Submitted by Van Butsic on
Hurricanes have the potential to trigger changes in agricultural land use and forest cover in the Caribbean, a global biodiversity hotspot. In this project, we are attempting to quantify the extent of land use change following hurricanes on several Caribbean islands and to understand the land cover trajectories of abandoned agricultural land, which may create opportunities for ecosystem recovery if forests regenerate. We will also analyze the environmental, geographic, and socioceonomic factors that have contributed to land use change in the Caribbean in the last two decades.
Student will assist in mapping changes in agricultural land and forest cover and locating and processing existing environmental data layers for spatial models. Students will work in GIS and/or R and will have the opportunity to improve their skills/knowledge in these areas.
Student should be detail-oriented and able to work independently. Previous experience in GIS and/or R is helpful but not required, as is an interest in conservation biology.