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Headnote
Keywords: GIS, Environment, Technology, Georeferencing.
RESUMO
Palavras-chave: GIS, Meio Ambiente, Tecnologia, Georreferenciamento.
RESUMEN
Palabras clave: SIG, Medio Ambiente, Tecnología, Georreferenciamiento.
1 INTRODUCTION
The increasing use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools in environmental research has proved essential, bringing numerous benefits that increase the efficiency and accuracy of studies. These GIS tools enable integrated collection, analysis and interpretation of spatial data, providing a comprehensive and detailed view of the study environment. These functionalities facilitate the identification of patterns, modeling of environmental phenomena and decision-making, contributing to the sustainable management of natural resources, mitigation of environmental impacts and recovery of degraded areas (Guimarães et al., 2022).
According to Silva et al. (2020) in a paper analyzing water quality in the São Francisco River basin, Brazil, indicated spatial patterns visually showing priority areas in a precise way and thereby maximizing the possibility of quick and timely actions. Similarly Srinivasan et al. (2019) in india, it also indicated the importance of spatial information and needs areas with contamination problems in guiding water management.
In addition, GIS tools are crucial for risk analysis and implementation of preventive measures in areas subject to natural disasters, such as floods and landslides. The ability to integrate data from various sources and create detailed thematic maps allows for a deeper understanding of environmental dynamics and interactions between ecosystem components (Jesus et al., 2022).
The advanced use of GIS allows for better integration and analysis of spatial and temporal data, enabling the creation of innovative solutions for the development of software dedicated to mapping research and environmental studies. These solutions can combine a wide range of information sources, such as high-resolution satellite imagery and detailed data obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This integrated approach not only enriches the available database, but also enhances the accuracy and efficiency of interpretation and decision-making in various areas of research and application, making it easier to visualize and monitor environmental changes in real time. Such software may include advanced functionality, such as predictive modeling and analysis of environmental impacts, using artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning (Gonçalves, 2021; Mobasheri et al., 2020).
Therefore, the goal was to create a software solution to assist researchers in generating heatmaps, making it easier to visualize and analyze the information collected, offering a free and easy-to-use tool to increase the visualization of the results of different surveys.
2 THEORETICAL FRAME
The introduction and use of GIS tools in environmental research has proved to be of extreme importance, bringing a number of benefits that enhance the efficiency and accuracy of studies. GIS tools enable the collection, analysis and interpretation of spatial data in an integrated manner, providing a more comprehensive and detailed view of the studied environment. This facilitates the identification of patterns, the modeling of environmental phenomena, and the taking of informed decisions. In addition, the use of GIS contributes to the sustainable management of natural resources, the mitigation of environmental impacts and the recovery of degraded areas. For example, Guimarães et al. (2022) the application of organic fertilizers such as sewage sludge and commercial organic compost has been shown to increase organic matter and soil fertility, exemplifying how GIS tools can be used to monitor and assess the effectiveness of such environmental interventions.
In addition, GIS tools are essential for risk analysis and for the implementation of preventive measures in areas susceptible to natural disasters, such as floods and landslides. The ability to integrate data from various sources and to create detailed thematic maps allows for a better understanding of environmental dynamics and interactions between different components of the ecosystem. As highlighted by Jesus et al. (2022) the use of GIS can be crucial for the identification of areas with high concentrations of pollutants and for the assessment of the impacts of exposure to GIS on the health of local populations. Thus, the application of GIS in environmental research not only improves the quality and accuracy of studies, but plays a vital role in promoting public health and environmental conservation.
An area of great environmental importance is the Paranaguá estuary complex (CEP), on the coast of Paraná, where research indicates the contamination by heavy metals in fish, with challenges in the action due to the diffuse origin of metals. As an ecologically vital and complex region facing intense pressures from anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization and port operations, these activities have contributed significantly to contamination by heavy metals, including copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg) and the metalloids arsenic (As) and selenium (Se). The research of Trevizani et al. (2019) showed that these metals concentrate significantly on demersal CEP fish such as Stellifer rastrifer, Paralonchurus brasiliensis and Isopisthus parvipinnis, especially with high levels of As, Cu and Zn. Although this work indicates the bioaccumulation of metals in fish, it presents a great challenge due to the diffuse origin of metals in the area in question, which makes it difficult to act quickly in loco. Still some works indicate contamination of different intensities in different locations and metals, which clearly shows the distinct interactions of metals, organic matter and water.
