Introduction to the Course — 5 January, 2015
This course covers the interrelations between GIS and three geographic fields: Ecology, Health Geography, and Crime Analysis. GIS technology can aid in problem-solving within each of these areas of study.
Ecology: “the study of the interrelationships between
organisms and their environment (Ricklefs 1979).” Includes biotic and abiotic components
- Landscape ecology: “the study of how landscape structure affects the abundance and distribution of organisms.” Or “the effect of pattern on process (Turner 1989).”
Health geography: “the role of place, space, and community in shaping health outcomes and healthcare delivery.”
- Within this is the study of disease ecology, or the study of infectious disease, plus cultural, social, political, and economic barriers to positive change, as well as connections between environment and health.
Crime analysis: “A set of systematic, analytical processes directed at providing timely and pertinent information relative to crime patterns and trend correlations.”
- Within this are environmental criminology, routine activity theory, social disorganization theory, rational choice theory, and broken windows theory.
We will be examining 5 P’s: People, Perspectives, Processes, Patterns, and Places. These five are not only linked to one another, but also link people to their environment. GIS is a useful resource to not only aggregate data, but to manipulate it and produce it in ways that people can achieve a greater understanding of their place in the world.
One example of linkages within health geography is the puzzle of Cryptococcus gattii. Originally found in Australia, the fungus found its way to the shores of British Columbia. Using GIS to map the spread of the fungus, can help researchers understand and contain it.