Monday 13 August 2012

Environmental Statistics


How do you know if the pH level in a lake is changing?  How should you design a study to determine whether a site has been damaged by mining?  Learn more about the application of statistical methods to environmental problems in Dr. Bryan Manly's online course, "Environmental Statistics," at Statistics.com. For more details please visit at http://www.statistics.com/enviro/.

"Environmental Statistics" is designed for the environmental analyst or scientist with some previous exposure to statistics.  It reviews general statistical procedures (sampling, regression, analysis of variance, control charts) from an environmental science angle, and also covers topics that are specific to environmental impact and risk assessment.

Course Program:

Course outline: The course is structured as follows

SESSION 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

SESSION 2: Environmental Data Analysis
  • 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

SESSION 3: Monitoring and Impact Assessment
  • Using control charts and CUSUM charts with monitoring data
  • 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.

SESSION 4: Spatial and Censored Data, and Monte Carlo Risk Assessment
  • 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.

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.  Dr. 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," "The Design and Analysis of Research Studies," and over 200 articles in refereed journals. Participants can ask questions and exchange comments with Dr. Manly via a private discussion board throughout the period.

You will be able to ask questions and exchange comments with the Dr. Bryan Manly via a private discussion board throughout the course.   The courses take place online at statistics.com in a series of 4 weekly lessons and assignments, and require about 15 hours/week.  Participate at your own convenience; there are no set times when you must be online. You have the flexibility to work a bit every day, if that is your preference, or concentrate your work in just a couple of days.

For Indian participants statistics.com accepts registration for its courses at special prices in Indian Rupees through its partner, the Center for eLearning and Training (C-eLT), Pune.

For India Registration and pricing, please visit us at www.india.statistics.com.

Call: 020 66009116

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