Statistics of Environmental Impact Assessment
Dr. Bryan ManlyAim of Course:
This course will introduce you to the statistical methods used in environmental analysis. Many of these methods would be covered in a standard course on statistics, but some of the topics that are covered here would not be included in such a course. For example, the tests of bioequivalence are adapted for use in assessing land reclamation, the use of CUSUM charts in environmental monitoring is illustrated, and censored data is reviewed from the perspective of (for example) testing for contamination.Who Should Take This Course:
Environmental scientists and managers.For those enrolled in Professional Advancement Programs, this is a required or elective course in the following Programs:
- Statistics for Environmental Science - required
- Engineering Statistics - elective
Course Program:
The course is structured as followsSESSION 1: Background and Sampling
- Examples illustrating the role of statistics in environmental science.
- Optional review of basic statistical concepts for those who need it.
- Environmental sampling strategies and the analysis of the data obtained: random sampling, stratified sampling, systematic sampling, ratio estimation, double sampling, choosing sample sizes, the Data Quality Objectives (DQO) process
- Models for data: standard statistical distributions, the linear regression model, analysis of variance, generalized linear models for non-normal data
- Statistical inference: different types of study (observational and experimental), quasi-experiments, design-based and model-based inference, tests of significance and confidence intervals, computer-intensive methods, avoiding pseudoreplication, multiple testing procedures, meta analysis, Bayesian methods
- Using analysis of variance with environmental monitoring data
- Using control charts and CUSUM charts with monitoring data
- Testing for a change in distribution using before and after samples
- Designs and analyses for impact assessment: BACI designs, impact-control designs, before-after designs, impact gradient designs, possible inferences. Assessing site reclamation: problems with usual tests of significance, testing for bioequivalence
- Introduction to time series analysis: components of time series, serial correlation, test for randomness, detection of change points and trend, more complicated time series models.
- Spatial data analysis: types of spatial data, analysis of count data, randomness in where points are located, the Mantel randomization test for spatial correlation, the geostatistical methods (variograms and kriging), correlation between variables in space
- Censored data: estimation of the population mean and variance from a single sample, estimation of quantiles, comparing the means of two or more samples, regression
- Principles of Monte Carlo risk assessment
- Using Resampling Stats for Excel for risk assessment.
The Instructor:
Dr. Bryan Manly is a consultant with Western EcoSystem Technology, Inc. in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Before that, he was Chair of Statistics and Director of the Center for Applications of Statistics and Mathematics at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Manly is the author of Statistics for Environmental Science and Management, Randomization, Bootstrap and Monte Carlo Methods in Biology, The Statistics of Natural Selection, Multivariate Statistical Methods, Resource Selection by Animals, a number of other books, and over 150 articles in refereed journals.Organization of the Course:
The course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com. During each course week, you participate at times of your own choosing - there are no set times when you must be online. Course participants will be given access to a private discussion board. In class discussions led by the instructor, you can post questions, seek clarification, and interact with your fellow students and the instructor. The course is scheduled to take place over 4 weeks, and typically requires 10-15 hours per week. At the beginning of each week, you receive the relevant material, in addition to answers to exercises from the previous session. During the week, you are expected to go over the course materials and work through exercises. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments.Certificates and Grades:
You may be interested only in learning the material presented, and not be concerned with grades or certificates. Or you may be enrolled in a statistics.com Professional Advancement Program that requires demonstration of proficiency in the subject, in which case your work will be assessed for purposes of issuing a grade. Or you may require only a "Certificate of Course Completion," along with professional development credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU's). As you begin the class, you will be asked to specify your category.Credit:
This course offers continuing education units (CEU's). For those successfully completing the course (generally this means marks of 50% or better on the homework), 5.0 CEU's and a certificate will be issued by statistics.com, upon request.Dates:
Oct. 10 - Nov. 7, 2008Click here to be notified of future course offerings.
Participants gain access to the online materials on the first day of the course, and typically spend about 10-15 hours per week (at their convenience). You retain full access to course materials, including discussion board, for two weeks after the course closing date.
Level:
Introductory/IntermediatePrerequisite:
The equivalent of Introduction to Statistics I: Inference for a Single Variable, and Introduction to Statistics II: Working with Bivariate Data (and, if necessary before these courses, Introduction to Statistics for Beginners or Survey of Statistics for Beginners). A wide variety of standard statistical techniques are illustrated, and the pace of the course assumes familiarity with standard statistical methods (as above). Particpants would be able to learn and explore in some depth one or two of the techniques presented in the course, but some prior knowledge of most of them is assumed.Course Text:
The required text is Statistics for Environmental Science and Management by Bryan Manly (published in 2001 by Chapman and Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, Florida). This text can be purchased directly from CRC Press using this form. CRC typically offers a 25% discount by individuals enrolled in this course who use the above form. PLEASE ORDER YOUR COPY IN TIME FOR THE COURSE STARTING DATE.Software:
You will get the most out of this course if you have access to a full-featured professional package for doing general statistics. Click here for a list of software packages that offer free or nominal cost versions that may be used in statistics.com courses.Registration:
Register Online - $449Register Online (academic) - $349 (you must be affiliated with a college, university or high school)
Add $50 service fee if you require a prior invoice, or if you need to submit a purchase order or voucher, pay by wire transfer or EFT, or refund and reprocess a prior payment. Please use this printed registration form, for these and other special orders.
Note: Courses may fill up at any time and registrations are processed in the order in which they are received. Your registration will be confirmed for the first available course date, unless you specify otherwise.