geospatial Foundation

PDL:

Perl Data Language

POV-Ray:

Persistence of Vision Raytracer

PyPI:

Python Package Index

RDBMS:

relational database management system

SAGA:

System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses

SME:

spatial modeling environment

SQL:

Structured Query Language

SWAT:

soil and water assessment tool

SWE:

Sensor Web Enablement

SWIG:

simplified wrapper and interface generator

SWMM5:

storm water management model

SWT:

Standard Widget Toolkit

UN:

United Nations

UNEP:

United Nations Environment Programme

USGS:

United States Geological Survey

VM:

virtual machine

WCS:

Web Coverage Service

WFP:

United Nations World Food Programme

WFS:

Web Feature Service

WKB:

well known binary

WMS:

Web Map Server

WPS:

Web Processing Service

XAML:

Extensible Application Markup Language

XML:

Extensible Markup Language

iEMSs:

International Environmental Modeling and Software Society

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Aalto University School of Engineering, Niemenkatu 73, 15140, Lahti, Finland

    Ari Jolma

  2. Geosciences and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Idaho State University, 995 University Blvd., 83402, Idaho Falls, ID, USA

    Daniel P. Ames

  3. Department Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 10024, New York, USA

    Ned Horning

  4. Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, 2800 Faucette Drive, 27695, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Helena Mitasova

  5. GIS and Remote Sensing Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, S. Michele allʼAdige (TN), Italy

    Markus Neteler

  6. Z-Pulley Inc., 98260, Langley, WA, USA

    Aaron Racicot

  7. Linfiniti Consulting CC., 3 Buirski Plein, 6740, Swellendam, Western Cape, South Africa

    Tim Sutton

Authors
  1. Ari Jolma
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  2. Daniel P. Ames
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  3. Ned Horning
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  4. Helena Mitasova
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  5. Markus Neteler
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  6. Aaron Racicot
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  7. Tim Sutton
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ari Jolma , Daniel P. Ames , Ned Horning , Helena Mitasova , Markus Neteler , Aaron Racicot or Tim Sutton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg, Brodaer Str. 2, 17033, Neubrandenburg, Germany

    Wolfgang Kresse

  2. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 8615 Westwood Center Drive, 22182-2214, Vienna, VA, USA

    David M. Danko

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Jolma, A. et al. (2011). Open-Source Tools for Environmental Modeling. In: Kresse, W., Danko, D. (eds) Springer Handbook of Geographic Information. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72680-7_31

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