BB836: Geographical Information systems (GIS) in Environmental monitoring and Climate adaption

Study Board for Natural Sciences

Teaching language: Danish
EKA: N110013102
Assessment: Second examiner: Internal
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master's level course approved as PhD course

STADS ID (UVA): N110013101
ECTS value: 10

Date of Approval: 11-03-2025


Duration: 1 semester

Version: Approved - active

Internal Course Code

BB836

Comment

This course contains a field trip to Svanninge in week 43 or week 46. Enrollment in this course means a payment of DKK 500 per student. Each student will be asked to pay a couple of weeks before the field trip via itslearning.

The course is partly taught with BB903.

Entry requirements

The course cannot be chosen if you have passed, registered, or have followed BB903, or if BB903 is a constituent part of your Curriculum.

Academic preconditions

Students taking the course are expected to have a professional level at least equivalent to the 3rd year Bachelor student.

The course builds on the knowledge of cell terrestrial nature, ecology, environmental quality assessment of pollution in streams and climate adaptation Some courses are running in parallel to and earlier during the study program.

The use of your own computer, preferably with Windows, but Mac is also accepted, is required for this course.


Course introduction

The aim is to introduce GIS theory and its applicability within environmental and nature conservation and climate adaptation. The students will learn GIS-tools through practical environmental cases: where they prepare, implement and create environmental maps and treat and manipulate the data. The intention is that the students reach a level, so GIS can be used during the master project. The topics is: evaluate nutrient runoff from catchments with varying land use, climate adaptation plans where topographic models assists creation of hydraulic buffers in the landscape, analysis of marine environmental conditions to fulfill the EU’s Water Frame Directive and coupling of dynamic models to GIS-tools to improve the spatial ecosystem analysis.

Expected learning outcome

The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the following GIS expertise’s:
  • Create, optimize and maintain GIS-databases.
  • Register digital data into basic and thematic maps.
  • Using drone imaging for ground truthing of spatial data.
  • Understand and use different types of projections.
  • Critical analysis of the quality of GIS-data.
  • Use GIS data- and map-manipulation facilities including: Aggregating, combining, deleting, overlaying and splitting.
  •  Analyze spatial data by database queries (SQL). 
  • Evaluate maps and themes with 0, 1, 2 and 3D-analyser. 
  • Create thematic maps.
  • Generate topographic models and analyze spatial gradients.
  • Use GIS to analyze complex environmental problems (thru cases).

Content

The students will through weekly assignments work with GIS themes that exemplify how the environmental authorities (ministry, regions and municipalities) use GIS. Thematically it includes: spatial analysis of habitat fragmentation of protected nature, land use and nutrient loading in relation to possibilities to fulfil the EU Water Frame Directive. Buffering increased precipitation to avoid flooding. Management of coastal defenses to address climate induced marine flooding. Using GIS for spatial analysis of marine environmental quality or evaluate potential coast near nature restoration.

Literature

  • Heywood et al. An introduction to GIS. 4. udg
  • Booklet
  • Original artikler
  • Video tutorials with learn content

See itslearning for syllabus lists and additional literature references.

Examination regulations

Exam element a)

Timing

Autumn

Tests

Project report, presentation and oral defense of report.

EKA

N110013102

Assessment

Second examiner: Internal

Grading

7-point grading scale

Identification

Full name and SDU username

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Examination aids

All common aids allowed.

ECTS value

10

Indicative number of lessons

94 hours per semester

Teaching Method

Planned lessons: 
Total number of planned lessons: 94 hours
 
Hereof: 
Common lessons in classroom/auditorium: 59 hours
Common lessons in the field/excursion: 35 hours

From the 59 hours classroom lessons about 1/3 is planned as lectures, whereas 2/3 are used on practical exercises in working groups guided by the teacher and assistants.

Classes are planned in 4 hours sessions. A general scheme for a class contains ~15-20 minute lecture blocks, 10-15 min shared discussion and questions blocks, 10-15 minutes of self work (individual activity, ex survey, quiz etc.) and 1-2 hours of group work solving practical assignments. Brakes are introduced in the session ad hoc. 

The course includes a 5 days (~35 hours) residential part where the students are staying on the Institute field station in Svanninge Bjerge (Southern Funen). Here ground truthing and GIS expertise are trained. Weeks 43 or 46.

Other planned teaching activities:

  • Finishing GIS-analysis.
  • Writing tutorial reports from exercises.
  • Round table discussions.
  • Presenting data in groups.

Teacher responsible

Name E-mail Department
Paula Canal-Vergés canal@biology.sdu.dk Biologisk Institut

Additional teachers

Name E-mail Department City
Frederik Hoffmann Hansen frederikhh@biology.sdu.dk Biologisk Institut

Timetable

Administrative Unit

Biologisk Institut

Team at Registration

NAT

Offered in

Odense

Recommended course of study

Transition rules

Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study. 
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list. 
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.