GEP 388 - Environmental Geographic Information Systems

Unit(s): 3-4

Environmental issues typically involve a range of physical, ecological and socioeconomic factors with complex interactions that span multiple spatial and temporal scales. Computer-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are particularly well-suited for describing, analyzing and modeling environmental problems and datasets, and the technology is widely used for local- to global-scale research, impact assessment, conservation planning and natural resource management. This course investigates a range of environmental problems through the unique perspective afforded by geospatial data analysis within a GIS. Lectures introduce the ecological, scientific and societal issues associated with major environmental issues of our time, such as land-use change, biodiversity loss, and global carbon emissions. These issues are then quantitatively analyzed with real-world spatial datasets using GIS-based methods and tools in coordinated laboratory exercises. In the process, students extend and strengthen GIS skills and concepts acquired through GEP 387.

Grading: OPT
Prerequisite(s): GEP 387, basic college-level math, statistics helpful.