Sampling in space and time for survey and monitoring of natural resources
 

Dates:   2, 3, 4 April  2012

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY

Course leader: Dick Brus (Team Soil Geography, Wageningen-UR)

 SCOPE

Designing an effective and efficient sampling scheme is an important first step in a research project: it largely determines the quality of the final result. Also, problems with statistical inference can often be avoided when we start thinking before the data are collected. This post-graduate course aims at presenting an overview of sampling methods for spatial inventory (survey) and monitoring of natural resources such as soil, groundwater, surface waters, forests, habitats, landuse/landcover et cetera. Both random sampling strategies and model-based (geostatistical) sampling strategies will be explained, and rules for choosing between alternative strategies will be given. The third day we will go into the problem of sampling in space and time, so that changes over time of, for instance, quality-indicators for soil or surface water, or the spatial extent of habitats can be estimated from the sample data. The course is a mix of theory and practice, with case studies that are analysed using the free R software. Course material: parts of J.J. De Gruijter, D.J. Brus, M. Bierkens - M. Knotters (2006), Sampling for Natural Resource Monitoring (Springer).

PROGRAMME 

Day 1:  Sampling in space: probability sampling for  estimating means and totals

9.00-9.15

Welcome

9.15-9.45

Overview of course and some basic concepts

9.45-10.30

Simple and Stratified simple random sampling: stratification variables, proportional and optimal allocation of sampling points, stratification effect

10.30-11.00

Break

11.00-12.15

Geographical stratification

12.15-13.15

Lunch

13.15-15.00

Systematic random sampling: how to estimate the sampling variance? Two-stage random sampling: how to select primary sampling units? How to estimate the sampling variance? Relative efficiency

15.00-15.30

Break

15.30-17.15

Discussion of  other sampling design types brought up by  the participants. Probability sampling in practice: pitfalls

 Day 2:  Sampling in space: purposive sampling for mapping

9.00-10.30

Increasing precision by exploiting covariates: the regression estimator

Two-phase sampling for  stratification and regression

10.30-11.00

Break

11.00-12.15

Sampling on regular grids: optimization of grid spacing

12.15-13.15

Lunch

13.15-15.00

Spatial coverage sampling

15.00-15.30

Break

15.30-17.15

Model-based  sampling: optimization of sampling pattern for ordinary kriging and universal kriging

 Day 3:  Sampling in space and time for monitoring

9.00-10.30

Design-based versus model-based sampling strategies: fundamental differences; how to choose?

10.30-11.00

Break

11.00-12.15

Design-based, model-based and hybrid approaches

Basic types of space-time design: static-synchronous, independent synchronous, serially alternating, rotational panel, supplemented panel

12.15-13.15

Lunch

13.15-15.00

Design-based sampling for estimating space-time means, totals

15.00-15.30

Break

15.30-1715

Design-based sampling for estimating the temporal trend of spatial means

A hybrid, design-based and model-based sampling approach for estimating the temporal tend of spatial means


COURSE FEE 

 

PhD's PE-RC/SENSE with TSP

€ 200.-

Other PhD's and WU staff € 350.-
Other participants € 700.-

 

Course fee includes a reader, coffee/tea and lunches

*  For PE-RC PhD candidates, the reduced fee only applies if the thesis is defended at Wageningen University.

 


 

REGISTRATION

Please download the registration form and send it to pe-office@wur.nl

 

Full registration only occurs once you have provided us with the requested information. Accordingly you will receive an official registration confirmation by one of the course organizers.


INFORMATION

Further information please contact:

Dr. C. Van de Vijver
Tel: + 31 (0)317-485116
Email:
Claudius.vandeVijver@wur.nl