Geospatial Information Science (GIS) | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Source: http://www.warnell.uga.edu/research/content/geospatial-information-science-gis
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:10
Geospatial Information Science (GIS) | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
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Geospatial Information Science (GIS)
Geospatial Information Science is a key component of modern natural resource management. Advancements in GIS software, availability of remotely sensed imagery from satellites, aircraft and drones, along with powerful computers, are revolutionizing our understanding of natural processes and expanding our ability to shape them.
Our GIS research builds on the range of geospatial information science represented by our faculty who use cutting-edge technology that is flexible enough to apply to a variety of natural resource areas, such as:
Precision forestry
Wildlife habitat modeling
Forest planning
Movement ecology
Landscape ecology
Graduate Degrees in Geospatial Information Science
Geospatial Information Science has become a key component of modern natural resource management. Advancements in GIS software, availability of remotely sensed imagery from satellites, aircraft and drones, along with powerful computers, are revolutionizing our understanding of natural processes and expanding our ability to shape them. Familiarity with geospatial analysis is increasingly important to employers, and specialization in the Geospatial Information Science disciplinary area can open a number of unique employment opportunities. Warnell’s graduate program builds on the broad range of applications of geospatial information science represented by our faculty (e.g., precision forestry, wildlife habitat modeling, forest planning, movement ecology, landscape ecology, among others), utilizes cutting-edge technology, and is flexible enough to apply to a variety of natural resource emphasis areas. A specialized Area of Emphasis is available for MFR students. Graduates can find jobs in academia, NGOs, state and federal agencies, and consulting firms.
CURRICULUM
Geospatial Information Science can be pursued under the MNR, MS, and PhD degree programs. To pursue this area of emphasis as part of a master's degree, the following courses are required:
Course ID
Name
Hours*
Choose 1:
FORS 7690/L`
Applied Geographic Information Systems for Forest Resource Management
3
FANR 7620/L
GIS Applications for Natural Resources
3
Electives:
FANR 8400
Advanced Spatial Analysis for Natural Resources
1-4
FANR 8500
Agent-Based Modeling in Ecology and Management
3
FORS 7650/L
Aerial Photogrammetry in Forestry
3
FORS 7670
Forestry Information Systems
3
FORS 7640/L
Unmanned Aerial Systems' Role in Natural Resource Management
3
FORS 8450
Advanced Forest Planning
3
WILD 8330
Landscape Ecology
3
Students pursuing a PhD program must include the following courses for this area of emphasis:
Course ID
Name
Hours*
Required:
FANR 8400
Advanced Spatial Analysis for Natural Resources
1-4
Electives:
FANR 8500
Agent-Based Modeling in Ecology and Management
3
FORS 7650
Aerial Photogrammetry in Forestry
3
FORS 7670
Forestry Information Systems
3
FANR 7640
Unmanned Aerial Systems' Role in Natural Resource Management
3
FORS 8450
Advanced Forest Planning
3
WILD 8330
Landscape Ecology
3
*Total of 9 hours required for this area of emphasis
QUESTIONS?
For general questions about pursuing a graduate degree at Warnell, contact a member of the graduate team:
Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam
, Graduate Coordinator
Office: 1-301A
Phone: 864-653-0167
Email:
woosnam@uga.edu
Kate deDufour
, Graduate Program Administrator
Office: 1-217
Phone: 706-542-1183
Prospective students should also contact faculty members for questions specific to this disciplinary area. Please check faculty members’ personal pages for information about their individual research interests and projects to ensure that you are contacting the most relevant ones.
Related Articles
Game on: Sanford Stadium becomes a field for soil science
Monday, September 1, 2025 - 12:00pm
Sanford Stadium’s usual game plan features football and fans—but this spring, the field played host to a different kind of ‘down and dirty’ competition: soil science.
Lights, camera, GPS!
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 12:41pm
Students map creativity into final projects
New project connects forest management, digital tools
Monday, February 13, 2023 - 12:45pm
The University of Georgia is a partner in a new $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will help landowners better adapt their forests to increasingly complicated economic and climate conditions.
