Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

J. S. Glueckert, A. E. Riner, James Leary, James Leary, K. L. Gladding, andEli C. Russell

This publication aims to describe a simple method of importing and displaying geotagged images from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or smartphones as vector symbols that are scaled and oriented to co-register with base layer maps in a geographic information system (GIS) without the need for processing into an orthomosaic. Instructions in this publication are for QGIS, version 3.28 LTR, but can be easily transferable to other GIS software. These methods offer an efficient and effective way to view high-resolution aerial images and photo-point image surveys in a GIS environment, allowing for basic analysis such as annotating features or points of interest. Written by J. S. Glueckert, A. E. Riner, J. K. Leary, K. L. Gladding, and E. C. Russell, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, February 2026.

Yesenia Sánchez, Amely Bauer, andLindsay Campbell

Light Detection And Ranging, or LiDAR, is a technology that uses laser pulses to create detailed 3D maps of the Earth’s surface. The technology has been around since the 1960s, but recent advances have made it more common for mapping both natural and human-made environments. LiDAR data is useful in many fields. It can be used to improve car safety and self-driving technology and to map areas to identify archaeological sites. It is useful for precision agriculture applications, land management decisions, and even mosquito control. This fact sheet provides practical instructions on how to create a DTM and a hillshade visualization from LiDAR data using ArcGIS Pro software. The guide is intended for anyone interested in processing publicly accessible LiDAR data or their own LiDAR data for further use, including community partners in industry and governmental agencies, scientists, and the public.

Hartwig H. Hochmair andDennis W. Zielstra

Agricultural, natural resource management, urban planning, and community development projects often involve analysis and mapping of spatial data. This publication focuses on two repositories of freely available street network data. It describes their data retrieval process, and points out some of their differences. Two sample applications demonstrate the usefulness of free street data in various projects.