| DasyTools is a new set of software tools for performing dasymetric mapping, which uses ancillary data, especially in the form of land cover or land use information derived from remotely sensed imagery, to improve the accuracy of spatial representations of population density. DasyTools implements an expert system to optimize the accuracy of its dasymetric mapping output. This expert system is described, tested, and shown to be generally reliable. DasyTools has an easy-to-use dialog interface that can be utilized within a popular geographic information systems (GIS) software package. These tools should serve as part of a push toward the emergence of well-informed dasymetric mapping, and they can also serve as an analytical framework that allows researchers to further explore dasymetric mapping. The open-source scripting framework on which the software was created also makes implementing additional functionality a straightforward process, thus enabling other researchers to further refine the tools. |