Often works with an environmental stamp do not present geo-referenced maps, indicating the points, areas and levels of contamination, which would be of fundamental importance to visualize and quickly propose interventions in the exact area of the problem. This difficulty is general, due to the lack of a tool for free use and easy access that, with the simple geographical information, can generate thematic maps that are quick, precise and that make it easy to identify the areas that should be worked on. For Magalhães Filho et al. (2021) the application of geotechnology tools accelerates the diagnosis of outbreaks and causes environmental damage, so that it can support the decision-making process, they also report that information without a spatial context hinders investigative analysis, which can increase research time and weaken strategies.
GIS tools offer significant opportunities for the development of software dedicated to mapping research and environmental studies. Utilizing GIS capability to integrate and analyze spatial and temporal data, it is possible to create solutions that aggregate diverse data sources, such as satellite images and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) information, making it easier to visualize and monitor environmental changes in real time. Such software can be designed to include advanced functionality such as predictive modeling, environmental impact analysis, and decision-making support, using artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning. In addition, the open-source nature of many of these tools enables collaboration among researchers, governments and institutions, promoting transparency and dissemination of geospatial information critical to environmental sustainability (Gonçalves, 2021; Mobasheri et al., 2020).
Some of the key tools and technologies adopted for developing a geo-referencing system may be Java, Spring Boot, Leaflet, OpenStreetMap (OSM) andEclipse, each playing a crucial role in the development process.
Java is a popular and widely used programming language for modern software development. Created by Sun Microsystems in 1995 and now maintained by Oracle Corporation,Java is known for its portability, robustness and versatility, features that have made it the preferred choice for a wide range of applications. It enables the development of applications that can run on different platforms. Park and Kim (2019) used the language to elaborate a web access control system, with efficient results, demonstrating the ability to use this tool.
Java also allows integration with, for example, Spring Boot, which is a framework based on Java1 that facilitates the creation of applications. It simplifies the configuration and development process, allowing developers to focus on essential software functionalities. Spring Boot is known for its ability to create scalable and easy-to-maintain applications. This tool allows you to create applications quickly and efficiently (Greg, 2020). For Lee and Kim, (2021) investigating the use of the Spring Boot framework to develop web applications that employ SERVICE-based architectures RESTfulful, they achieved good results indicating that it is a useful tool in tool development.
Associated with Java, Leaflet can still be used which is an open-source library of JavaScript used to build interactive maps. Its simplicity and efficiency make it an ideal tool for applications that require visualization of geospatial data. Leaflet is often integrated with other tools to create rich, interactive user experiences. Ballatore et al. (2015) demonstrated a way to work with this library to evaluate spatial data in different dimensions, demonstrating its usability. Neis et al. (2011) in integrated work with OpenStreetMap (OSM) have created geo-referenced road network comparisons in Germany, indicating satisfactory and widely used results.
Another tool of interest is OpenStreetMap (OSM), a collaborative platform that provides detailed and up-to-date geo-spatial data, allowing developers to incorporate precise and customizable maps into their applications, while enabling the use of a wide range of geolocation-based features. Several works have been developed with the use of this database-integrated tool, as demonstrated by Abhishek et al. (2020), where the work revealed urban growth patterns in Bengaluru, India, through maps generated by the system developed, as well as for Vetrivel et al. (2021) investigating the potential of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, indicating accurate results in its assessments.
Another important tool used was Eclipse, which is an integrated development environment (IDE) that supports multiple programming languages, most notably Java. Eclipse provides a comprehensive set of functionality that assists software development, debugging, and testing, providing an efficient and productive environment for developers, as well as a flexible, component-integrator environment (Geer, 2005). Menezes et al. (2019) using this tool, they demonstrated the usability for developing tools to maximize teaching support in software development.
