Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop

7/17/2021 Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop—Lesson 3: Weighting and combining data—Analytics | Documentation
Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop—

Lesson 3: Weighting and combining data
In lessons 1 and 2, you derived and transformed criteria for the Habitat submodel onto a common scale. In this lesson, you
will weight and combine the transformed criteria into a single surface depicting the suitability for the Habitat submodel.
You will also weight and combine the three submodels (Habitat, Food, and Security) into the final suitability surface.
This lesson is divided into three sections:
1. Opening and editing the ModelBuilder model

2. Using the Weighted Sum tool to weight and combine transformed criteria
3. Using the Weighted Sum tool to weight and combine submodels
ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension is required for this analysis and you must ensure that it is enabled. See Enabling the
Spatial Analyst extension.
This lesson continues on the data that you downloaded in lesson 1. If you have not downloaded the data, see the first
section in Lesson 1: Exploring and deriving data.
Opening and editing the ModelBuilder model
1. If the SuitabilityModeling map document was closed after lesson 2, reopen it by double-clicking the
SuitabilityModeling.mxd file in the SuitabilityModeling folder.
2. Open the SuitabilityModel model that you started building in lessons 1 and 2 by right-clicking the model and
clicking Edit.
https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/analytics/case-studies/suit-lesson3-desktop-weighting-and-combining-data.htm 1/13
Using the Weighted Sum tool to weight and combine transformed criteria
The Weighted Sum tool will be used to combine the transformed criteria in the Habitat submodel into a single surface.
1. The Weighted Sum tool requires Spatial Analyst. Turn on the extension by first clicking the Customize tab in the
ArcMap taskbar. Choose the Extensions option from the drop-down list, and check the Spatial Analyst check box to
turn it on.
2. Click the ArcToolbox icon on the Standard toolbar. Browse to the Weighted Sum tool in the Overlay toolset in the
Spatial Analyst Tools toolbox.
3. Drag the Weighted Sum tool into the SuitabilityModel model and place it to the right of the transformed datasets.
4. Using the Connect tool in the ModelBuilder taskbar, connect the three transformed layers
(Transformed_LandUse, Transformed_Streams, and Transformed_Slope) to the Weighted Sum tool. Choose the Input
rasters option each time.
5. Double-click the Weighted Sum tool to open the dialog box. Enter the appropriate weights in the Weight column.
Type HabitatSubmodel into the Output raster parameter. This dataset is automatically saved into the Output.gdb
geodatabase. To summarize the input and output layers for the Weighted Sum tool, specify the parameters as
follows:
Input rasters: Transformed_Landuse, Transformed_Slope, Transformed_Streams
Output raster: HabitatSubmodel
Weight: Transformed_Landuse (2), Transformed_Slope (1), Transformed_Streams (1)
6. Click OK to apply the changes and close the Weighted Sum tool's dialog box.
7. Right-click the Weighted Sum tool and click Run to execute the tool.
8. Right-click the output HabitatSubmodel layer (green) and click Add To Display to add the output HabitatSubmodel
layer to the map document.
9. Choose a red-to-green color ramp for the HabitatSubmodel layer to help portray each location's suitability related
to habitat. Double-click the HabitatSubmodel layer in the table of contents and change the Color Scheme under the
Symbology tab. To ensure the statistics on the raster are calculated, first select the Classified option from the left
panel and if asked, build the histogram by clicking Yes. Then select the Stretched option from the left panel before
choosing a red-to-green color ramp from the drop-down options. Click OK once the color ramp has been selected
to apply it to the layer.
10. Explore suitability surface values within the HabitatSubmodel layer by clicking the map in different locations using
the Identify tool , found on the Tools toolbar.
Using the Weighted Sum tool to weight and combine submodels
1. Using the ArcCatalog window to the right of the map display, from the Data.gdb file within the SuitabilityModeling
directory, add the FoodSubmodel and SecuritySubmodel layers to the table of contents by dragging the layers from
Data.gdb into the table of contents.
2. As you just did for the HabitatSubmodel, choose a red-to-green color ramp for the FoodSubmodel and
SecuritySubmodel layers to help portray each location's suitability for each submodel. Double-click each layer in the
table of contents and change the Color Scheme under the Symbology tab. Select the Stretched option from the left
panel before choosing a red-to-green color ramp from the drop-down options. Click OK once the color ramp has
been selected to apply it to the layer.
3. Explore suitability surface values within the SecuritySubmodel layer by clicking the map in different locations using
the Identify tool , found on the Tools toolbar.
4. Turn off the SecuritySubmodel layer by unchecking the check box next to it in the table of contents. Explore the
suitability surface values within the FoodSubmodel layer by clicking the map in different locations using the Identify
tool , found on the Tools toolbar.
5. Add the FoodSubmodel and SecuritySubmodel layers into the SuitabilityModel model.
6. The Weighted Sum tool will be used again to combine the three submodels into the final suitability surface. Click the
ArcToolbox icon . Browse to the Weighted Sum tool in the Overlay toolset in the Spatial Analyst Tools toolbox.
7. Drag the Weighted Sum tool into the SuitabilityModel model and place it to the right of the three submodels.
8. Using the Connect tool in ModelBuilder, connect the three submodels (SecuritySubmodel, HabitatSubmodel, and
FoodSubmodel) to the second Weighted Sum tool. Choose the Input raster option each time.
9. Open the second Weighted Sum tool and enter the appropriate weights in the Weight column. Type FinalSuitability
in the Output raster parameter. To summarize the input and output layers for the Weighted Sum tool, specify the
parameters as follows:
Input rasters: SecuritySubmodel, HabitatSubmodel, FoodSubmodel
Output raster: FinalSuitability
Weight: SecuritySubmodel (2), HabitatSubmodel (1.5), FoodSubmodel (1)
10. Click OK to apply the changes and close the Weighted Sum tool's dialog box.
11. Right-click the Weighted Sum tool and click Run to execute the tool.
12. Right-click the output FinalSuitability layer (green) and click Add To Display to add the output FinalSuitability layer
to the map document.
13. Choose a red-to-green color ramp for the FinalSuitability layer to help portray each location's suitability. Double-
click the FinalSuitability layer in the table of contents and change the Color Scheme under the Symbology tab. To
ensure the statistics on the raster are calculated, first select the Classified option from the left panel and if asked,
build the histogram by clicking Yes. Then select the Stretched option from the left panel before choosing a red-to-
green color ramp from the drop-down options. Click OK once the color ramp has been selected to apply it to the
layer.
14. Save the SuitabilityModeling model by clicking the Save button in the ModelBuilder taskbar. Close the model
once it is saved.
15. Explore suitability surface values within the FinalSuitability layer by clicking the map in different locations using the
Identify tool , found on the Tools toolbar.
16. Save the map document by clicking the Save button on the Standard toolbar.
At this point, you have weighted the submodels relative to one another and combined them into a final suitability surface.
In Lesson 4: Locating and connecting regions, you will locate and connect the most suitable regions of habitat.

Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop

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7/17/2021 Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop—Lesson 3: Weighting and combining data—Analytics | Documentation

Suitability modeling workflow using ArcGIS Desktop—

This lesson is divided into three sections:

1. Opening and editing the ModelBuilder model

Opening and editing the ModelBuilder model

Using the Weighted Sum tool to weight and combine submodels

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