Smartphone GPS accuracy may affect contact tracing
Monday, October 19, 2020 - 11:06am
Smartphone apps that are marketed to support contact tracing are one component in stemming the spread of COVID-19.
Outstanding senior solves natural resources' puzzles
Monday, May 4, 2020 - 11:46am
Rebecca Templeton sees her work in geospatial information systems as a puzzle.
Personnel
Dr. Pete Bettinger
Professor, Landscape Planning and Harvest Scheduling, Leon "Buddy" Hargreaves Jr. Distinguished Professor in Forest Management
Combinatorial optimization
Development and testing of heuristic methods for addressing large-scale or complex forest planning problems.
GPS accuracy assessments
Mapping and recreation-grade GPS unit assessments. Whitehall Forest GPS test site
Southern Forestry…
Duncan Elkins
Lecturer, Data Literacy
Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman
Professor, Landscape Ecology
I am a landscape ecologist and am interested in studying patterns across landscapes. I apply spatial data and modeling techniques to ecological and social systems to measure patterns and processes and to explore the interactions between coupled natural and human systems. I explore landscape…
Roger C. Lowe
Academic Professional - Drones, GIS & Remote Sensing
Dr. Nate Nibbelink
Professor, Spatial Ecology and Geographic Information Science, Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Growth, UGA Office of Research
Spatial patterns in fish and wildlife populations
GIS tools for natural resource decision-making
We apply spatial theory and technology to a broad range of ecological and management problems
Shingo Obata
Ph. D. Student
Dr. Sheng-I Yang
Assistant Professor of Forest Biometrics
Forest Biometrics; Applied Statistics; Forest Measurement
Support Warnell
We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.
Learn more about giving
.
Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.
Get in touch
Warnell School of Forestry
and Natural Resources
University of Georgia
180 E Green Street
Athens, GA 30602-2152
Phone:
706-542-2686
Fax:
706-542-8356
Login for Faculty and Staff
Submit a Student Complaint
Skip to main content
Skip to main menu
Skip to spotlight region
Skip to secondary region
Skip to UGA region
Skip to Tertiary region
Skip to Quaternary region
Skip to unit footer
Slideshow
Geospatial Information Science (GIS)
Geospatial Information Science is a key component of modern natural resource management. Advancements in GIS software, availability of remotely sensed imagery from satellites, aircraft and drones, along with powerful computers, are revolutionizing our understanding of natural processes and expanding our ability to shape them.
Our GIS research builds on the range of geospatial information science represented by our faculty who use cutting-edge technology that is flexible enough to apply to a variety of natural resource areas, such as:
Precision forestry
Wildlife habitat modeling
Forest planning
Movement ecology
Landscape ecology
Graduate Degrees in Geospatial Information Science
Geospatial Information Science has become a key component of modern natural resource management. Advancements in GIS software, availability of remotely sensed imagery from satellites, aircraft and drones, along with powerful computers, are revolutionizing our understanding of natural processes and expanding our ability to shape them. Familiarity with geospatial analysis is increasingly important to employers, and specialization in the Geospatial Information Science disciplinary area can open a number of unique employment opportunities. Warnell’s graduate program builds on the broad range of applications of geospatial information science represented by our faculty (e.g., precision forestry, wildlife habitat modeling, forest planning, movement ecology, landscape ecology, among others), utilizes cutting-edge technology, and is flexible enough to apply to a variety of natural resource emphasis areas. A specialized Area of Emphasis is available for MFR students. Graduates can find jobs in academia, NGOs, state and federal agencies, and consulting firms.
