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Ecological Monitoring Exercise

The document outlines a structured exercise for students to design an ecological monitoring program in Kenya, focusing on various environmental issues. It includes steps for defining monitoring goals, planning data collection, collecting and inputting data, visualizing and analyzing data using GIS, and presenting findings. Extensions for the exercise include advanced analysis using Google Earth Engine and comparing ecosystems to assess climate change impacts.

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nancywacera349
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24 views2 pages

Ecological Monitoring Exercise

The document outlines a structured exercise for students to design an ecological monitoring program in Kenya, focusing on various environmental issues. It includes steps for defining monitoring goals, planning data collection, collecting and inputting data, visualizing and analyzing data using GIS, and presenting findings. Extensions for the exercise include advanced analysis using Google Earth Engine and comparing ecosystems to assess climate change impacts.

Uploaded by

nancywacera349
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exercise: Designing an Ecological Monitoring Program/ Plan

Objective:
Students to design a basic ecological monitoring program by selecting indicators, collecting
sample data, and using GIS to visualize and analyze environmental change.

Step 1: Define the Monitoring Goals

 In groups of 4,
 Have each group select an ecological issue and real place in Kenya to monitor, such as:
o Water quality in a local river/lake
o Deforestation and land cover change
o Wildlife habitat health
o Air pollution levels
o Urban heat islands
 Each group defines:
o Why they want to monitor this issue
o What indicators they will measure (e.g., water pH, vegetation index, species
diversity etc.)
o Where they will collect data (define a study area)

Step 2: Plan Data Collection

 Discuss different data sources:


o Field surveys (using GPS or mobile apps like ArcGIS Survey123 or QField)
o Remote sensing (satellite imagery, LiDAR)
o Existing datasets (government or open data portals)
 Groups create a sampling plan, including:
o Sampling locations
o Frequency of data collection
o Equipment needed
Step 3: Collect & Input

 If possible, do a field exercise:


o Collect a small sample dataset (e.g., tree heights, water clarity, soil conditions).
o Use GPS coordinates or a GIS mobile app to log locations.
 If fieldwork isn’t possible, use pre-made datasets (e.g., from NASA Earthdata, USGS,
or local environmental agencies).
 Enter data into Excel, Google Sheets, or directly into GIS software.

Step 4: Visualizing & Analyzing in GIS

 Import data into ArcGIS Online, QGIS, or Google Earth.


 Create:
o Thematic maps (e.g., pollution levels across sites)
o Change detection maps (if historical data is available)
o Heatmaps (e.g., high biodiversity vs. low biodiversity areas)
 Groups discuss:
o Patterns in the data
o How they would track changes over time
o Possible conservation actions based on their findings

Step 5: Present Findings & Discuss

 Each group presents their monitoring plan and preliminary findings I report format.
 Discuss challenges in ecological monitoring (e.g., data accuracy, funding, time).
 Explore how ecological monitoring helps in decision-making for conservation.

Extensions:

 Use Google Earth Engine to analyze satellite data for environmental change.
 Conduct a before-and-after study using old and new remote sensing data.
 Compare different ecosystems and discuss climate change impacts.

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