Thus, the objetive was to create a software program to assist the teaching researchers, students and managers. This solution aims to generate, through the results of geo-referenced searches, a heat map (heatmap) to facilitate the visualization and analysis of the collected information. This creates a free and easy-to-use tool to increase the viewing of the results of different areas of research.
3 METHODOLOGY
The development of the software, took place at the computer laboratory of Unespar Campus in Paranaguá, which has the appropriate tools, technical support, and access to specialized tools. This laboratory is also a space for innovation, allowing for the exploration of new ideas and the development of prototypes that can meet the real demands of society, strengthening the integration between the university and the external community.
The first step in creating the project was to access the Spring Initializr email address, a webinterface that allows us to create projects very easily. This platform quickly and easily provides the ability to automatically configure and generate a basic framework for the project and the pom.xml file, which will be created and configured based on the dependency options selected by the developer, such as the Spring Boot version, the development language that will be used, the libraries and initial project properties.
This procedure, once the necessary configurations and dependencies have been defined, will generate an initial basic project structure, which can be downloaded in ·.zip format, and then used as a starting point for the Spring Boot project development, making software development more focused on coding and less on configuration.
In order to be able to view the maps, it was necessary to include in the project the reference to the JavaScript Open Source Leaflet library. This can be done by adding the CSS and JavaScript files from the Leaflet library to the header of the HTML file. Next, a <div> element with a specific and unique id was created, where the map can be rendered.
After completing this step, the map had to be initialized using the L.map function, passing the unique id of the <div> element as the argument. Next, it was necessary to define the initial display settings of the map with the setView function, which takes as arguments the latitude and longitude coordinates of the initial position of the map that we want to view and the zoom level.
To complete this step, OpenStreetMap (OSM) was added to the map, using the L.tileLayerfunction. This function takes the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of OpenStreetMap (OSM) and an options object as arguments. To add the layer to the map, you had to call the addTo function on the layer and pass the map as an argument. The code in Figure 2 will render a basic OpenStreetMap map (OSM) on the application page, centered on the provided coordinates and zoom level set. With parameterization appropriate to the initial viewing needs, you can customize the map by adding bookmarks, layers, and events necessary for the operation and characteristics of the application.
To run the project from the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), you need to use the "Run" feature, which will launch the application. After the startup code is compiled and running, the project can be accessed through an Internet browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge etc.), by typing in the address bar the path or IP (Internet Protocol) address provided by the server built into Eclipse, usually something likehttp://localhost:8080(development) orhttps://egis.unespar.edu.brconvergence (final version). This will take us directly to the main page of the project we have just set up, as we can see in Figure 3.
To continue the objective, which is the plotting of collection points with geo-referenced data on the map, using the features of the heat map (heatmap), it was necessary to add other configurations that would allow loading the collected data from a ·.csv file "comma-separated-values" (comma-separated values), as shown in Figure 4, where the data should be inserted from the second line separated by comma and, obeying obligatorily the filing order presented in the first line of the file (latitude, longitude, value and information).
For the collection point plot, some settings have been defined that will allow users to upload the ·.csv file, which will automatically plot the collected points and the heat map (heatmap), allowing to adjust the size of the affected area. To meet these requirements, the system interface that is generated by the initial HTML file has been modified, creating a side menu where features have been added for "Load Data File (·.csv)", "Size of Heat Map", "Display Heat Map" and in the upper right corner a button for selecting and viewing different types of layers for the map, as shown in Figure 5.
Then we can use the features to load the ·.csv file with the collected data, the geo-referenced coordinates and the values corresponding to the collection points, allowing the system to read the file and automatically show on the map the information entered from the file. Finally, after all these steps have been completed, the system automatically generates a map where the user can graphically view the data according to the geographic coordinates entered.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The flowchart shown in Figure 6 illustrates the process of transforming raw data into a map with geo-referenced data, where the process begins with formatting a .csv file, which is then uploaded to the system. Once loaded, this data is plotted on the map based on the geographic coordinates entered for each collection point, and the values of these collections create a heat map that enables users to quickly visualize where the data points are concentrated, as well as the choice of the most suitable viewing layer for the map.
