Day: February 25, 2010

ESRI Releases “GIS for Climate Change” Best Practices e-Book, 2nd Edition

/ Matt Artz

ESRI has released the second edition of it’s free best practices e-book title “GIS for Climate Change.”  The second edition features a new introduction by ESRI president Jack Dangermond and Dr. James Baker of the William J. Clinton Foundation.  Articles include:

  • The Nature Conservancy Deploys ESRI Technology for Climate Trend Analysis
  • Assessing Economic Biomass Resources in California with GIS
  • Carbon Nation
  • Building an Oasis in the Desert
  • Conserving Bolivia’s Critical Resources
  • Mapping the Solar Potential of Rooftops
  • Harvesting Efficiently Using Mobile GIS
  • Mapping the Ayles Ice Shelf Break
  • National Carbon Sequestration (NatCarb)
  • Renewable Energy—No Longer the Impossible Dream!
  • Westchester County’s Green Map Aids County Global Warming Task Force Plans

Download the free e-book now [PDF]

Crowd Sourcing for Updating National Databases, 8 – 9 September 2010, Bern, Switzerland

/ Matt Artz

8 – 9 September 2010, Bern, Switzerland

“Based upon the promising result of the 1st EuroSDR Workshop on Crowd Sourcing for Updating National Databases, held at the Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo), Wabern, Switzerland on August 20-21, 2009, we invite you to participate in this follow up symposium.

“The symposium aims at strengthening the collaboration of the (National) Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCA), the research communities and companies in the field of user generated contents, which is identified as an important and valuable input in map or GEOdata updating procedures, contents generation and interactions with the users. The symposium should help overcome the lack of experience, knowledge of interaction schemes, of techniques, of legal aspects and of production process integration aspects. The symposium topics are focussed on volunteered GEOdata aspects (not vernacular geography or data mining topics).”

Post Doc Opportunity: Plant-Soil-Geologic Relationships, University of California, Davis

/ Matt Artz

“Qualified applicants are sought for an interdisciplinary study of plant-soil-geologic relationships.

“Requirements include a completed PhD in a relevant discipline; research and educational experience that bridges plant ecology, soil science, and/or earth sciences; and a strong academic record. Familiarity with ultramafic (serpentine) rocks, soils, and vegetation and experience with geographic information systems (GIS) would be advantageous. The successful applicant will develop and carry out research that meets the goals of the project described below, working with substantial independence under the supervision of an ecologist, a soil scientist and a geologist.

“Plant species and communities on ultramafic (“serpentine”) rocks and soils contribute greatly to California’s outstanding botanical diversity. Such species confined to island-like exposures of special soil presumably have extremely limited abilities to survive climatic warming through either latitudinal or elevational migration. In three existing, funded projects, we are experimentally assessing the limits to natural and assisted migration in serpentine plants. In the proposed work, we will deepen our understanding of the role of geologic and soil variation in determining such limits.

“Specifically, we will ask (1) Are widespread and fire-dependent chaparral shrub species locally adapted, either to ultramafic versus sandstone-derived soils, or to north versus south slopes (2) Do ultramafic soils on north versus south slopes differ systematically in their chemical and/or physical properties, in ways that may limit the ability of endemic plant species to shift their distributions to cooler locations (3) Given adequate information on geologic and soil variation, can we predict locations at which serpentine-endemic species may be successfully transplanted or restored.”