165 GIS technology provides detailed maps and data to help decisionmakers in agriculture, forestry, and mining. In agriculture, it helps farmers check soil health, track how crops are growing, and use resources such as water and fertilizers better. In forestry, GIS is used to plan where to harvest and where to do controlled burns to prevent large wildfires and keep the ecosystem healthy. Miners use GIS to guide where to mine and how to fix the land afterward. Symington Family Estates tracks various environmental and cultivation variables across 27 estates using GIS. This data-driven approach has refined the wine production process, particularly in optimizing the timing for grape harvesting. Pedro Leal da Costa, the head of viticulture, praises GIS as a “superpower” for ensuring that only the ripest grapes are picked, which is crucial for quality. The technology also plays a vital role in soil health management by allowing precise adjustments to soil conditions, such as pH levels, to enhance soil quality. This meticulous approach not only improves grape quality but also supports sustainable practices and long-term investments in vineyards. The Federal Crop Insurance Program has significantly improved its geospatial awareness, leading to enhanced detection of fraudulent claims and more accurate insurance payouts. By integrating high-resolution aerial imagery, machine learning, and GIS technology, the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has avoided over $1.75 billion in costs over two decades. Troy Thorne from the Center for Agribusiness Excellence at Tarleton State University emphasized the value of GIS in understanding data, “As a tabular perspective, it kind of gets lost in the detail. But when you add the geospatial layer and drop these things on a map, you can look at historical yields and see that the farmer’s yields are constantly fluctuating.” This approach allows for more nuanced assessments of claims by considering geographic features and comparing farms across similar geographies. By tracking and analyzing the growth cycles of 180 species across 1,300 fields, Ernst Seeds has optimized farming practices with GIS, leading to more efficient use of resources and faster establishment Operating Farms and Timberlands More Efficiently of new species. The technology has been pivotal in creating seed mixes that are tailored to specific regional ecosystems, improving plant resilience against weather changes. “There are a lot of accidental experiments when a row is skipped, there’s overlap, or a different chemistry is used. When we go out in the field, we can see areas that thrive and other areas that do poorly. With GIS, we can answer why,” said Andy Ernst, vice president of Ernst Seeds. Eramet’s adoption of GIS has advanced resilience initiatives, particularly in planning mine routes to minimize environmental and community disruption. The technology enables better data sharing and impact forecasting, which improves team collaboration and aids in strategic decision-making. GIS is also vital for environmental management, assisting in the monitoring of water, air, and soil quality to support Eramet’s environmental commitments. GIS is used in land rehabilitation, with drone imagery used to evaluate and oversee revegetated areas, ensuring long-term ecological success. The restoration of longleaf pine ecosystems requires detailed mapping and spatial analysis of ecosystems. Tall Timbers researchers use GIS to analyze fire by correlating fuel amounts, weather conditions, and fire behavior. This team has documented post-fire effects on wildlife and vegetation. GIS also aids in managing smoke impacts to balance ecological needs with safety. The use of environmental digital twins powered by GIS has furthered understanding of tree regeneration patterns, fire spread, and soil chemical distribution. “We never have a research plot without it being in GIS,” said Kevin Robertson, a fire ecology research scientist at Tall Timbers. “Putting together details about the trees and fire alongside the topographic location, the soil type, the plant community, and the climate has led to important discoveries.” GIS helps organizations make better decisions by providing tools for visualizing and analyzing environmental data, which aids in identifying patterns and developing data-driven solutions. It supports decisionmaking by mapping out complex issues and showing progress toward resilience goals.
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