GIS Peruvian Scientists Training Program

GIS is one of the most widely used and valuable tools for the exploration and understanding of natural resources including tropical ecosystems. Its use is expanding exponentially and much of its value lies in its capacity to be used with nearly any type of spatially related data as well as its ability to relate different data types from the same area. ACEER works with the Peruvian scientific community in an effort to encourage a more complete and comprehensive environmental perspective that can lead to better management decisions as well as new insights into basic ecological functions. This program has operated in conjunction with the OTS/ACEER Field Ecology Course, and in conjunction with the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute. Participants are graduate level students or natural resource managers from across Latin America.

Participants are introduced to basic software and its use including both vector-based and raster based systems. More sophisticated methodologies are taught depending on the needs of the participants. Other instruction includes:

• Image processing; data from satellite imagery and ground-based research.

• ARCVIEW; software with the capability to perform analytical functions.

• Watershed Analysis; for the delineation of watersheds and characteristics such as soil types, land use patterns, runoff and erosion potentials.

• Ecological analyses; for determining habitat suitability, species richness, vulnerability, landscape changes, etc. by practicing ecologists.