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Geospatial / Feed

Geospatial data and analysis is critical for conservation, from planning to implementation and measuring success. The Geospatial group focuses on all aspects of this field, from field surveys to remote sensing and data development/analysis to GIS systems.

Group curators

Vance Russell
3point.xyz
Over 35 years of experience in biodiversity conservation worldwide, largely focused on forests, rewilding and conservation technology. I run my own business assisting nonprofits and agencies in the conservation community
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discussion

Definitions for open source software & hardware and why they're important

Pen-Yuan Hsing

27 February 2025 10:58am

Recent conversations (including this previous thread) have reminded me that while I've been involved in various open source tech communities for years, I sometimes implicitly –...

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Vance Russell

28 February 2025 5:26pm

Thanks for this excellent and thought-provoking post, Pen. I agree this is a binary yes/no issue, but there is a spectrum. There could also be philosophical nuances. For example, does excluding honey from a vegan diet meet the ethical criteria of veganism? It's an animal product, so yes, but beekeeping generally doesn't have the same exploitative potential as cow, sheep, or pig husbandry, right? However, looking strictly at the definition, honey is out if you want to be vegan. 

Back to software! Isn’t the main issue that companies falsely claim to offer open source hardware/software? To avoid this, do you then have to create an accreditation system? Who polices it? Is it fair? Would users care that their software has the accredited open source stamp of approval? Ultimately, we need definitions to define boundaries and speak a common language.

Pen-Yuan Hsing

4 March 2025 3:21pm

Thanks @VAR1 great insights! Funny you mentioned the honey thing, @hikinghack said the same in response on the GOSH forum. 

I think the point I'm trying to make with the vegan comparison is that while it might not be 100%, it is close enough for us to have productive conversations about it without running in circles because we can't even agree on what we are talking about. 

As for open source tech, there actually is accreditation for open source hardware (at least of a sort). The Open Source Hardware Association has a fairly mature certificate program: 

I am genuinely undecided whether such a formal accreditation system is required for open source software. My undecided-ness comes back to the food/agriculture analogy, where a similar issue exists for organic certification. Being certified organic could possibly, in some cases, be beneficial. However, certification can also be very onerous for small organic farmers who can't afford to get it. 

But before we even think about accreditation, I echo your last sentence that we need definitions to define boundaries. These definitions, as I argue in my original post above, is not only about principles and philosophy, they are also a practical necessity for enabling effective communication! 

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careers

Wildlife Monitoring Internship 2025

Alex Rood

3 March 2025 3:02pm

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SNZCBI) is seeking an intern to assist with multiple projects related to conservation technology for wildlife monitoring. SNZCBI scientists collect data...

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discussion

The 100KB Challenge!

Dan

7 February 2025 11:47am

If you could send/receive 100KB of data from anywhere on the planet via satellite; what would you send?I work for a company called Ground Control, we design, build and manufacture...

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Dan

20 February 2025 9:13am

Nice one - what kind of thing would you use this for? 

~500mA peak current, it has a similar power profile as the current RockBLOCK product, in that it needs lots of juice for a for a small period of time (to undertake the transmission) we include onboard circuitry to help smooth this over. I'll be able to share more details on this once the product is officially launched!

 

Dan

20 February 2025 9:13am

~500mA peak current, it has a similar power profile as the current RockBLOCK product, in that it needs lots of juice for a for a small period of time (to undertake the transmission) we include onboard circuitry to help smooth this over. I'll be able to share more details on this once the product is officially launched!

 

Nuno Cesar de Sa

20 February 2025 9:31am

Hi Dan, 

Not right now but I can envision many uses. A key problem in RS is data streams for validation and training of ML models, its really not yet a solved problem. Any kind of system that is about deploying and "forgetting" as it collects data and streams it is a good opportunity. 

 

If you want we can have a talk so you tell me about what you developed and I'll see if it fits future projects.

 

All the best

 

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Link

APCalign: an R package workflow and app for aligning and updating flora names to the Australian Plant Census

Ahmed Junaid

25 February 2025 9:04am

APCalign (R package).

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Read "CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany" on CSIRO PUBLISHING

CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

The Australian Journal of Botany is an international journal publishing original research encompassing all plant groups including fossil plants. Plant science areas covered by the scope are as follows: ecology and ecophysiology, conservation biology and biodiversity, forest biology and management, cell and molecular biology, palaeobotany, reproductrive biology and genetics, mycology and pathology, structure and development.

