SAGA is a powerful geographic information system (GIS) software designed for geodata processing and analysis, featuring an object-oriented design and modular structure for flexible function development. It offers over 450 free modules for various geospatial analyses, runs on multiple operating systems, and promotes community contributions through its open-source nature. Current projects include climate and biodiversity research, further enhancing SAGA's capabilities in environmental modeling and resource management.

1. SAGA System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses Dr. Olaf Conrad, Alexander Czech, Dr. Jan Wehberg Physical Geography, University Hamburg

2. What is SAGA ? SAGA is a Geographic Information System software with immense capabilities for geodata processing and analysis. SAGA is programmed in the object oriented C++ language and supports the implementation of new functions with a very effective Application Programming Interface (API). Functions are organised as modules in framework independent Module Libraries and can be accessed via SAGA’s Graphical User Interface (GUI) or various scripting environments. Print Layout Map View Histogram Properties Scatterplot Attributes Notifications Workspace

3. Key Features Object oriented system design Modular structure allows framework independent function development API with strong support for geodata handling GUI for intuitive data management, analysis and visualization Far more than 450 freely available functions for geodata analysis Runs on Linux as well as on Windows operating systems Portable software running without installation even from memory sticks Free and Open Source Software Command Line Python R Script Graphical User Interface user interaction and visualisation Module Management Data Management Module Libraries implementation of geoscientific methods Application Programming Interface comprehensive data structures and toolsets Library A Library C Library B System Architecture

4. Drivers of Development SAGA’s development is mainly driven by the research interests of its inventors and developers Physical Geography, Univ. Hamburg SciLands GmbH, Göttingen Laserdata GmbH, Innsbruck SAGA’s publication as FOSS lead to several external inputs enriching the spectrum of developments V. Olaya: SEXTANTE (Sistema Extremeno de Analisis Territorial), SAGA manual, module & system development T. Schorr : GEOSTEP project, Linux, Unicode and 64bit compatibility, SAGA-Python interface V. Wichmann : PhD Thesis (rockfall modelling), Laserdata GmbH, support & documentation, module & system development V. Cimmery : SAGA 2 User Guide, documentation A. Brenning : RSAGA plugin, accessing SAGA modules from R environment J. van de Wauw: Linux support and distribution (Debian/Ubuntu), bug fixes, module development J. Brunke: Power User, Environment Agency, County Gifhorn and many other contributions, mainly modules and documentation

5. Drivers of Development | Current Projects CARBIOCIAL – Carbon sequestration, biodiversity and social structures in Southern Amazonia: models and implementation of carbon-optimized land management strategies. The Future Okavango – Scientific support for sustainable land and resource management in the Okavango basin – GIS-based landscape analyses, environmental modelling, and decision support for integrated resource management. CHELSA - Climatologies at High Resolution for the Earth’s Land Surface Areas. A research cooperation of Institute of Systematic Botany, University Zürich, Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group, University Göttingen and Physical Geography, University Hamburg. Development of a Model for the Spatial Prediction of Periglacial Deposits – Funded by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) SAGA-REKLIM – Climate Change and Forestry: Researches and developments for a SAGA based problem oriented regionalisation of spatially distributed climate data for Baden-Württemberg“. Spatial high resolution regionalization of urban climates, integrating statistical-dynamical downscaling and remote sensing techniques. Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction (CliSAP).

6. New Features Data Source Browser File system Databases, web services (planned) Online description for modules Optionally loading of module description from SAGA‘s Wiki Including images, tables Show/hide parameters Dependend on parameter settings context, parameters can dynamically be shown or hidden Improved clearness because of more compact parameter lists. Modules Naming of modules more consistent with other GIS software Search for modules (> 450) Point Clouds for huge point data Region Growing Algorithm Database access And many more …

7. Modules SAGA comes with a comprehensive and growing set of free modules, most of them published under the GPL 2005: 34 libraries, 119 modules, v1.2 2007: 42 libraries, 234 modules, v2.0.0 2008: 48 libraries, 300 modules, v2.0.3 2009: 49 libraries, 330 modules, v2.0.4 2010: 56 libraries, 401 modules, v2.0.5 2011: 63 libraries, 447 modules, v2.0.7 Not all modules are highly sophisticated analysis or modeling tools. Many modules perform rather simple data operations. But several other modules represent the state of the art in their field of analysis. Data Import & Export Cartographic Projections & Georeferencing Numerous Raster & Vector Data Tools Image Processing Terrain Analysis Geostatistics and many more… Data Import & Export Projections Raster Tools Vector Tools Terrain Analysis Image Analysis

8. LiDAR | Light Detection And Range Pulse Ranging

9. Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) Pixel Based Region Growing Watershed

10. Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) | Region Growing Image Seeds Region Growing Algorithm Vectorisation & Postclassification

11. Terrain Analysis | Landscape Units

12. Terrain Analysis | Insolation

13. Terrain Analysis | Insolation

14. Terrain Analysis | Insolation Direct Diffuse Direct / Diffuse Duration (direct)

15. Climate | Database Access Database access via Open Data Base Connection (ODBC) interface. Based on the OTL (ODBC Template Library) Supports PostGIS extension to PostgreSQL a.wmo_id=b.wmo_id AND a.wmo_mod=b.wmo_mod AND b.year=1950 Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN)

16. Climate | Monthly Mean Temperatures 1950-1952

17. Climate | Incorporating GCM December June

18. Climate | Temperature & Wind Effect December June

19. Climate | CHELSA Project CHELSA – Climatologies at High resolution for the Earth’s Land Surface Areas Comparable to ‘WorldClim’ (www.worldclim.org) Global Resolution:1000m Climate Observations from weather stations (GHCN, FAO, …) SRTM DEM and derived terrain parameters GCM (General Circulation Model) Data (e.g. NCAR/NCEP Reanalysis) Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group, University of Göttingen Institute for Systematic Botany, University of Zurich Physical Geography, University of Hamburg

20. Simulation of Dynamic Processes Runoff Soil Moisture N Distribution Cold Air Flow

21. Just another ‘Biogeographical’ Application performed with SAGA I hope you enjoyed! Many thanks for your attention www.saga-gis.org Czech, A. (2010): GIS gestützte morpho-metrische Analyse von Okklusalflächen mit SAGA GIS. Bachelorarbeit. Univ. Hamburg.

22. SAGA | Further Information Explore the world of SAGA GIS http://www.saga-gis.org Basic information Comprehensive list of references http://sourceforge.net/projects/saga-gis SourceForge > host for OSS projects Download software, documents, data SAGA Wiki Bug, Feature Tracker User Forum User Guide and Manual www.saga-gis.org sourceforge.net/projects/saga-gis User Forum WiKi Vern Cimmery’s User Guide

23. Additional Downloads for GEOSTAT 2011 Workshop www.saga-gis.org / geostat2011

24. Tuesday Block 1: 01: GIS-Basics, Coordinate Systems, Development and Architecture of SAGA, Key Features, First Steps 02: Data Management - A Practical Introduction. Visualization, Downloads, Subset, SRTM, Import & Merge Data, Landsat, Projection Block 2: 03: Raster Data, Color Composites, Histogram and Scatterplot, Filter, NDVI, unsupervised and supervised Classification, Change Detection, Object Based Image Analysis, Terrain Classification 04: Table Calculator, Line-Polygon Intersection, Join a Table, Correlation Analysis (Geographically Weighted Regression)