Themes
Effective management and conservation of many resources, species and habitats requires an integration of information from a variety of spatial scales. However science on how best to manage and conserve is traditionally partitioned into areas of expertise, taxonomic groups and/or habitat types. Furthermore planning documents derived from that science are also not integrated e.g. chapters on land, water, coast. We propose to explore options to integrate science and management solutions across areas of expertise, taxonomic groups and/or habitat types by using a spatial framework of environmental drivers.
Impacts: This approach will allow the environment to be managed and conserved in an integrated manner, considering land and water in terrestrial and marine environments as a whole, resulting in better analysis of the effects of human actions on the environment, and leading to improved decision making.
Members: Russell Death (theme lead), David Aguirre, Karen Stockin, Jeff McNeill, Ian Fuller, Alistair Clement, Libby Liggins, Ina Draganova.
This theme explores a range of aspects around how we can deal with and apply large quantities of data that are available from new technologies, most particularly different kinds of sensors. Application areas include precision agriculture, river dynamics and disaster management.
Particular areas within this theme that we are working on include the use of unpersonned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for multiple applications; hyperspectral scanning for precision agriculture and 3D scanning to create building models.
Members: Raj Prasanna, Ian Fuller, Mike Touhy, Matthew Irwin, Russell Death, Ian Yule, Megan Chushnahan, Kenny Park.
This theme explores how geographic models can reflect uncertainty inherent in geographic information, and how methods of reasoning about these models can deal with this uncertainty. The source of uncertainty is either in the geographic concept itself (for example, the uncertainty about the boundary of a geographic object) or in the user's perception of the concept (for example, the precise interpretation of nearness).
We are particularly interested in ontological uncertainty: uncertainty in the concepts that users hold of particular geographic classes in the world, how we can model that and use it to improve communication among different communities, and to improve usability of applications for applications such as disaster management and management of river environments and national parks.
Members: Hans Guesgen (theme lead), Emma Hudson-Doyle, Raj Prasanna, Kristin Stock, Jon Proctor, Azadeh Izadi
Spatial Ecology: From the mountains to the sea: is it really feasible to manage resources at such a scale?
Exploring Geographic Sensor Data
Uncertainty and Semantics in Geographic Information
Geographic Information in Urban and Regional Planning
This theme focuses on applications of geospatial science and technology within urban and regional planning. One of these efforts is investigating the concept of food deserts, and whether spatial access to food sources of all types (including shops, food banks, home gardens) is related to food consumption. Other research examines the debate between the compact city versus urban sprawl, including the effects of urbanization on avifauna and invasive plant species. Resilience of transport infrastructure of urban and regional geographies to uncertainties related to climate change is a third focus area. This research focuses on how climate change, especially in many small island developing states, has the potential to disrupt local and regional economies and other social conditions reliant on urban and regional transportation networks.
Members: Jeff McNeill (theme lead), John Lowry Jr, Jo Ross, Andrew Murphy, Kristin Stock, Rachel Summers