PRACTICAL GPS APPLICATIONS

IN

FORESTRY & AGRICULTURE

MIKE CLIFFORD
VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
PRACTICAL GPS APPLICATIONS IN FORESTRY & AGRICULTURE
Workshop & Field Tests

• Introductions; Workshop & Field Testing Objectives

•Basics of the Global Positioning System.
• Features and operations of GPS receivers – Garmin eTrex series & others.
• Digital topographic maps - MapTech Terrain Navigator & Garmin Mapsource.
• Transfer of waypoints, tracks (area perimeter), and routes (cruise lines & plots).
• Set up cruise lines on Terrain Navigator and GPS units. Test in the field.
• Use GPS to calculate area in the field and compare results to
1. Traditional methods
2. Terrain Navigator's area calculation figures
3. Post-collection DGPS figures.
• Discuss available sources and resources.
• Evaluation and follow-up.
 GPS and GIS DEFINITIONS
GPS is short for Global Positioning System which is
"a network of satellites that continuously transmit coded
information, which makes it possible to precisely identify
locations on earth by measuring distance from the satellites".
Of course, many users also refer to their hand-held GPS
receivers as "my GPS" ... as in the statement "my GPS'
batteries went dead and I got lost!"
GIS is short for Geographic Information System(s). "In the
strictest sense, a GIS is a computer system capable of
assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically
referenced information , i.e. data identified according to their
locations. Practitioners also regard the total GIS as including
operating personnel and the data that go into the system"
( from: http://www.usgs.gov/research/gis/title.html ).
BASIC INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY GPS RECEIVERS . . .
YOUR CURRENT POSITION
•COORDINATES (LATITUDE & LONGITUDE, UTM, MGRS, ETC.)
•ELEVATION (APPROXIMATE)

DIRECTION TO SPECIFIED WAYPOINTS (“MARKERS”)

(0R BETWEEN WAYPOINTS)

DISTANCE TO SPECIFIED WAYPOINTS

(0R BETWEEN WAYPOINTS)

YOUR SPEED OF TRAVEL

YOUR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

. . . AND OFTEN MUCH MORE
MAPS
TIME OF DAY
CROSS TRACK ERROR
ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL
ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE
COORDINATES OF CITIES & TOWNS
AREA MEASUREMENT
ETC.
 SOME GPS APPLICATIONS
COMMERCE & RECREATIONAL
GOVERNMENT • HIKING
• MILITARY • HUNTING
• MARITIME • NATURE STUDY
• FISHING
• AUTOMOTIVE
• BOATING
• SURVEYING
• BIKING
• AVIATION • SKIING
• AGRICULTURE • SNOWMOBILING
• FORESTRY • GEOCACHING
• ENVIRONMENTAL • GOLF !
• PUBLIC SAFETY
 HOW CAN WE UTILIZE GPS IN 4-H PROGRAMMING?
WILDLIFE MAPPING
EDUCATIONAL & OPERATIONAL USES

HIGH ADVENTURE

LEADER TRAINING
SEARCH & RESCUE
BIG TREE
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SEARCH

HUNTER EDUCATION

TRIP PLANNING & SAFETY

ENVIRONMENTAL FISHING & CANOEING

EDUCATION

AND LOTS MORE !

 The NAVSTAR System

24 Satellites
6 orbital plates
11,000 miles up
12 hour orbit

from GPS Land Navigation by Michael Ferguson

THE EARTH: Latitude & Longitude

from GPS Land Navigation by Michael Ferguson

 ERROR SOURCES
Multipath interference
LINE OF SIGHT
Atmospheric/Ionospheric
Geometric DOP
Clock
Ephemeris
S.A. (now turned off)
and
Human Error!

from GPS Land Navigation by Michael Ferguson

Plot of position accuracy using standard Lowrance GPS
receiver (stationary). Note the differences in scale

5.5 hour period 8 hour period

immediately prior to immediately after
shutoff of selective shutoff of selective
availability availability
 MAP DATUMS
• WGS84 World Geodetic System 1984
Default datum on Garmin and most other GPS receivers.
Most accurate datum, but not yet in wide use on maps.
• NAD27 (NAD27CONUS) North American 1927
Older datum used on most USGS topographic maps.
(We will be using this datum for the workshop)
• NAD83 North American Datum 1983
Very similar to WGS84. Used on newer USGS maps.
– and hundreds of others!
 COORDINATE SYSTEMS

• LATITUDE / LONGITUDE (ANGULAR)

DEGREES - MINUTES - SECONDS
• UTM / UPS (RECTANGULAR, METRIC)
UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR
(WE WILL BE USING UTM IN OUR FIELD EXERCISES)
UNIVERSAL POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC
• MGRS (UTM USING ALPHANUMERIC I.D.)
MILITARY GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM

