Integrating GPS and GIS Tools into Liberal Arts Ecology Courses

Coe College, Cedar Rapids IA

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary The Biology Department at Coe College operates a Spatial Ecology Laboratory that provides access to autonomous GPS and dGPS capability and desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) software for undergraduate students in an introductory laboratory class and for students who participate in the department's summer research program. First-year students learn to operate GPS handsets, capture spatial data in a field study and use ArcView software to classify thematic maps and test hypotheses. This curriculum project expand on this starting sequence and builds conceptual understanding of large-scale ecological processes through technology-rich field experiments analyzed by queries of GIS software in four additional courses. Two courses enhance the abilities of biology majors to use GPS handsets to capture spatial data in more complex experimental settings and to use GIS software to discover, classify and interpret spatial and environmental trends in larger datasets. These tools will replace traditional approaches to field studies of urban deer populations in an existing Urban Ecology course. A new course called Spatial Ecology introduce differential correction including RTK, and the roles of base stations and network control in achieving high quality GPS solutions. These skills will be used in landscape-level investigations in urban, agricultural and natural settings with ArcView and S+. This proposal supports purchase of equipment and software required for high quality RTK surveys and transport of presentation materials to community and school groups. A FirstYear Seminar course called Biodiversity will introduce novice students to GIS, specifically how to pose questions to and interpret patterns in a GIS database. The Biodiversity course will use commercially available datasets for inquiry-based investigations that use desk-top GIS to discover trends and test hypotheses about spatial (habitatspecific, regional, and latitudinal) patterns of species diversity. Field Ecology Activities using GPS and GIS is a course designed for in-service high school teachers. The course covers use of GPS handsets in field studies at local parks and preserves, production of classified maps in ArcView GIS and supports transport of course materials to the school setting.