CONS 210 - Introduction to Conservation GIS

Credits: (3)
The integration of spatial data and analyses across the conservation community can lead to improved conservation outcomes and allows conservationists to solve pressing environmental questions. In addition, sharing conservation issues and outcomes through well designed maps and online, interactive tools can play a critical role in advancing the dissemination of important conservation stories. This course will provide an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with a focus on conservation applications. Emphasis will be on the hands-on application of GIS to create maps, organize and visualize spatial data, and query spatial data to create answers for environmental questions. Students will examine spatial data with an emphasis on data structures, acquisition, processing, management, and analysis. A spatial database will be queried to solve spatial problems, analyze related attributes, and produce computerized cartographic output. The coursework includes readings and hands-on computer lab exercises and a final project.