Open Source Gis & Remote Sensing For Conservation (Beginner)

Applied course exploring practical uses of GIS and remote sensing in environment and wildlife conservation.

What you'll learn

GIS

Remote sensing

Conservation

Environmental issues

QGIS

Ecological surveys

Requirements

An interest in both conservation and GIS. No previous experience in GIS is required.

Description

This course introduces essential theoretical concepts of GIS before diving straight into practical uses of this incredible tool to support environment and wildlife conservation. It is suitable for students with limited or no knowledge of GIS, as well as those looking to refresh or enhance their skills applied to the field of conservation. Developed by Josef Clifford, an experienced GIS & remote sensing specialist, the course curriculum and content was developed in collaboration with scientists from the Wildlife Research and Training Institute of Kenya and the Zoological Society of London to ensure the content is rigorous and relevant. Real ecological survey data from Kenya, Cameroon and other locations has also been provided by these institutions which is used within practical sessions of this course. We will cover a multitude of tasks ranging from collecting and managing spatial data during ecological surveys, visualising survey data, and undertaking spatial analysis to understand spatial relationships and extract covariate data. In addition, we will see how to source free spatial data online, how to georeference images, and we will develop publication quality maps. The course will primarily utilise QGIS as well as Google Earth, whilst the advanced course (to be released in late 2024) will also make use of Google Earth Engine and R. Note that the beginner course focuses more on GIS, whilst the advanced course (to be released in late 2024) will explore remote sensing techniques in greater depth. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the course!

Overview

Section 1: Course introduction

Lecture 1 1.1. Welcome to the course!

Lecture 2 1.2. What is GIS?

Lecture 3 1.3. Components of a GIS

Lecture 4 1.4. Installing QGIS

Lecture 5 1.5. Applications of GIS and remote sensing in Conservation

Lecture 6 1.6. Why open source?

Lecture 7 1.7. Getting Started with QGIS

Lecture 8 1.9. Section 1 review

Section 2: Basic principles of GIS

Lecture 9 2.1. Introduction to section 2

Lecture 10 2.2. Spatial data types

Lecture 11 2.3. Coordinate reference systems

Lecture 12 2.4. Projected coordinate reference systems

Lecture 13 2.5. Which CRS?

Lecture 14 2.6. Sources of Spatial Data for Conservation

Lecture 15 2.8. Section 2 review

Section 3: Getting started with GIS

Lecture 16 3.1. Introduction to Section 3

Lecture 17 3.2. Sourcing data online for conservation applications

Lecture 18 3.2.x. Extra: OpenStreetMap

Lecture 19 3.3. Adding spatial data to QGIS

Lecture 20 3.3.x. Extra: Reprojecting Vector Data

Lecture 21 3.4. Extracting data

Lecture 22 3.5. Vector Styles and Labels

Lecture 23 3.6. Downloading a digital elevation model (DEM)

Lecture 24 3.7. Raster and DEM Styles

Lecture 25 3.8. Introduction to mapping and cartography

Lecture 26 3.9. Creating a publication-quality map in QGIS

Lecture 27 3.11. Section 3 review

Section 4: Working with Vector Data

Lecture 28 4.1. Introduction to section 4

Lecture 29 4.2. Georeferencing

Lecture 30 4.3. Creating new vector data and digitising

Lecture 31 4.4. Field calculations + calculating feature geometry [e.g. calculate PA areas]

Lecture 32 4.5. Summarising + analysing attribute table data [% country area protected]

Lecture 33 4.6. Choropleth Mapping

Lecture 34 4.7. Complex labelling

Lecture 35 4.9. Section 4 review

Section 5: Survey design and data collection

Lecture 36 5.1. Introduction to section 5

Lecture 37 5.2. Ecological survey design

Lecture 38 5.3. Creating survey grids and transects in QGIS

Lecture 39 5.4. Ecological survey data collection tools

Lecture 40 5.4.x. Extra: Preparing an ODK survey

Lecture 41 5.5. Loading sampling points onto a GPS device or Maps.Me on your mobile

Lecture 42 5.6. Collecting data in the field on your mobile

Lecture 43 5.7. Downloading and cleaning data

Lecture 44 5.9. Section 5 review

Section 6: Management and visualisation of Survey Data

Lecture 45 6.1. Introduction to section 6

Lecture 46 6.2. Importing and visualising data in Google Earth

Lecture 47 6.3. Importing and joining CSV data [join camera trap locations with trap rates]

Lecture 48 6.4. Merging and appending features

Lecture 49 6.5. Visualising Survey Data

Lecture 50 6.6. Interpolation and hotspot mapping

Lecture 51 6.8. Section 6 review

Section 7: Section 7: Vector Spatial Analysis

Lecture 52 7.1. Introduction to section 7

Lecture 53 7.2. Buffering [create buffer zone around protected area]

Lecture 54 7.3. Overlay tools - intersect, union, erase

Lecture 55 7.4. Spatial join

Lecture 56 7.5. Nearest Neighbour [details + distance to protected area boundary]

Lecture 57 7.6. Boolean overlay and suitability analysis [habitat suitability]

Lecture 58 7.7. Boolean overlay to enhance survey design

Lecture 59 7.9. Section 7 Review

Section 8: Final assessment

Lecture 60 Final session: congrats on completing the Beginner course!

Conservationists,Ecologists,Wildlife biologists,Conservationists,Beginners in GIS and remote sensing,Professionals in GIS interested in exploring new applications