(Note that accurate surveying of property boundaries necessitates the use of survey-grade equipment see the heading “Survey-Grade” below. Since GPS uses exact coordinates rather than relational landmarks, it produces measurements that remain accurate no matter what happens to the surrounding land or physical objects used as landmarks. In the past, surveyors used landmarks (which can be destroyed or moved over time) to define boundaries. GPS allows users to document the coordinates of property boundaries. (This can be particularly helpful for monitoring easements and identifying potential violations.) Documenting Property Boundries By comparing photos of the same location taken at different times, users can notice changes to the property.
This allows users to establish a visual record of important features and their precise locations. Users can take digital photos in the field and link them to GPS coordinates in the GIS database. Once mapped, these features can be easily located with a GPS device on return visits to the property. Users can also map human-made features like trails, benches, buildings, roads, driveways, and fences. GPS enables users to map the location of a wide variety of features in the field, such as mature forest, specimen trees, invasive species, soil erosion, fire-disturbed areas, riparian buffers, and waterways.
To use GPS effectively, an organization must invest in some combination of equipment and software, and either train or hire staff to operate it. By importing the data into Geographical Information System (GIS) software, users can create maps of this data. GPS helps conservation organizations and municipalities manage land by recording positional data in the form of points (e.g., location of a tree or property corner), lines (e.g., a trail), or areas (e.g., a lake). For land conservation purposes, it is important to note that a GPS unit will not receive satellite signals when under thick forest canopies, underground, or underwater.Īlthough GPS was originally developed in the 1980s for military purposes, today the technology provides positioning, velocity, and navigation information for a wide range of users. These signals can pass through clouds, glass, and plastic the signals weaken when passing through solid objects such as buildings and cannot pass through objects that contain high levels of metals. GPS satellites circle the globe in a precise orbit, transmitting coded radio signals at least four of their signals can reach any given point on Earth at one time. Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based navigation system that uses a constellation of satellites to determine the location of the receiving unit on Earth.