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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello QGIS community,<br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm writing because I'm looking for a few QGIS programmers
who are interested in using their skills to help with an important
environmental project.<span style=""> </span>Before I get into
how you can help, here is some info about the project.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Natural Capital project, a joint venture between
Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund, is
"developing tools for quantifying the values of natural capital in clear,
credible, and practical ways".<span style=""> </span>What
is Natural Capital and why is it important to value?<span style=""> </span>To use another related term, Natural Services
are services that nature typically, and historically, has provided for
free.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, since society is so
used to getting these services for free, the services often don't have a value
attached to them.<br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For example, a standing forest today may only have one
economic value in the marketplace: the price of its timber once cut.<span style=""> </span>But a forest provides many tangible benefits
to society that are not measured in the marketplace, such as water filtration,
carbon sequestration, or flood mitigation.<span style="">
</span>If a real economic value could be put on these services, would their
value be greater or less than cutting the forest for timber?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can get quite a bit more information about the NatCap
project here: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org">http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can also read a good book on the subject by one of the
projects leading scientists: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Economy-Nature-Conservation-Profitable/dp/1559631546/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266733265&sr=8-2">http://www.amazon.com/New-Economy-Nature-Conservation-Profitable/dp/1559631546/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266733265&sr=8-2</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So where does QGIS fit in?<span style="">
</span>As part of its strategy, the NatCap project is developing software tools
using GIS software.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, the
only GIS the tool runs on is ArcGIS, which presents a significant barrier to
entry for many would-be users around the world.<span style="">
</span>Based on the project's goals and the open nature of the software it is
developing, a free GIS is the more logical choice.<span style=""> </span>I'm emailing the QGIS community since I use
QGIS myself, have found the tool to be great, and the community to be strong.
For anybody who feels this is an important use of your time, I would like to
ask for your help in making the software work for QGIS.<span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now for the details.<span style="">
</span>The software, called Invest, runs as a python script in ArcGIS.<span style=""> </span>There are around 6 different modules,
comprised of 1 to 3 python files for each module.<span style=""> </span>Each module is around 300 to 900 lines of
code.<span style=""> </span>It would be great if somebody
could volunteer to analyze a few of these modules, say - Carbon, Biodiversity,
and Timber, to see what it would take to convert them over to QGIS.<span style=""> </span>Are there any ArcGIS scripting calls that
can't be ported over to QGIS?<span style=""> </span>Can an API
layer be written to abstract different GIS?<span style="">
</span>What about the user interface?<span style=""> </span>After
the assessment is complete, we'll figure out what are next steps.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">You can read more about the software here:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/InVEST.html">http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/InVEST.html</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And you can download the software here:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://invest.ecoinformatics.org/">http://invest.ecoinformatics.org/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'm also attaching the Timber module for you to take a look at if you want instant gratification for your curiosity.<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, what do you say, any volunteers? Please let me know, I really appreciate any help!<br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ben</p>