Brown bag seminars

We are pleased to announce our next two brown bag seminars.

Date: Tuesday, March, 10th, 2015; 12:30 – 13:30 

Place: Techno-Z, Z_GIS-meeting room: SC30EG0.E07 (Schillerstraße 30, building 15, ground floor)


Presenter: Emilia Cojoc (PhD candidate, Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainable Development, University of Bucharest)

Title: Spatial connectivity effects on mountain grassland biodiversity and carbon storage 

The effects of spatial connectivity on biogeochemical processes and biodiversity dynamics is relatively poorly understood. We address the influence of bacterial community and plant species diversity on carbon storage and primary productivity for different types of boundary conditions. We quantify total carbon in soil and vegetation in semi-natural mountain grassland connected to forested landscape in the Carpathian Mountains. We also evaluate plant species diversity, plant biomass and quantify cellulolytic bacteria in soil. This allows us to test the hypothesis that higher spatial connectivity enhances plant diversity and consequently carbon storage and primary productivity. 

Presenter: Ovidiu CSILLIK (PhD candidate – 1st year, West University of Timisoara, Romania, supervisor: Dr. Lucian Dragut), CEEPUS stay (1st March – 30th April 2015)

Title: Improving image segmentation results with automated refinement of objects

Increasing spatial resolution of remote sensing imagery has led to challenges of extracting meaningful information thereof. While methods for objective parameterization of image segmentation have recently been proposed, over- and under-segmentation still remains an issue for parts of the target image objects, therefore identification and further refinements of these objects are necessary. We implemented an automated tool for refinement of image objects within the eCognition software, that takes into account and reduce the effects of the main errors of image segmentation: over- and under-segmentation. Promising results were obtained by applying the tool on various datasets (WorldView-2, QuickBird and DSM). The tool proposed has the potential to improve the quality of segmentation as well as the classification accuracy and it can be successfully applied as a continuation of ESP2 tool, for refining the automated extracted objects.

AMaN-himal Workshop in Nepal!

The GIScience Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Austria and Tribhuvan University (TU), Kathmandu, Nepal cooperated in organising a regional workshop on 'GIS Applications for Assessing and Managing Natural Hazards in the Himalayas (AMaN-himal)' in Kathmandu, Nepal from 22 to 27 February, 2015.

Dr. Shahnawaz (Z_GIS) and Prof. Krishna Poudel (TU) coordinated this workshop hosted by the Central Department of Education (CED-TU). Designed as an advanced GIS training supported by the Eurasia-Pacific Uninet (EPU), the event brought together 19 teachers, students and practitioners from Nepal, Bhutan, India and Austria.

The opening ceremony adorned by various dignitaries from TU was chaired by the Head of CED-TU, Prof. Shiva Sharan Maharjan. He highlighted the previous academic activities conducted jointly by the GIScience Commission, Z_GIS and TU and expressed appreciation for the continuous support extended by the EPU. The participants attended a series of lectures covering the concepts of natural hazards in the Himalayas and applications of Geospatial Science and Technologies for assessing and managing these in an effective manner. They took intensive practical 'hands-on training' of ArcGIS software for processing and analysing various types of relevant GIS and Remote Sensing data.

The TU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hira Bahadur Maharjan, conveyed in his message after the closing ceremony that he interacted with the participants who voiced a high level of satisfaction about their learning outcomes within the short period of one week. He expressed thanks to GIScience, Z_GIS and EPU for conducting this Second International Workshop focussing on GIScience faculty development at TU and envisaged to expand academic cooperation with Z_GIS.

Top PhD Honours for Ingrid Schardinger

At this year's 'Münchner GI-Runde' conference and theses awards, Ingrid Schardinger (iSpace) won the top price in the PhD category. Being recognized as the  'Geoinformatics PhD researcher of the year' is a very special achievement - sincere congratulations to Ingrid!!

She had successfully defended her thesis on "Räumliche Modellierung und Optimierung regionaler Energiesysteme" ('Spatial modelling and optimization of regional energy systems') at the Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS in 2014, supervised by Prof Thomas Blaschke and within the organisational framework of the iSpace Research Studio. With her PhD, she followed up her award-winning MSc work also selected for distinctions above and beyond the University of Salzburg.

Z_GIS graduates' success at the 2015 awards was complemented by Christoph Schlacher winning the Master category with his UNIGIS thesis: another outstanding role model for current and future generations of Geoinformatics students!

White Paper for Long-Term Ecosystem Research in Austria has been announced

LTER Austria presented and published a new White Paper for long-term ecosystem research in Austria at an international conference in Vienna last week (February 19, 2015). The aim of the White Paper is European networking and concerted financing of environment and ecosystem research to secure a coordinated approach. A research cluster should be implemented to coordinate different activities and facilities and make an important contribution to the European ecosystem-research. The long-term ecosystem research focuses on better understanding and analyzing on ecosystems structures, functions, and long-term responses to climate change, invasive species, substances and human activities. The results of the long-term series of measurement deliver an important source of information for political decision makers. Since 2012 the Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics is a member of the LTER network contributing to the LTER AT site Mondsee. Since 2014 Z_GIS also coordinates the LTER site Stubacher Sonnblickkees. 

Download White Paper:

http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/presse/news_2015/Whitepaper_en_2015_Lter_Volume2.pdf

Links:

www.zgis.at/index.php/de/partners/memberships/lter-at-long-term-ecological-research-network-austria

www.lter-austria.at

www.lter-europe.net/networks/austria
http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/aktuell/presse/lastnews/news2015/news_150219

Z_GIS Cooperation with JNU, New Delhi

The Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS was invited to conduct a workshop on 'Geoinformatics for Analysis of Human and Land Resources' at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India for enhancing institutional capacity in processing and analysis of advanced Geospatial data.

Dr. Shahnawaz (Z_GIS) conducted an intensive workshop from 14th to 16th February, 2015 and trained 22 researchers in processing and analysis of a variety of statistical data, satellite imagery and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). The participant researchers cross-matched the acquired Geospatial competences with their respective fields of research, expressed high level of satisfaction with their learning outcomes and conveyed gratitude to Z_GIS for the contributions it has made toward 'Geospatial Capacity Building' at the CSRD for more than a decade of institutional cooperation.