Integral geomatics

Abstract

In this case, students are introduced to Gary Pardy, co-founder of Integral Geomatics (IG), a GIS start-up in Sydney, Nova Scotia, that won a contract to develop a land classification model. The model rated the sensitivity of streams to change resulting from land use practices. IG’s model compiled layers of government data to produce a digital elevation model that defined watersheds and drainage gradients. The model also included data about susceptibility to erosion, land uses, proximity to streams, and other variables. Each data layer was easy to understand by itself, but the combinations of data produced complex interactions and created enormous quantities of output that had to be interpreted. IG had the expertise for the project, but had underestimated the time required for developing and testing the model, generating sensitivity plots, and interpreting results. If Gary didn’t address the issue quickly, IG would miss the deadline.