The result was the creation of a software tool called A-SIG (Environmental -Geographic Information System) or in English E-GIS (Environmental -Geographic Information System) that makes it possible to generate a heat map (Environmental -Geographic Information System) in an easy, precise and intuitive manner with the plotting of the points and values collected in a given area. By uploading the ·.csv file with the geographical coordinates and their respective results from the samples collected, we have plotted the points where the collections for the research were carried out, which in this case were carried out along the course of the Guaraguaçu River, in work carried out by Melo and Roveda (2020).
When we look at Figure 7, it is possible to visualize the creation of a map with the collection points plotted in the image clearly, indicating precisely the place where the collection was carried out. The use of maps with the visualization of the points and the results of the collections is of extreme importance in environmental works, since it allows to visualize the geographical distribution of sample data, to identify spatial patterns and to assist in the decision making on the management and conservation of the environment in strategic points.
As observed by Davila et al. (2023), tools created with heatmaps are valuable in user usability testing, providing importantinsights that can be used to improve the user experience across multiple platforms. This tool demonstrates the versatility of heatmaps and highlights the need to search for new related functionality, to explore new applications and search for other existing methodologies.
In Figure 8, it is possible to visualize on the map indications of color and intensity that are called the heat map (heatmap). A heat map, also known as a "heatmap", is a visual representation of previously entered information where variations in values are indicated by predetermined colors and intensities in a defined geographical area. This information is used in various areas of research, such as environmental research. Lyu et al. (2022) investigated the spatio-temporal variation of heavy metal pollution in the soil in response to land use changes in the Chao Lake Basin, China, using heat maps to visualize distribution patterns of these pollutants, indicating precise points on the map and of great assistance in visually verifying the results. Dong et al. (2022) showed the importance of heat maps in the precise indication to show areas of greater attention, the authors used remote sensing and GIS technologies to monitor the ecological safety of the marsh environment in Yinchuan city, China. Yu and Yuan (2022) have also demonstrated the importance of heat maps for plotting information on geo-referenced maps.
Another functionality that was made available in the system and that proved to be very significant, was the possibility of changing the pattern of visualization of the map, as can be visualized in Figure 9. The functionality of changing map layers is an extremely useful and versatile tool that allows users to customize the map view according to their specific needs. For example, be able to choose between displaying only traffic information, or just viewing where points of interest are, such as rivers and parks. In addition, the ability to switch between different types of maps, such as terrain or street maps, provides a more complete and detailed understanding of the environment. This can be especially useful for planning actions or for better understanding the geography of a given region.
The next step was to insert a functionality into the map, indicating that besides the heat map, generated based on the data entered, the possibility, when clicking on the collection point plotted on the map, to display a Popup window with the information entered in the "information" column of the .csv file of that geo-referenced point, as shown in Figure 10.
In short, the use of tools such as heat maps and the customization of map visualization are essential for spatial data analysis and decision making in environmental and geo-referencing work. These functionalities facilitate the understanding and interpretation of spatial data, contributing to the effectiveness and efficiency of the analyzes carried out. This technology not only enhances existing methodologies, but also opens doors for new applications and approaches that can enrich even more research work in different areas of activity.
5 CONCLUSION
The E-GIS system, developed with open source tools, free and intuitive, created with the objetive of mapping geo-referenced information from different areas of research. The tool created allows the generation of geo-referenced maps and heat, with a simple and intuitive interface, which facilitates the loading of data from a text file in ·.csv format, easy to fill, configure and visualize the data loaded by users, combining the use of geo-referencing software and systems development, perfectly meeting academic research needs, promoting innovation and greater ease in plotting environmental analysis data, assisting in the identification of standards and decision making in various areas of environmental research and management.
References
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