Mapping Out Solutions

New Technology Gives Pat Halpin and Colleagues the Tools to do Better Science and be Better Resource Managers p.4

Halpin credits Dean L. Urban, professor of landscape ecology and director of the Nicholas School’s Landscape Ecology Laboratory, as one of the first scientists to use network theory to quantify the role of habitat connectivity in large-scale conservation planning.

Urban used the technology as part of a landmark study in the 1990s on the habitat of the Mexican spotted owl. Efforts to protect the endangered owl had been complicated by the sheer size of its range, which covered large, often disconnected tracts of land on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border. Conserving every acre of critical habitat within the range wasn’t feasible.

By integrating field studies, spatial analysis and simulation modeling, Urban and his colleague, Tim Kitt, then a doctoral student at the University of New Mexico, were able to map out which patches of land in the U.S. portion of the range were best positioned to provide the connected patches of habitat the owls need to survive.

Today, Urban’s Landscape Ecology Laboratory continues to be an innovator in the field of theoretical applied ecology, in which researchers work to develop new analytic tools and approaches to address problems of immediate practical concern.

“Doing cutting-edge science in a way that is practical for people in the field to use is a big focus of what both my lab and Pat’s lab do,” he says.

Halpin concurs. “This is definitely a Nicholas School niche,” he says. “We’re interested in working at the intersection of technology, science and conservation planning.”

One of many innovative projects taking place at this intersection is the school’s involvement in a sea turtle tagging project. In the project, students such as Catherine McClellan, study turtle ecology in the field with Andrew Read, Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Ecology, and then collaborate in the lab with Halpin learning the latest technologies to analyze and manage the data they’ve collected.

“In this day and age, you need to be well grounded in both technology and field ecology,” Halpin says. “Our goal is to teach students the optimization technologies they need to go right to work in environmental NGOs.”

More than a dozen graduate-level classes on geospatial technologies currently are offered at the Nicholas School. Students in all eight professional degree tracks also can pursue a Certificate in Geospatial Analysis, which is awarded at graduation and designates a fundamental mastery of the technology.

Interest in the classes and programs has mushroomed in recent years—so much so that the school has added two new full-time faculty positions to help Halpin, Urban and their colleagues meet growing demand.

Jonathan Goodall, an expert in geospatial technologies for modeling and management of water resources, was hired as an assistant professor of the practice of geospatial analysis in 2005. Jennifer Swenson, an expert in spatial analysis for conservation planning, was hired as an assistant professor of the practice of geospatial analysis in 2006.

“These technologies are transforming how we study and teach environmental sciences, and how we apply these discoveries and teachings in the field,” Halpin says. “They help us surmount problems that used to be insurmountable, and collect, manage, analyze and share data in ways that were unimaginable before.”

Tim Lucas is the Nicholas School’s national media relations and marketing specialist.

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