My research and outreach program here at UC Berkeley has several themes, and is informed by the disciplines of GIScience, geography and landscape ecology. First, my lab members and I am interested in linking ecological pattern with process in spatially heterogeneous and dynamic landscapes. For example, we are mapping restored and natural wetlands in the SF Bay and asking how vegetation heterogeneity drives ecological function in these wetlands, and how climate change might impact these relationships; we examine how pattern in watershed catchments can influence water quality and delivery of materials downstream in a variety of watersheds, and we are quantifying and modeling the spread of a new disease (sudden oak death) across forested landscapes at different scales. Through all these applied research areas we provide data and expertise needed to understand current and projected drivers of landscape change in California. A second theme embraces the evaluation and development of new technologies and development of best practices for ecological monitoring and landscape quantification using integrated geospatial technologies - GIS, remote sensing, GPS, spatial analysis, modeling, visualization and landscape ecology approaches. The separate areas of webGIS and object-based image analysis are particularly exciting avenues of current exploration. Third, we are interested in participatory and community-based research in natural resource research and management. We have developed numerous web and GIS based tools for citizen participation and data delivery. These systems provide statewide tracking of significant natural resource data, and are critical for their ability to communicate scientific information to diverse audiences. Our final theme involves outreach and the dissemination of data and research results from these endeavors to clientele groups throughout California through presentations, training workshops, and innovative use of the Internet.
I am faculty director of the College of Natural Resources' Geospatial
Imaging and Informatics Facility (GIIF).
My ESPM website.
