Geospatial Modeling with QGIS and R
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Analyses of wildlife home range and habitat use are used in wildlife-focused disciplines to inform population and habitat management practices. The geographical space used by animals is largely driven by habitat selection, where habitat can be described by spatially explicit site factors (e.g., land cover). Geospatial modeling is the process of synthesizing geographically referenced field measurements and spatial data layers representing those site factors. In this course, we will process raw point location data, estimate home ranges, and conduct habitat assessments using raster land cover data and the open-source software applications QGIS and R.
This is a 1-credit equivalent academic course (16 contact hrs + additional work) where you learn at your own pace.
PREREQUISITES
Introductory training or experience in R (e.g., R Boot Camp for Ecologists and Wildlife Biologists) and QGIS (e.g., Introduction to QGIS) is necessary.
PRIMARY INSTRUCTOR
COURSE FORMATS, CREDITS, DATES, & PRICING
FORMAT: Learn at your own pace over 3 months as you work through prerecorded lectures and exercises.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by (1) the Ecological Society of America for 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training, and (2) The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Participants must complete all exercises to pass the course (P/F) and receive a CWS Certificate of Course Completion, which can be submitted to ESA and TWS for CEUs. See our Continuing Education Page for more details about CEUs with ESA and TWS.
*** This version of the course can NOT be used to earn academic credit from your college or university, or certify as a Professional Ecologist with ESA or a Wildlife Biologist® with TWS. ***
DATES & PRICES:
Spring: Mar 4 - May 26: $400 professional / $300 student
Summer: June 3 - Aug 25 (early bird* ends May 6): $350 professional / $250 student
Fall: Sept 3 - Nov 24 (early bird* ends Aug 5): $350 professional / $250 student
*Early bird saves $50
FORMAT: Reach out to your instructor over a 1-month period to get help as you work through prerecorded lectures, problem sets, and your own personal work. Instructor support includes emailing your instructor, accessing live discussion threads, attending group meetings, and scheduling one-on-one appointments (Zoom or phone) about course materials, your research, datasets from work, etc. You will have access to the course for the 3-month term. Completing all exercises and course surveys are required to pass the course and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted for continuing education with ESA and TWS.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by (1) the Ecological Society of America for 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training, and (2) The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Participants must complete all exercises to pass the course (P/F) and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted to ESA and TWS for CEUs. See our Continuing Education Page for more details about CEUs with ESA and TWS.
ESA & TWS CERTIFICATION: Participants that earn a B- or better can use this 1-credit course to help meet the minimum education requirements (in Chemistry, Physical Sciences, and Mathematics) to certify as a Professional Ecologist with ESA. Participants that earn a D or better can use this 1-credit course in their application to certify as a Wildlife Biologist® with TWS. See our Professional Certification Page for more details about ESA and TWS certification.
*** This version of the course can NOT be used to earn academic credit from your college or university. See the PREMIUM format below ***
DATES & PRICES:
Spring: Mar 4 - May 26: $550 professional / $450 student
Summer: June 3 - Aug 25 (early bird* ends May 6): $500 professional / $400 student
Fall: Sept 3 - Nov 24 (early bird* ends Aug 5): $500 professional / $400 student
*Early bird saves $50
FORMAT: Reach out to your instructor for help with course materials as you work through prerecorded lectures and exercises. Instructor support includes emailing your instructor, accessing live discussion threads, attending group meetings, and scheduling one-on-one appointments (Zoom or phone) about course materials, your research, datasets from work, etc. You will have access to course materials for 1 year. After working through 8 modules, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by (1) the Ecological Society of America for 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training, and (2) The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Participants must complete all exercises to pass the course (P/F) and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted to ESA and TWS for CEUs. See our Continuing Education Page for more details about CEUs with ESA and TWS.
ESA & TWS CERTIFICATION: Participants that earn a B- or better can use this 1-credit course to help meet the minimum education requirements (in Chemistry, Physical Sciences, and Mathematics) to certify as a Professional Ecologist with ESA. Participants that earn a D or better can use this 1-credit course in their application to certify as a Wildlife Biologist® with TWS. See our Professional Certification Page for more details about ESA and TWS certification.
ACADEMIC CREDIT: This 1-credit course can be taken with pre-approval from an administrator at a your college or university. For an additional fee, students also have the option to complete an Applied Project for an additional 1-2 academic credits (earning up to 2-3 academic credits in total). See our Academic Credit Page for details.
DATES & PRICES:
Spring: Mar 4 - May 26: $650 professional / $550 student
Summer: June 3 - Aug 25 (early bird* ends May 6): $600 professional / $500 student
Fall: Sept 3 - Nov 24 (early bird* ends Aug 5): $600 professional / $500 student
*Early bird saves $50
Review QGIS (QGIS Basics)
Downloading GIS data online (Maine Geolibrary)
Preparing spatial data in Excel
Creating Vector Data (points)
Projections and transformations (Coordinate system)
Creating shape files for individual animals
Setting up R-studio and Geospatial Modeling Environment (GME)
Calculating home ranges in GME
Home range analysis in QGIS
Determine area of home ranges
Calculate geometry
Determining available habitat
Intro to remote sensing and raster data
Vegetation analysis
Determining used habitats
Statistical analysis of used vs. available habitat
“I appreciate that we learned by working through real-world examples, and that the examples represented actual questions we may encounter during our own research.”
-Anonymous course participant
SCHOLARSHIPS
Full scholarships are available to participants from countries designated as “lower income” and “lower middle income” in the World Bank List of Economies. Please see our CWS World Scholars Program page for details.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations 30 days or more before the start date are not subject to cancellation fees. Cancellations <30 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds once the course begins.