GIS For Biologists

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This book offers a practical introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tailored for undergraduates and novice biological GIS users. It is divided into two sections. The first section provides essential background information to help beginners start using GIS without delving too deeply into theory or common pitfalls. It explains what GIS is, its relevance in biology, basic concepts and terminology, data management in GIS, and considerations for initiating a GIS project, all in accessible, non-technical language relevant to biological research. The second section contains six practical exercises with detailed instructions. The initial four exercises teach fundamental GIS skills, including map creation and data layer management. The final two exercises feature case studies demonstrating GIS applications in real biological research contexts. Each exercise is designed to be standalone, suitable for individual completion or as part of a class, and covers various biological areas like tropical ornithology and marine biology across diverse global locations. Instructions are provided for both ESRI’s ArcGIS® 10.3 and the open-source QGIS 2.8.3, ensuring usability regardless of software availability. Collectively, these sections serve as an ideal primer for novices, illustrating the significance of GIS in biological research and its growing importance in the field. The PSLS series employs Task-Oriented Learning (TOL) to teac