Spatial Information Technologies

The term "Spatial Information Technologies" (SIT) was coined to describe any information collection and / or manipulation technologies used to determine the physical characteristics and spatial relationships of objects (e.g. trees, stands, soil types, wood yards, wildlife food plots, lakes, streams, roads, buildings). SIT includes the disciplines of: Remote Sensing (Satellite Data, Aerial Imagery), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The first two disciplines are often used to provide input data for the third. For example; digital satellite data may be analyzed to determine the general cover types and extent of Mississippi forests. Aerial imagery interpretations can be used to refine and verify the satellite data classification. GPS can collect geographic coordinates of verification sites, property and stand boundaries, and control points to geographically correct the satellite data. The forest classification and boundary data might be used in the creation of a GIS.

SITL Overview

The Department of Forestry in the College of Forest Resources/Forest and Wildlife Research Center is strongly committed to teaching, research, and technology transfer in SIT. The Spatial Information Technologies Lab serves as a focal point for SIT related activities throughout the Forestry Department by utilizing the latest research tools and data sources. The SITL's current configuration consists of both Unix workstations ,networked PC's, and Unix Servers running the latest versions of multiple GIS/image processing software packages.

SIT Academics and Research

The College of Forest Resources supports three teaching labs with workstations, digitizers, and printers that utilize ArcGIS, ArcView, Imagine, and PCI/eCognition licenses. Resident instruction is offered by the Department of Forestry in Spatial Technologies in Forest Resources, Remote Sensing Applications, and GIS for Natural Resource Management. Graduate programs are offered that lead to Masters and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with concentration in Spatial Technologies.
The SITL provides both undergraduate- and graduate-level teaching support to the College through technology transfer from research programs. Directed individual study projects are available to graduate students. Faculty and staff associated with the Forestry Department perform research in the SITL administered through the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. Areas of current research interest include:

  • Investigation of the integration of SIT in large-area forest resource inventories.
  • Combination of high-resolution remotely-sensed imagery with LIDAR data for forest assessment.
  • Characterization of vegetation structure using LIDAR for improved ecosystem management

See Research for more information.