OTHERS …
TOWNSHIP & RANGE, STATE PLANE COORDINATE, ETC.
 ACCURACY
STANDARD CIVILIAN RECEIVERS
(Selective Availability OFF)

HORIZONTAL ACCURACY TO
15 METERS (49.2’) OR BETTER

VERTICAL ACCURACY (altitude)

TO 100 METERS (328’)
DIFFERENTIAL GPS (DGPS)
SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE POSITION ACCURACY

•Coast Guard
•Commercial Ground
& Satellite Based
Correction
•Wide Area Augmentation System
(WAAS)
WIDE AREA AUGMENTATION SYSTEM
FAA SPONSORED
GEO-STATIONARY SATELLITES (# 35 for us)
FREE ACCESS
ACCURACY TO 3 METERS
INSTALLED ON MOST NEW (2001+) GPS
MODELS
 NAVIGATION BASICS
1. KNOW YOUR POSITION
2. PLAN YOUR ROUTE
3. STAY ON YOUR ROUTE
4. RECOGNIZE YOUR DESTINATION
Garmin eTrex Models with Area Measurement Capability
“eTrex+”

Venture Legend Vista

$149.00 $209.00 $285.00
ENTERING COORDINATES TO CREATE
A NEW WAYPOINT IN ETREX +

• ON MENU PAGE, SELECT MARK.

• NAME IT & SELECT SYMBOL (optional)
• ENTER ELEVATION (optional)
• ENTER COORDINATE DATA
• SELECT “OK” AND YOU’RE DONE
PROJECTING COORDINATES TO CREATE
A NEW WAYPOINT IN ETREX+
CREATE A NEW WAYPOINT BY ENTERING A BEARING
AND DISTANCE FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION OR
ANY EXISTING WAYPOINT

• ON MENU PAGE SELECT FIND.

• SELECT AN EXISTING WAYPOINT AND ENTER
• FROM MENU OPTION, SELECT PROJECT.
• NAME IT & SELECT SYMBOL (optional)
• ENTER DISTANCE
• ENTER BEARING
• SELECT OK AND YOU’RE DONE
ETREX+ AREA
MEASUREMENT:
Venture
Legend
Vista

Legend & Vista only All 3 models

All 3 models
 AREA MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
Using Venture/Legend/Vista GPS Receiver alone:
*Calculate from perimeter measurement.
*Accessories - “area calculation” function.
*Route - “route area’ function (not Venture).
Using Terrain Navigator (TN) alone:
*Distance Tools - trace & calculate.
*Track Tool - trace, finish, calculate.
*Route Tool - trace, edit/loop, calculate.
Using combination of GPS and Terrain Navigator:
*Transfer GPS track to TN for calculation.
*Transfer GPS route to TN for calculation.
*Transfer GPS corner waypoints to TN.
*Transfer TN waypts, track, or route to GPS.
AREA MEASUREMENT USING “ACCESSORIES”
1. On Menu page, enter Accessories
2. Enter Area Calc. (area calculation triangle).
3. Highlight and press Start (stop will appear).
4. Travel perimeter of the tract, then press Stop.
5. Record and save (as a track) if desired.
6. Clear the track log.

Area and perimeter measurements can be

displayed in in a variety of units.
 AREA MEASUREMENT USING “ROUTE”
(Legend & Vista only)

1. On Main Menu page, enter Route.

2. Enter New (unless using an existing route).
3. Enter a sequence of waypoints
(first and last
should be the same).
4. Name and save the route.
5. Highlight route and select Route Area on the options menu.

• Area measurement can be displayed in a variety of units.

• Perimeter and leg distances can be viewed as selectable fields
SETTING UP GPS CRUISE LINES & PLOTS
OR OTHER LINEAR SAMPLING

IN THE FIELD WITH GPS RECEIVER:

1. Mark starting waypoint
2. Project (enter bearing & distance) additional plot points.
3. Create route (cruise line & plots).
(This is one of several possible
methods)

USING TERRAIN NAVIGATOR:

1. Mark starting waypoint; determine bearing & distances.
2. Use Route tool to draw cruise lines and
plots. 3. Transfer to GPS receiver.
(This also is one of several possible
methods)
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
AERIAL PHOTO TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
TOPO MAP MARGIN INFO: BOTTOM CENTER
TOPO MAP MARGIN INFO: BOTTOM LEFT
TOPO MAP MARGIN INFO: BOTTOM RIGHT
 DEMONSTRATIONS:

MapTech
TERRAIN NAVIGATOR
and
Garmin
MAPSOURCE
THE END