Spatial Analysis and Modelling - GIS - Assignment Example

While drawing inferences from a provided map, and for appropriate utilization of that data for further application, it is necessary that the provided data be able to convey precise information regarding its spread, occurrence, and its location. Also, the pattern, with which the corresponding data is lying at that location, is important as it would also govern further steps of action. Therefore it is essential to know and quantify the spatial arrangement and distribution of objects in space for a given data.

While mapping geographical features like woodlands or forests, there can be no single boundary where the forest ends and there is, in most cases, a transitional zone in between where the density of trees gets reduced and the forest ends gradually. In such instances, it becomes difficult to demarcate the forest with a polygon feature, and if done, in the true sense it is an incorrect representation. The point method can accurately show the varying density of trees and can represent the situation in a more precise manner.

The concept of the mean value for any given data can be understood as a mean center to describe any geographic data set. Let us take an example where the population of a place is 30,000. By considering the X and Y coordinates of the census tract, the coordinates for the mean center can be computed with the given formula for the mean. With further calculations of these coordinates, a point can be plotted on the given map that can be called the ‘Mean center’ for the provided data set. The mean center gives us information about the spread of the given data (population) and its place of occurrence but it does not give us the information that the occurrence is in what quantity or ‘how much’?

To achieve that, the weighted mean needs to be calculated. This shows exactly what the occurrence of the data is in what quantity.