The Landscape Characterization and Spatial Analysis Laboratory is a research facility dedicated to the study of biophysical and human landscapes. Research emphasizes the examination of population-environment interactions, environmental features and ecological systems, and the use of digital technologies in the measurement and characterization of landscapes. Research methodologies focus upon landscape-level topics that integrate digital spatial technologies within a geographical information system (GIS), including in-situ and remote sensing systems, global positioning systems, data visualization techniques, aerial photography, spatial analyses and geostatistics, and quantitative and qualitative models of function, form, and process. Current study sites include Thailand, Ecuador and the
Galápagos Islands, Western American Mountains, North Carolina, and Latvia. Funding in provided by an array of public and private sources, including NASA, NSF, EPA, NIH, MacArthur Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. On-campus collaborations exist with the Carolina Population Center, Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Center for Urban and Regional Studies, and the Departments of Sociology, Engineering, and Epidemiology. Off-campus collaborators include the universities of Iowa, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Old Dominion, Princeton, Tulane, Southwest Texas State, Mahidol (Thailand), and San Francisco State University.
Graduate and undergraduate students actively participate in the research projects through assistantships, leading to theses, dissertations, and on-site data collection. State-of-the-art computer facilities provide an effective research environment. The Laboratory is directed by Professor Stephen J. Walsh, Department of Geography. Dr. Walsh is also a Research Fellow at the Carolina Population Center and Sheps Center, and is a member of the UNC Ecology Curriculum.
With Regards,
Stephen J. Walsh
