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Environmental and Forest Biology
(EFB) |
| Environmental and Forest Biology (EFB)
uses Geospatial Modeling and Analysis to study ecological interactions
among and between components of spatially distributed ecosystems.
These components consist of both external forcing and internal
process functions. The first include such inputs as sunlight,
precipitation, temperature, and nutrients, which vary over terrain,
rivers, lakes, soils, watersheds. The second include the energy
flows and feedbacks that occur between for example, various plant
communities, animal and fish species, etc. which also vary over
a landscape as a function of their environmental gradient requirements. |
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Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering
(ERFEG) |
| Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering
(ERFEG) uses GMA for research involving environmental and hydrological
modeling, water pollution monitoring and control, environmental
mapping and assessment, aerial and satellite remote sensing,
global positioning system technologies, geographic information
system technologies, and implementation issues. Primary areas
of emphases are spatial collection and management, data accuracy,
error analysis, and fusion of spatial data with remote sensing
imagery. Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering GMA projects
include, but are not limited to, construction of environmental
databases, modeling of watersheds, environmental mapping and
monitoring, and research on the use of geographic data to model
and predict environmental processes such as snowfall events and
rainfall/runoff. |
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Environmental Studies (ES) |
Environmental Studies (ES) integrates GMA into
all five of its Graduate Program in Environmental Science (GPES)
areas of study. Spatial models are developed and analyzed in
Environmental and Community Land Planning, Environmental Modeling
and Risk Analysis, and Water Resources management, while the
roles of information in decision making are the concern of Environmental
Policy and Democratic Processes, and Communications and Participatory
Processes.
In addition to graduate programs, GMA is incorporated into the
Environmental Studies undergraduate program. The Geographic Information
and Technology Option is designed for students interested in
learning about collecting and using environmental information,
with an emphasis on spatial analysis. This option concentrates
on measurements and technologies applied to solve environmental
problems. Distinct attention is devoted to geographic information
systems (GISs) and the mapping sciences. Work in this Option
is supported primarily by the Faculty of Environmental Resources
and Forest Engineering. The Land Use Planning Option make extensive
use of GMA in developing environmentally sustainable community
growth management plans. Work in this option is supported by
the Faculty of Landscape Architecture. |
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Forest and Natural Resources Management (FNRM) |
| Forest and Natural Resources Management uses spatial information for studies in forest and resource management, forest harvest management, and GIS technology and implementation. An example of the Forestry Faculty's GMA efforts is the Northern Forest Lands Study. This project involved developing and managing spatial data for more than 4 million hectares of land in New York State. Other projects study the relationship between the location and attribute accuracy of data and the decisions based on analysis of those data sets. |
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Landscape Architecture
(LA) |
| Landscape Architecture (LA) uses GMA for
landscape visualization, visibility analysis, and community land
planning. The errors in Digital Elevation Models and their effects
on visibility analysis have been studied, as well as the relationship
between human perception of landscape quality and the geographic
features of the land. |
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