Syllabus

ENV 761 - Landscape GIS   |   Spring 2024   |   Instructors: Peter Cada & John Fay  |  

Overview

This course explores geospatial methods and modeling tools applied to the management of land and water resources. We will use both ArcGIS Pro, 3rd party tools, and other statistical software packages during the course and use a variety of data forms: satellite imagery, GIS vector data, digital elevation models, animal telemetry data, dynamic management polygons, etc. The class focuses on applications, technical skill development, and written and graphical summaries of the different projects.

Instructors/Office hours TAs/Office hours
Peter Cada (he/his): Thu 9:00-10:00am - 3104 Grainger Hall
John Fay (he/his): Tue 1:00-2:00pm - 3112 Grainger Hall		 Kelly Davidson (she/hers): Wed 10:30-11:30am LSRC A153

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Locate, obtain, process, visualize, query and analyze different types of geospatial data within ArcGIS Pro.

  • Construct ArcGIS workspaces and models to perform processing, visualization, query and analytical tasks.

  • Use non-GIS programs such as MaxEnt, R, Portfolio, and MARXAN to construct habitat models, and design reserve portfolios, respectively.

  • Create compelling visualizations that summarize the analysis for different audiences, e.g. scientific, NGO, government.

  • Learn how to research and summarize current geospatial problems from the primary literature.

  • Given a rough sketch of a management problem, outline and execute an analysis with GIS and write a cohesive summary comprising of graphical, numerical, textual and visual information.

Course Format

This course is comprised of two weekly [recorded] lectures along with two weekly [in-person] labs. While the emphasis is on technical skill development, equally important is your ability to summarize a project and, when required, make a management recommendation. Accordingly we will be exposed to a variety of examples that will require multiple skills and gain experience with the current questions in land and water resources, and the current tools to answer such questions. During the course you will engage in a variety of activities including:

  • Participating in lectures and discussions on geospatial analysis
  • Planning and conducting GIS-based analyses relating to different management questions
  • Writing both short informal & long formal summary reports of these analyses
  • Writing short reviews of guest speaker presentations
  • Designing and executing a final project

Expectations and Etiquette

The “Flipped” Format

This course takes a “flipped” format meaning much of the material is delivered asynchronously, e.g. via recorded videos and guided tutorials. We’ll use our synchronous (i.e. live) sessions to review the highlights of the asynchronous materials, answer any questions, and generally clarify any remaining points of confusion. If all questions/concerns have been addressed, the remaining time will just be an open work sessoin and you are welcome to leave.

You are highly encouraged to attend the synchronous sessions, though I won’t be recording attendance. They are our opportunity for interactive learning. The sessions will be your chance to address any topics that weren’t clear in the videos and discuss topics in more detail. You will get the most out of these sessions if you come prepared, meaning you’ve worked through the video exercises and have thought about the discussion points provided within them.

Exercising patience

GIS can be chaotic and fraught with technical issues at times. I will make every effort to keep the class running as smooth as possible, to keep the focus on learning GIS, but it’s likely we’ll have to make adjustments on the fly. In some regards, I look forward to this, as these curveballs often provide great learning opportunities. However, I’ll need your patience at times, and I will myself be sympathetic to any and all unique circumstances that you are going through collectively or individually. Please never hesitate to approach me with thoughts or ideas on how the course is run or particular concerns you have.

Graded activities

We will provide you with a range of different labs over the course of the semester to ensure broad exposure to different systems and different conservation and management questions. As the semester progresses, you will be given fewer and fewer instructions concerning how to conduct the analysis and complete each assignment. Each lab will require a lab write-up: some ‘informal’ short write-ups and some ‘formal’ more detailed write-ups.

  • Lab Exercises:
    • Short Labs: There will be six “short” lab exercise assigned during the course. You will briefly and succinctly answer posed questions, or summarize the problem, your approach to solving it, and your results. While they are short, they need to be professional and not just rough attempts to summarize the lab.
    • Lab Projects: You will also complete 3 longer lab projects where you will complete the assigned analyses and compile your results in the context of a brief report or memo.
  • Course Project: You will be required to perform a geospatial analysis that goes beyond what is taught explicitly in lab exercises. A set of topics will be provided, or you can propose your own topic. Proposed topics, however, must be approved by the instructor.
  • Class Participation: In addition to general active participation in class discussions, I will request a various points along the course that you provide feedback on a guest lecture or evaluate a particular aspect about the course.

Grading

Assignment Pct.
Short Labs (x7) 9% x 7 = 42%
Lab Projects (x3) 15% x 3 = 45%
Course project  

The Duke Community Standard

Duke University is a community dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and service and to the principles of honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability. Citizens of this community commit to reflect upon and uphold these principles in all academic and nonacademic endeavors, and to protect and promote a culture of integrity.

To uphold the Duke Community Standard:

  • I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors;
  • I will conduct myself responsibly in all my endeavors; and
  • I will act if the Standard is compromised.

Diversity Statement

We all bring unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the classes we take. Collectively, these enrich the learning pathways, but only if we show each other the proper respect and allow each other to share new and different viewpoints. As your instructor, I will do my best to foster inclusive and equitable conversations on all aspects of the material covered and to overcome any implicit biases I may have. I encourage students to point out shortcomings that I or others may have on this front so we can work through them.

Native Lands Acknowledgment

It’s important to contemplate that Duke University occupies land that once supported other communities, and that these communities were likely displaced by unfriendly means. Have a look at his web mapping app (or the map below) to discover what native communities once existed throughout the US. (And if you’re curious, we can explore how that app was built in class!) Shout out to https://native-land.ca for the source of these data.