CURRICULUM
Geospatial Information Science can be pursued under the MNR, MS, and PhD degree programs. To pursue this area of emphasis as part of a master's degree, the following courses are required:
Course ID
Name
Hours*
Choose 1:
FORS 7690/L`
Applied Geographic Information Systems for Forest Resource Management
3
FANR 7620/L
GIS Applications for Natural Resources
3
Electives:
FANR 8400
Advanced Spatial Analysis for Natural Resources
1-4
FANR 8500
Agent-Based Modeling in Ecology and Management
3
FORS 7650/L
Aerial Photogrammetry in Forestry
3
FORS 7670
Forestry Information Systems
3
FORS 7640/L
Unmanned Aerial Systems' Role in Natural Resource Management
3
FORS 8450
Advanced Forest Planning
3
WILD 8330
Landscape Ecology
3
Students pursuing a PhD program must include the following courses for this area of emphasis:
Course ID
Name
Hours*
Required:
FANR 8400
Advanced Spatial Analysis for Natural Resources
1-4
Electives:
FANR 8500
Agent-Based Modeling in Ecology and Management
3
FORS 7650
Aerial Photogrammetry in Forestry
3
FORS 7670
Forestry Information Systems
3
FANR 7640
Unmanned Aerial Systems' Role in Natural Resource Management
3
FORS 8450
Advanced Forest Planning
3
WILD 8330
Landscape Ecology
3
*Total of 9 hours required for this area of emphasis
QUESTIONS?
For general questions about pursuing a graduate degree at Warnell, contact a member of the graduate team:
Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam
, Graduate Coordinator
Office: 1-301A
Phone: 864-653-0167
Email:
woosnam@uga.edu
Kate deDufour
, Graduate Program Administrator
Office: 1-217
Phone: 706-542-1183
Prospective students should also contact faculty members for questions specific to this disciplinary area. Please check faculty members’ personal pages for information about their individual research interests and projects to ensure that you are contacting the most relevant ones.
Related Articles
Game on: Sanford Stadium becomes a field for soil science
Monday, September 1, 2025 - 12:00pm
Sanford Stadium’s usual game plan features football and fans—but this spring, the field played host to a different kind of ‘down and dirty’ competition: soil science.
Lights, camera, GPS!
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 12:41pm
Students map creativity into final projects
New project connects forest management, digital tools
Monday, February 13, 2023 - 12:45pm
The University of Georgia is a partner in a new $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will help landowners better adapt their forests to increasingly complicated economic and climate conditions.
Smartphone GPS accuracy may affect contact tracing
Monday, October 19, 2020 - 11:06am
Smartphone apps that are marketed to support contact tracing are one component in stemming the spread of COVID-19.
Outstanding senior solves natural resources' puzzles
Monday, May 4, 2020 - 11:46am
Rebecca Templeton sees her work in geospatial information systems as a puzzle.
Personnel
Dr. Pete Bettinger
Professor, Landscape Planning and Harvest Scheduling, Leon "Buddy" Hargreaves Jr. Distinguished Professor in Forest Management
Combinatorial optimization
Development and testing of heuristic methods for addressing large-scale or complex forest planning problems.
GPS accuracy assessments
Mapping and recreation-grade GPS unit assessments. Whitehall Forest GPS test site
Southern Forestry…
Duncan Elkins
Lecturer, Data Literacy
Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman
Professor, Landscape Ecology
I am a landscape ecologist and am interested in studying patterns across landscapes. I apply spatial data and modeling techniques to ecological and social systems to measure patterns and processes and to explore the interactions between coupled natural and human systems. I explore landscape…
Roger C. Lowe
Academic Professional - Drones, GIS & Remote Sensing
Dr. Nate Nibbelink
Professor, Spatial Ecology and Geographic Information Science, Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Growth, UGA Office of Research
Spatial patterns in fish and wildlife populations
GIS tools for natural resource decision-making
We apply spatial theory and technology to a broad range of ecological and management problems
Shingo Obata
Ph. D. Student
Dr. Sheng-I Yang
Assistant Professor of Forest Biometrics
Forest Biometrics; Applied Statistics; Forest Measurement
Support Warnell
We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.
Learn more about giving
.
Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.
Get in touch
Warnell School of Forestry
and Natural Resources
University of Georgia
180 E Green Street
Athens, GA 30602-2152
Phone:
706-542-2686
Fax:
706-542-8356
Login for Faculty and Staff
Submit a Student Complaint