Uses of statistical analysis
Statistical analysis is often used to explore your data—for example, to examine the distribution of values for a particular attribute or to spot outliers (extreme high or low values). Having this information is useful when defining classes and ranges on a map, when reclassifying data, or when looking for data errors.
Another use of statistical analysis. For example, to summarize data often this is done for categories, such as calculating the total area in each land use category. You can also create spatial summaries, such as calculating the average elevation for each watershed. Summary data is useful for gaining a better understanding of conditions in a study area.
In the example below, summary statistics have been calculated for each landuse class showing the number of parcels in that class, the size of the smallest and largest parcel, the average parcel size, and the total area in the class.
Statistical analysis is also used to identify and confirm spatial patterns, such as the center of a group of features, the directional trend, or whether features form clusters. While patterns may be apparent on a map, trying to draw conclusions from a map can be difficult-how you classify and symbolize the data can obscure or overemphasize patterns. Statistical functions analyze the underlying data and give you a measure that can be used to confirm the existence and strength of the pattern.