Introduction to GPS/GIS

Collecting location data

• Coordinates that denote the location of an
infestation
– Using a hand-held GPS unit
– Online method (more on this later)
 GPS Equipment

Palm

Handheld
Survey
 Coordinate Systems

• Coordinate settings
– UTM – x,y, and zone
– Lat/Long – x and y
– Datum
(NAD27 and NAD83)
 UTM Coordinates
• Universal Transverse Mercator
– Originally used by US Army on large scale
maps
– Grid system
– Divides the earth into 60 zones (each 6
degrees of longitude wide)
– X,Y system in meters east of zone line and
north of equator (in Northern Hemisphere)
 UTM Coordinates
• Location data in a combination of X,Y and
zone
• Southeast lies within Zone 16, Zone 17
and Zone 18
 Lat/Long Coordinates
• Based on degrees of a circle (360º total)
• Latitude expressed as degrees north of equator (Southern
Hemisphere is denoted by a negative)
• Longitude expressed as degrees east of the Prime Meridian (west is
denoted by a negative with the maximum value of 180º and
minimum value of -180º)

Lines of Latitude
Lines of Longitude
“meridians”
- +
 Latitude-Longitude
Latitude
• Starts at Equator
• 90ºN and 90ºS
• U.S. = 24º and 49º
Longitude
• Starts at Prime Meridian
• 180ºE and 180ºW (denoted with a negative)
• U.S. = -65º and -125º
 Latitude-Longitude
All values for longitude in the United States
will be a negative number
33.75333, -86.59917
33.75333, 86.59917
 Latitude-Longitude data
• DD/MM/SS (Degrees,minutes,seconds)
• DD/MM.MMM (Degrees, decimal minutes)
• DD.DDDDD (Decimal degrees)

• Same coordinate system, different ways of

expressing it
 Latitude-Longitude data
32º 45’ 12” x -84º 35’ 57” DD/MM/SS

• 32º 45.2000’ x -84º 95.00’ DD/MM.MMM

• 32.75333º x -84.59917º DD.DDDDD

 Datum
• Set of surveyed points used as a
reference for making maps
– Most USGS topographic maps used the
survey points from 1927 (NAD27)
– Those points were re-surveyed and corrected
in 1983 (NAD83)
– WGS84 is another datum often used,
essentially the same as NAD83
Collecting location of an infestation
• We prefer that you use Latitude/Longitude
expressed in Decimal degrees
• With NAD83 (or WGS84) datum

• Most GPS units have the ability to set

coordinate system
 Using a handheld GPS
• Single point to denote entire infestation
• Try to collect that point in the center of the
infestation
Using a handheld GPS
 Recording point data
• Stand at, or as near as you can to, the
center of the infestation
• Make sure the GPS is set to show lat/long
data in decimal degrees (DD.DDD)
• Make sure datum is set to 1983 (NAD83)
• Often, the longer the GPS is stationary,
the more accurate the point is
 Recording point data
• Either write-down the coordinates (record at
least 5 decimal places) or create a waypoint (so
that you can write it down later)

• Title the point something that can associate it

with the area or invasive species (“Doug’s farm”
or “Garlic Mustard #1”)