Modern Data Collection Strategies - Research Paper Example

?Study design and data collection strategies Grade 22nd February REPORT INTRODUCTION For the past few decades, the craft of data integration has advanced considerably as methodologists and researchers continue to express the procedures and techniques used to come up with results from research questions (Jamshidi et al, 1993). San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy intend to come up with software and peripherals that will be used by projects for delivery, and development of exceptional care and management of a database for endangered and threatened species. The software and hardware will be used to amalgamate the data that will be drawn from land cover maps, and topographic contour maps. It is assumed that, the database will be effective for integrating data generated internally, and which includes plans for habitat restoration and locations of the habitats. DATA REQUIREMENTS Description Enough of the required data is needed for the development of accurate and comprehensive database of a conservatory. The software to be used will be appropriate for reading topographic contour maps. They will be developed in a way that will make distinguishing of the contour lines easier. This will facilitate connection and determination of points with equal elevation within the required region in the conservatory. By so doing, the management of the conservatory will manage to follow the movement of the endangered species along the contours and, therefore, come up with strategies of protecting them. The software will be remarkably effective in developing the database to be used in recording and handling of the wildlife capacity like for example, bird flocks. The wardens will find it easy to follow and locate the habitats making the management of the threatened species unproblematic. Source: Ronca, (2011) Land cover maps will also be developed after the establishment of the database. Land cover maps are used in an array of spatial resolutions and data formats which suit the users appropriately. They allow for the use of detailed data which can be provided as vector products of at least 0.5 Hectare Map units. Source: Land cover map, 2012 The database with the help of software and hardware will provide data from an approximated distance of one kilometer radius within the conservatory. For geo referencing, LCM 2007, LCM 2000 AND LCM 1990 are used in digital land cover maps. Sources of data The data required for running the database will be received digitally from the satellites located in different areas within the conservatory. The signals will be received in the station, and then the information will be converted into data that can be used in the database. The satellites will scan the conservatory and then relay images and pictures to the station to facilitate in the management. This will be achieved through the use of NASA Tera satellites which provide refined global pictures to give a clear view of the land patterns and distribution of ecosystems. They help in providing the best quality land cover maps which enables the policy makers and scientists in charge of natural resources do researches well and monitor objects effectively (Przyborski, 2011). NASA Tera satellites provide more detailed and clear pictures of a place based on digital database of images. They also use MODIS sensor’s vintage, which facilitates collection, of high quality data and also merging of multiple looks into a single image. The MODIS land cover maps have different cover types which includes natural vegetations like wetlands, savannas, evergreen forests and deciduous. The cost of NASA Tera satellites is estimated to be $ 424,000. It will be extremely effective in monitoring the movement of the endangered within the conservatory. The satellites provide refined pictures and, therefore, the personnel in charge of the ecosystem will monitor the wildlife successfully (Przyborski, 2011). Data acquisition Ensuring that the required peripheral or hardware is available will facilitate effective capturing and modifying of the required data. The satellites will be situated in the areas close to the habitats of the endangered species so as to monitor them effectively. Any movement of the species will be noted by the management and the required procedures applied. The system will also help in protecting the wildlife against hunters, poachers, fire outbreak, and preys. The images and pictures captured will be sent by the satellites to the station where it will be modified to be applied by normal users. This will be a crucial milestone in protecting the endangered species and hence ensuring multiplication. In addition, using the satellites to monitor the conservatory will help in providing safe habitats because; changes in climate and vegetation are detected early. All the seasonal changes in vegetation will be easily established and, therefore, identifying appropriate habitat with effective features will be easy. RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE Today, organizations are turning to the real time integration, a deviation from the traditional lot oriented techniques, in an attempt to eliminate afflicts of out of date data. For effective integration of data, a series of procedures must be followed. 1. Technical development: A group of qualified personnel will be used to control the satellites by following the endangered wildlife from one area to another. 2. Signals: The pictures captured with the help of the satellites will be signaled by other qualified personnel to the station for the purpose of monitoring. 3. Modification: The images and pictures received in the station will be modified in better ways, which allows monitoring, of wildlife in a confined place. 4. Recording: The data is stored for reviewing by experts who give recommendations. Qualified personnel who can tell drastic changes in climate and vegetation are used to describe the safety of the wildlife. It might appear somehow challenging to follow all the procedures because they all require highly experienced expertise. Hardware and software requirement The strategy requires high quality and powerful computers in terms of processing power and storage capacity. This is because of the large volumes of data required in processing the information from the initial stage to the recording stage of the data. The hardware used must be compatible in order to facilitate proper running of operating systems and application of other software. The process of converting pictures and images into a data for the development of database requires powerful display adapters. High quality computer graphics display is required to facilitate high functionality and performance of peripherals (Jamshidi et al, 1993). REFERENCES Jamshidi, M., Nader, V., & Ross, J., (1993). Fuzzy logic and control. Software and hardware applications. Michigan. PTR Prentice Hall Land cover map. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/uk-land-cover-map_2011_44.html Przyborski, P. (2011). NASA Goddard Space Flight. The Earth Observatory. Boston. EOS Project Science. Ronca, D., (2011). Topographic Map Contours. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/how-to-read-a- opographic-map2.htm Read More