Introduction to Landscape Ecology and GIS
Spring 2008
FNR 598E
Tuesday & Thursdays 1:30-2:20 (Lecture)
Fridays 2:30-5:20 (Lab)
3 credits
Instructor:
Dr. Bryan Pijanowski
Associate Professor
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
203 Forestry (FORS) Building
West Lafayette, Indiana
Purdue University
(765) 496-2215
bpijanow@purdue.edu
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~bpijanow
Office Hours:
Thursdays 3-5pm or by appointment
Course Description:
This course will introduce students to basic and advanced concepts in landscape
ecology. Students will be taught how to use GIS, spatial analysis tools and models that
are commonly employed to characterize dynamic landscapes. The course will be
structured so that the fist part of course will focus on concepts and terms in the field
of landscape ecology. The second part of the semester will focus on specific
applications in the area of landscape ecology with special attention to the problem of
land use. The last part of the course will focus on advanced topics including resilience
ecology, complex systems, sustainability science, deep uncertainty and informatics.
Graduate students and upper division undergraduates are encouraged to enroll for
this course. Previous experience in GIS is not necessary although familiarly with the
PC environment is required.
Textbook:
For the first part of the course, I will follow Turner, Gardner and O’Neill’s “Landscape
Ecology: In Theory and Practice” (2001). There is no lab manual (I will distribute
handouts prior to the lab).
Assessment:
Students will be graded on four activities/assignments (percentage of final grade in
parentheses): (1) paper reviews (20%); (2) laboratory exercises (20%); (3) term paper
(see below; 40%); and (4) final exam (possible exam questions will be issued two weeks
prior to the final; 20%).
Classic papers in Landscape Ecology will be summarized by students toward the end
of a lecture (typically, 10-12 minutes); those lectures that will conclude with a paper
summary are shown above with an ‘*’; papers will also be distributed to help provide
context for Part 2 of the course. Papers by Dr. Pijanowski are given with a (P), papers
by colleagues (collaborators and students) are given with a (C).
Term Paper:
Students will be required to write a term paper on a topic that is agreed upon by the
instructor. Paper needs to be written in the style and format acceptable for
publication in the journal Landscape Ecology. The paper should summarize the
independent work conducted during the Friday labs and follow the guidelines posted
at the journal web site. Typical length of paper is 15-20 pages of text, double spaced
with 12 point font. The usual number of figures and tables for a standard paper in
the journal is 6-10. Students must submit their proposed topic to the instructor
no later than February 12.
The proposed topic should include: a brief
description of the overarching research question, anticipated results and a
brief outline.
Tentative Schedule:
Part 1. Concepts and Tools
January 8:
Course Format and “What is Landscape Ecology”?
GISci, Spatial Data Models and Remote Sensing
Lab: Land Use Mapping, Anderson Classification System, Map Algebra
and Transition Matrices (Michigan’s Muskegon River Watershed)
January 15: History, Basic Terms and Environmental Science Grand Challenges
Landscape Metrics, Use and Misuse (*)
Lab: Calculating Landscape Pattern using FRAGSTATS (Wisconsin land
use data)
January 22: Concepts of Scale (*)
Causes of Pattern (*)
Lab: FRAGSTATS Part 2 (Batch Routines) and the HARVEST model
January 29: Neutral Landscape Models (*)
Spatial Model Goodness of Fit Statistics
Lab: Map Comparison Kit (Kappa, Fuzzy Kappa and Moving Window
metrics) and qRULE
February 5: Landscapes and Organisms (Terrestrial and Freshwater) (*)
Landscapes and Invasive Species (*)
Lab: Point Interpolation (Kriging and Splines) and Gypsy Moth Population
Dynamics
February 12: Landscapes and Hydrology (Term paper topic due)
Landscapes and Biogeochemical Cycles (*)
Lab: ArcHydro Tools and DEMs
Part 2. Applications of Landscape Ecology
February 19: Forecasting Land Use Change: Best Practices and Tools (P)
Neural Networks as Modeling Tools
Lab: Using the neural net-based Land Transformation Model and the
Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AROC)
February 26: Land Use Legacy Concept (P)
Using Model Ensembles to Estimate Uncertainty (P)
Lab: Creation and Analysis of Land Use Legacy Maps (Integrating
Backcast Land Use Change and Groundwater Travel Time Models)
March 4:
Climate-Land Interactions: Error Propagation of Land Use and Climate
Change Across Different Scales (P)
Land Adjudication and Land Tenure in East Africa (C)
Lab: Use of GIS in Error Propagation Analysis (Point Pattern Analysis,
Quantity Errors, Replacement Errors, True Skill Statistic, Intersect
routine)
****Spring Break****
March 18:
Regime Shifts and Landscape Change in Eastern Europe (P)
Landscapes and Poverty: Mt Kenya Food Production Systems (C)
Lab: Independent Study
March 25:
Parking Lots & Urban Footprints (C)
Soundscape Ecology (P)
Lab: Independent Study
April 1:
Social Networks, Belief Networks & Agent-Based Modeling (C)
Role Playing Games and Experimental Economics (C)
Lab: Independent Study
Part 3. Advanced Topics
April 8:
Sustainability Science
Complex Systems
Lab: Independent Study
April 15:
Resilience Ecology & Panarchy
Deep Uncertainty: The Next One Hundred Years
Lab: Independent Study
April 22:
Informatics & Computational Ecology
Nature of Interdisciplinary Research
Lab: Independent Study