P.J. Densham’s discussion and explanation of “Spatial Decision Support Systems” is a good summation of the basics of a “spatial decision support system” (SDSS). Even so, the discussion seems to be a bit out of date in relation to current GIScience and SDSSs, as user interfaces and report generators have been modified and further developed, to resolve the issues and needs Densham proposes. Furthermore, some of the ways SDSSs are now used, such as the integration of dynamic modeling and GIS programs, are not even mention, as technology has advanced since the publication of this discussion and explanation. For example, my current research has an aspect of dynamic modeling that it is represented spatially, and new programs now exist that can graphically represent dynamic models in the context of a spatial area. To clarify, Densham seems to only consider single state representation (or one time frame) in SDSSs not states in dynamic flux which change in relation to changing conditions. Today, with the facts of environmental change and the speed of human development dynamic representation is becoming the norm, especially with predictive capabilities, for managers and specialists looking at spatial variation in this new context of understanding. Although the article is a good representation of the time, a lot has changed. One example of change is that database management now has different classification and retrieval styles for spatial data, such as images and descriptions. With changes in interface and computing power, SDSSs are now integrated between programs and user friendly, becoming part of most types of spatial analysis and decision making today.
C_N_Cycles