Research Interests
My areas of expertise include using GIScience, GeoComputation, and spatial analysis to address a suite of geographic, ecological, and environmental issues in natural, urban, and agricultural systems. Prior to my current appointment, I spent a year as a research associate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, and I completed my doctorate in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas at Austin, where my primary research addressed the long-standing issue of how to incorporate movement at different spatial and temporal scales into species distribution models (SDMs).
Spatial Ecology
I am currently researching new methods of incorporating biotic interactions in species distributions and phenology. I am a co-PI on the EPA funded project PhenoClimate exploring biotic interactions among species phenology across Ireland, in collaboration with University College Dublin and Technical University Dublin. I'm also part of a team that has received €2.6 million in funding from the Ireland-Wales Co-Operation Programme to explore the effects of climate change on bird populations in collaboration with Geo Smart Decisions, Aberystwyth University, MaREI, Compass Geoinformatics and the BTO. I am also undertaking applied research, having recently published an article on the drivers underlying woody vegetation patterns in Botswana, biodiversity patterns in coastal ecosystems and the incorporation of host-parasite interactions to improve projections of ticks in Ireland.
My areas of expertise include using GIScience, GeoComputation, and spatial analysis to address a suite of geographic, ecological, and environmental issues in natural, urban, and agricultural systems. Prior to my current appointment, I spent a year as a research associate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, and I completed my doctorate in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas at Austin, where my primary research addressed the long-standing issue of how to incorporate movement at different spatial and temporal scales into species distribution models (SDMs).
Spatial Ecology
I am currently researching new methods of incorporating biotic interactions in species distributions and phenology. I am a co-PI on the EPA funded project PhenoClimate exploring biotic interactions among species phenology across Ireland, in collaboration with University College Dublin and Technical University Dublin. I'm also part of a team that has received €2.6 million in funding from the Ireland-Wales Co-Operation Programme to explore the effects of climate change on bird populations in collaboration with Geo Smart Decisions, Aberystwyth University, MaREI, Compass Geoinformatics and the BTO. I am also undertaking applied research, having recently published an article on the drivers underlying woody vegetation patterns in Botswana, biodiversity patterns in coastal ecosystems and the incorporation of host-parasite interactions to improve projections of ticks in Ireland.
Machine Learning
I am also using machine learning on geospatial datasets to improve understanding and prediction of geographical phenomena. I have published in Ecological Indicators on aphid phenology for use in crop management using this methodology, as well as funding from Teagasc (Agriculture & Food Development Authority) to explore machine learning techniques on crop-yield and nutrient data, supporting a PhD student. In the EPA project we are also exploring the development of deep-learning techniques to automatically classify the acoustic signatures of bird and insect species to identify changes in the timings of phenological events.
I am also using machine learning on geospatial datasets to improve understanding and prediction of geographical phenomena. I have published in Ecological Indicators on aphid phenology for use in crop management using this methodology, as well as funding from Teagasc (Agriculture & Food Development Authority) to explore machine learning techniques on crop-yield and nutrient data, supporting a PhD student. In the EPA project we are also exploring the development of deep-learning techniques to automatically classify the acoustic signatures of bird and insect species to identify changes in the timings of phenological events.
Analysis & Modelling of Movement
I am currently researching new GIScience techniques to improve habitat selection and use, including generating agent-based models of animal movement to improve distribution predictions and investigating how the scale and semantic conceptuaalisation of moving objects for use in a GIS affects object-movement inferences, having published such works in The Professional Geographer and the International Journal of Geographical Information Science. I've utilised such simulation models to address a range of ecological questions. I've developed an agent-based model to assess the sustainability of a neighbourhood, which can then be used as an input to better improve the predictions of SDMs. The incorporation of geographic context into simulation models of movement is an active research area of mine and the wider GIScience community. Below is a downloadable zip file containing the documentation needed to simulate movement using Step-Selection Function parameters in NetLogo.
I am currently researching new GIScience techniques to improve habitat selection and use, including generating agent-based models of animal movement to improve distribution predictions and investigating how the scale and semantic conceptuaalisation of moving objects for use in a GIS affects object-movement inferences, having published such works in The Professional Geographer and the International Journal of Geographical Information Science. I've utilised such simulation models to address a range of ecological questions. I've developed an agent-based model to assess the sustainability of a neighbourhood, which can then be used as an input to better improve the predictions of SDMs. The incorporation of geographic context into simulation models of movement is an active research area of mine and the wider GIScience community. Below is a downloadable zip file containing the documentation needed to simulate movement using Step-Selection Function parameters in NetLogo.
NetLogoSSF.zip | |
File Size: | 7 kb |
File Type: | zip |
ODD.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Spatial Autocorrelation
I was the research assistant on a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project (#0962198) investigating the effects of spatial structure, sampling and scale on simulated data. Spatial autocorrelation refers to the relationship between distance and similarity and is the basis for Tobler's First Law of Geography. A phenomena common in species data, methods to deal with spatial autocorrelation have become more prevalent. Our project investigated multiple methods of dealing with autocorrelation, and used simulated data in order to test the accuracy and improvements of such methods. To the right is an auto-covariate surface, a manipulated layer based on spatial autocorrelation.
I was the research assistant on a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project (#0962198) investigating the effects of spatial structure, sampling and scale on simulated data. Spatial autocorrelation refers to the relationship between distance and similarity and is the basis for Tobler's First Law of Geography. A phenomena common in species data, methods to deal with spatial autocorrelation have become more prevalent. Our project investigated multiple methods of dealing with autocorrelation, and used simulated data in order to test the accuracy and improvements of such methods. To the right is an auto-covariate surface, a manipulated layer based on spatial autocorrelation.
Botswana
In Austin I was involved in a number of projects that were based out of Botswana. I was lucky enough to be a part of a lab group which has strong ties to the country, and am still collaborating with the team on a couple of research papers. I spent the summer of 2013 in the field to gather data and develop a deeper understanding of the landscape, wildlife, society and vegetation. Here's a talk I gave in February 2014 about my summers research in Botswana. I was funded by the Department of Geography and the Environment, through the Robert E. Veselka Endowed Fellowship, and this lecture is part of the Fellowship, showing the department what I used the funding for. I've had a few difficulties getting the video from the Department's Echo format to YouTube, so here's the link the video. Note, once my talk finishes, it goes straight into Greg's, so unless you want to hear about his research in Costa Rica, feel free to stop listening. I'll try and upload a more compatible version soon.
In Austin I was involved in a number of projects that were based out of Botswana. I was lucky enough to be a part of a lab group which has strong ties to the country, and am still collaborating with the team on a couple of research papers. I spent the summer of 2013 in the field to gather data and develop a deeper understanding of the landscape, wildlife, society and vegetation. Here's a talk I gave in February 2014 about my summers research in Botswana. I was funded by the Department of Geography and the Environment, through the Robert E. Veselka Endowed Fellowship, and this lecture is part of the Fellowship, showing the department what I used the funding for. I've had a few difficulties getting the video from the Department's Echo format to YouTube, so here's the link the video. Note, once my talk finishes, it goes straight into Greg's, so unless you want to hear about his research in Costa Rica, feel free to stop listening. I'll try and upload a more compatible version soon.