CURRENT PROJECTS

1) Data mining and socio-political analysis of Mexican election results.

Graduate Student:  Alejandro Cervantes-Larios (Ph.D.)

2) Social geography of the geoweb: engaging the public in environmental change

Graduate Student: Alan McConchie (Ph.D.)

Funding:  GEOIDE

Web-based tools are the only future medium for individual and group participatory decisionmaking, and citizen outreach is the next stage of cyberinfrastructure. In this innovative project, we explore the use of the geoweb for citizen participation, particularly the act of volunteering information as a collective act of sensing.  This information source is expected to be one of the main sources of environmental models in the future, and will consist of variations in how the real world is perceived, measured and understood by citizens.  A series of case studies/projects will be used to explore this, and the theory behind it.  Our  lab's project will focus on invasive species mapping, public participation, and data vetting. 

3) Using remote sensing and GIS to study elephant movement in Africa.

Learning how and when elephants use the landscape can help reduce elephant-human conflict and ultimately protect elephants.  This project uses radio collaring and GPS to track elephants in real time.

Graduate Student: Jake Wall  (Ph.D.)

Funding:  Save the Elephants

4) Using VGI to anlayze public perceptions of public places  (2010-present)

Public perceptions of parks, geographic concepts (e.g. 'near' and 'far')

.Graduate student: Brad Maguire (Ph. D.)

5) VGI: Public reporting of wildlife occurrences versus expert reporting (2010-present)

Do expert reports of wildlife abundances match public perceptions?  VGI reports of wildlife are used to examine the coincidence of expert and public estimations.  

Graduate student: Ian Parfitt (M. Sc).

6) Community engagement and the geoweb (PlaceSpeak)

Graduate Student:  Colleen Hardwick (M. A.)

Co-supervisor: Patrick Mooney, Landscape Architecture

7) Environmental monitoring using remote sensing and GIS 

Graduate Student:  Mahdi Abalharth (M.Sc.)Co-supervisor: Marwan Hassan

8) The geographies of urban agriculture in Vancouver and Detroit

Graduate Student:  Sam Walker  (M. A.)

Co-supervisor: Elvin Wyly

9) Salish Sucker Conservation in British Columbia: land use, water quality and distribution

Graduate Student: Jill Miners (M.Sc).

Co-supervisor: Jordan Rosenfeld

Funding: BC Ministry of the Environment and the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund

Despite the global significance of the Salish Sucker, there is insufficient  information on its biology for adequate management. This project explores the relations between water quality, land use and distribution of the Salish Sucker, and includes long-term modelling of the cumulative impacts of different landuse scenarios.

Other:

Tthe Biogeographic Atlases of British Columbia: E-Fauna BC and E-Flora BC (2004-ongoing).

The biogeographic atlases of British Columbia provide a detailed, centralized source of information on the distribution, ecology and identification of BC's flora and fauna. They represent a major collaborative effort on the part of many BC researchers, government agencies, and citizen scientists who aim to provide comprehensive biogeographic information on native and naturalized species in the province.  Interactive GIS mapping is a significant component and allows incorporation of volunteered geographic information (VGI) on species occurrences as an important data layer. 

Funding: Shell Environmental Fund (Major Grant), BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Service Canada, and others. (2002-present).

Investigator: Brian Klinkenberg and numerous collaborators.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

1) Predicting the cultural mosaic in Canada. 

Using Statistics Canada data to project population change among visible minority groups. Brian Klinkenberg.  Funded by  Citizenship and Immigration Canada  (2011)

2) Spatial analysis of yellow-cedar die-back in BC:  Seeking insights. 

In this research project we explored the dynamics behind the major decline of yellow cedar in British Columbia, incuding assessment of biophysical factors that influence mortality rates.  Brian Klinkenberg.  Graduate Student:  Claire Wooton.   Funded by BC Ministry of Forests (2008-2009) ($50,000).

3) GIS modeling for emergency planning:  Visualization and Analysis of Infrastructure Networks.  

This multidisciplinary emergency planning research project was aimed at integrating the modeling of critical infrastructure interdependencies with the development of new techniques and approaches to analyze vulnerabilities in order to anticipate impacts of failures. Our component of this project focuses on visualization of interdependencies.   Collaborators:  Jose Marti (PI), Philippe Kruchten, Konstantin Beznosov, Jeffrey Joyce, Juri Jatskevich, KD Srivastava, Kellogg Booth, Brian Klinkenberg, Tamara Munzner, Richard Rosenberg, Carlos Ventura, Carson Woo, Gary Poole.  Funded by NSERC + Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. (2005-2008) ($1,020,000).

4) Integrating climate, biology and epidemiology:  predicting West Nile Virus.

In this project, we explore the biogeographic factors that drive the spread and prevalence of West Nile Virus.  By bringing biogeographic perspectives into play, we utilize both theoretical and applied approaches to predicting the spread of this human pathogen.  Specifically, we aim to correlate vector species biology (generational potency) with climatic factors (degree days and precipitation) using GIS and remote sensing techniques in order to facilitate outbreak prediction.  This combination of epidemiology, biogeography and landscape ecology will provide unique insights into disease emergence, spread and ecology. Collaborators: Brian Klinkenberg (PI), Kaoru Tachiiri and Jamil Kazmi. Supported by the BC Centre for Disease Control and Environment Canada. (2005-2007).

5) Modelling and prediction of Mongolian dzud and drought: development of early warning systems (2006-2008).

In this project we worked towards early prediction and modeling of catastrophic weather occurrences in Mongolia that significantly impact on regional farmers, causing major livestock loss and increased poverty. Prediction and development of an early warning system will allow farmers to prepare in the face of severe winters, and develop strategies for livestock and human survival. Collaborators: Kaoru Tachiiri and Brian Klinkenberg.

6) The Geography of Ecosystem Services in British Columbia: Central BC Case Study. Funded by SSHRC RDIGrant. (2006 - 2008) ($40,000).

In this research project, we aim to develop models that illustrate 'ecosystem services' in a way that integrates scientific and social understandng of ecosystem value and promotes protection of biodiversity.  These models will facilitate land use planning decision-making. Collaborators: Kai Chan (PI) and Brian Klinkenberg. Graduate Student: Lara Hoshizaki.

7) Understanding Cryptococcus gattii:  biogeographic analyses of the distribution and occurrences of a human pathogen. Funded by the BC Centre for Disease Control.  (completed 2007). 

Brian Klinkenberg. Graduate Student: Sunny Mak  (M. Sc. completed August 2007)

8)  A Global Analysis of Marine Protected Areas.  Sea Around Us Project.  Funding by World Wildlife Fund (WWF International and Canada), and others. (completed 2007). 

Co-Supervisors: Daniel Pauly and Brian Klinkenberg. Graduate Student: Louisa Wood