Boolean Overlay

In simple suitability analysis, the logical combination of true/false information often leads to a more or less straightforward solution. Let’s suppose the wolf visiting St. Gittal only settles inside the forest and only in steep areas. In this case, a few logical considerations are enough to determine the suitable habitat. Each of these two criteria can be modeled using a binary information layer (forest / non-forest and steep / not steep). The areas which satisfy both criteria constitute the potential habitat, that is, areas that are forested AND steep. This method of spatial query is called Boolean Overlay and is a commonly used analysis function in GIS.

In addition to the intersection with "AND" there are other logical combinations. This unit deals with the basic idea of Boolean overlay and shows its application in suitability analysis with GIS.