CSIRO PUBLISHING
Link

FLORITY

Elsa Carla De Grandi

21 February 2025 9:24am

A precise GPS Field App allowing capture of GPS-Photos and GPS-Polygons, powered by Wells for Zoë. The main goal of the App is to enable low-skilled users to capture highly accurate GPS-Data, via an easy sharing process.

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Link

Saving Peatlands, Securing Our Climate Future

Elsa Carla De Grandi

21 February 2025 8:32am

Excellent StoryMap by WCS illustrating results from a recent paper https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.13080. Main findings: analysis revealed that 17% of peatlands are protected globally—substantially less than many other high-value ecosystems.

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discussion

Global Forest Watch 

Elsa Carla De Grandi

6 February 2025 7:50pm

Hey everyone!I am curious to understand if and how you have used Global Forest Watch in your work or research.If you have used it, it would be amazing if you could leave a review...

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Vance Russell

7 February 2025 1:26pm

Hi Elsa,

I've used it in both and found it easy and useful to use. Just left a review. Thank you for the prompt!

Best,

Vance

Elsa Carla De Grandi

20 February 2025 9:21pm

And if you are new to GFW...this new glossary that was added recently is very helpful to understand some key terms.

Check it out here!

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discussion

Climate changes in wildlife protected areas

Nora Noel

14 August 2024 11:26am

Hello! Good day everyone?I have a query about climate change and i would appreciate to get some ideas from you.I am volunteering in a national park, ecologist and i am interested...

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Adventina Nyanjobe Anthony

14 August 2024 5:27pm

Hi Norah! 
This is a great concern! Kudos! 
Climate change data especially for such a long time can help us answer a lot of questions including the few listed below:

  1. How has the climate variability affected the trend of species in the ecosystem? (You can choose to study a specific specie of animal or plant) and respond on their increase and (or) extinction.
  2. How has climate variability affected or supported the survival rate of introduced species?
  3. Climate variability is one among many factors of invasion, how is the invasion rate in your ecosystem?
  4. You can also answer on the general topic of your ecosystem’s health with the data! 

    I would love to read a paper from the data you have! Very resourceful! 
    Break the leg! 
Tatenda Hanyani

11 February 2025 5:17pm

I agree Adventina. I am also interested in "How has the climate variability affected the trend of BAT species in the ecosystem? and respond on their increase and (or) extinction.

 

@Norah, I am also interested in the findings regardless of the species you pick. In 2022 - 2023 we created a climate database for an NGO project in Amhara, Ethiopia. It would be cool to come up with a climate variability databasa for the park.

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Link

Freshwater fish diversity in the western Amazon basin shaped by Andean uplift since the Late Cretaceous

Ahmed Junaid

3 February 2025 5:24am

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02220-8

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Read "Freshwater fish diversity in the western Amazon basin shaped by Andean uplift since the Late Cretaceous | Nature Ecology & Evolution" on Nature

Freshwater fish diversity in the western Amazon basin shaped by Andean uplift since the Late Cretaceous | Nature Ecology & Evolution

South America is home to the highest freshwater fish biodiversity on Earth, and the hotspot of species richness is located in the western Amazon basin. The location of this hotspot is enigmatic, as it is inconsistent with the pattern observed in river systems across the world of increasing species richness towards a river’s mouth. Here we investigate the role of river capture events caused by Andean mountain building and repeated episodes of flooding in western Amazonia in shaping the modern-day richness pattern of freshwater fishes in South America, and in Amazonia in particular. To this end, we combine a reconstruction of river networks since 80 Ma with a mechanistic model simulating dispersal, allopatric speciation and extinction over the dynamic landscape of rivers and lakes. We show that Andean mountain building and consequent numerous small river capture events in western Amazonia caused freshwater habitats to be highly dynamic, leading to high diversification rates and exceptional richness. The history of marine incursions and lakes, including the Miocene Pebas mega-wetland system in western Amazonia, played a secondary role. Reconstructing river networks over the past 80 Ma reveals the role of Andean uplift in creating a dynamic habitat leading to increased fish species diversity in western Amazonia.

Nature