TWS 2005 Conference Offerings for GIS/RS/Telemetry Working Group Members

Attending the 2005 conference in Madison this year?  There are several offerings that may be of interest to you, so read on.  (Students: apply for the GIS/RS/Telemetry Working Group Student Travel Grant here).

Workshops:
1. ArcGIS 9.x Basics - an Introduction to ArcGIS for Natural Resource Professionals
2. Spatial Modeling with ArcGIS ModelBuilder/Scripting

Each of the two workshops is a half-day venture, allowing TWS members to participate at their level of interest and skill.  The first workshop, proposed for the morning, is  ‘Introduction to ArcGIS for Natural Resources Professionals’. Environmental Systems Research Institute recently produced their latest iteration of the  industry-leading geographic information systems software; thus, many people will be interested in familiarizing themselves with many of the newest features of this software.  

The workshop planned for the afternoon is an introduction to Model Builder, a valuable modeling tool within ArcGIS, and will include a basic introduction to using scripts in addition to the modeling tool.  Both half-day sessions will demonstrate how these programs and tools can be used by wildlife biologists.  As a means of defraying costs associated with these workshops and generating student travel awards, a nominal fee will be associated with these workshops. 

Symposia:
1. Overview and Treatment of Spatial Errors in GIS Applications 
2. Kernel Methods in Space Use Analyses

Overview and Treatment of Spatial Errors in GIS Applications 

Description: Recent advances in software and technology (e.g., computers and GPS), coupled with an increased availability of higher resolution GIS data layers covering much of the planet surface, has led to a surge in use of GIS data by biologists for a variety of natural resource applications.  However, use of these data is not without pitfalls; practitioners often treat GIS data as truth when, in fact, there are multiple sources of error inherent in them.  These errors can arise from the imagery, base maps and/or GPS units; these errors can be compounded or propagated when 2 or more data layers are merged.  Further, GIS software introduces another source of error by the way it analyzes the data. The main purpose of this symposium is to provide an overview of the sources of spatial error in GIS applications and how to deal with them.  The target audience will be both biologists and statisticians.

Format: a half-day symposium that would provide both basic and detailed information about the sources of error and their magnitude in GIS data that will be understandable to both biologists (practitioners) and statisticians (analysts).  

Organized by: GIS/Remote Sensing/Telemetry Working Group (Chris Ribic, Bill Thompson, Tom Sklebar, and Wayne Thogmartin)


Kernel Methods in Space Use Analyses

Description: Since their introduction to wildlife biologists, kernel methods have become a standard technique for estimating home range size and other features of animal utilization distributions. Kernel density estimators allow biologists a way to describe the relative amount of time that an animal spends in a particular place.  The advent of GPS radio-tracking and proliferation of GIS software, both of which provide previously unattainable data intensity and quality, have further contributed to the growing popularity of kernel analyses.  These tools allow biologists to garner as much information as possible from location data and gain new insights into resource selection by animals.

Similar to commonly used past methods of home range estimation (e.g., minimum convex polygon, probability contours, harmonic mean, etc.), kernel analyses are not always straightforward, in spite of a growing number of computer programs available to assist with the calculations and visualization of results (e.g., KernelHR, Animal Movement Extension, HRE, Ranges VI).  Users need to be aware of the limitations and fundamental assumptions of the various forms of kernel analyses such as fixed vs. adaptive kernel estimators, the underlying density function employed, and the various methods used to determine a bandwidth or smoothing parameter.  The effects of sample size, location bias, and autocorrelation on kernel estimators must also be considered.  The purpose of this symposium is to provide an overview of the fundamental concepts and considerations underlying kernel analyses in a format that will appeal to as wide a range of wildlife professionals and graduate students as possible.  

This half-day symposium will begin with a general description of kernel estimators and comparisons of various analysis choices; the latter half will include case studies representing a range of applications.  The symposium will complement an in-depth workshop on utilization distributions sponsored by the TWS Biometrics Working Group.

Organized by: GIS/Remote Sensing/Telemetry Working Group (Art Rodgers, Chris Kochanny, John Kie, and Josh Millspaugh)


To top