.. EE 508 / DS 537: Data Science for Conservation Decisions

.. only:: instructor
   
   Bring the practice test back (if you do).

.. _schedule:

Schedule
========

*Fall 2025*

Tue + Thu, 2pm – 3:15pm

CGS 421 (871 Commonwealth Ave.)

.. list-table:: 
   :header-rows: 1
   :stub-columns: 1
   :widths: 10 60 30


   *  -  Day
      -  Topic
      -  Readings
   *  -  Tue 9/2
      -  Syllabus day
      -  :download:`slides </_static/slides/1_intro.pptx>`
   *  -  Thu 9/4
      -  Conservation priorities: data & methods

         Lab: data visualization & processing in QGIS
      -  `Jenkins et al. 2015a <https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1418034112>`_
         
         `Brown et al. 2015 <https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1509189112>`_
         
         `Jenkins et al. 2015b <https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1511375112>`_

         :download:`slides </_static/slides/2_problems_methods.pptx>`
   *  -  Tue 9/9
      -  ``python`` for data science: syntax & guidelines

         :ref:`Lab 1.1 <lab1-1>` *due*
      -  `A Byte of Python <https://python.swaroopch.com/>`_

         (`Basics <https://python.swaroopch.com/basics.html>`_ to `Functions <https://python.swaroopch.com/functions.html>`_)

         `Data Structures <https://python.swaroopch.com/data_structures.html>`_
   *  -  Thu 9/11
      -  Tabular data: ``pandas`` and ``matplotlib``
      -  `10 Minutes to pandas <https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/user_guide/10min.html>`_

         `Intro to data structures <https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/user_guide/dsintro.html>`_
   *  -  Tue 9/16
      -  Vector data: ``geopandas``

         :ref:`Lab 1.2 <lab1-2>` *due*
      -  `Geopandas 1.1.1 <https://geopandas.org/en/stable/index.html>`_
   *  -  Thu 9/18
      -  Raster data: ``rasterio`` and ``GDAL``

         :ref:`Lab 1.3 <lab1-3>` *due on Friday*
      -  `rasterio: Quickstart <https://rasterio.readthedocs.io/en/latest/quickstart.html>`_

         Reference: `GDAL <https://gdal.org/en/stable/programs/index.html#traditional-applications>`_
   *  -  Tue 9/23
      -  Valuing ecosystem services: key concepts
      -  `Goulder & Kennedy 2011 <https://web.stanford.edu/~goulder/Papers/Published%20Papers/Interpreting%20and%20Estimating%20Value%20of%20Ecosystem%20Services%20(Goulder-Kennedy,%202011).pdf>`_

         Optional: `DEFRA <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a79b99340f0b642860da43d/pb12852-eco-valuing-071205.pdf>`_

         :download:`slides </_static/slides/7_ecosystem_service_valuation.pptx>`
   *  -  Thu 9/25
      -  Valuing ecosystem services: examples & tools

         :ref:`Lab 1.4 <lab1-4>` *due*
      -  
   *  -  Tue 9/30
      -  Systematic conservation planning (SCP): theory, methods, and tools

         :ref:`Lab 1-5 <lab1-5>` *due*

      -  `Game et al. 2013 <https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12051>`_

         `InVEST user guide <http://releases.naturalcapitalproject.org/invest-userguide/latest/en/index.html>`_: study *one* model in detail.

         Optional: `Giakoumi et al. 2025 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534724003100>`_
   *  -  Thu 10/2
      -  Systematic conservation planning with ``Marxan``

         .. only:: instructor

            :ref:`practice-test`

         *Last week to drop the class without a "W" grade*
      -  `Marxan User Manual <https://marxansolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Marxan-User-Manual_2021.pdf>`_ (Sections 1.1-1.8)

         :download:`slides </_static/slides/10_marxan.pptx>`
   *  -  Tue 10/7
      -  Building your own ``Marxan`` dataset

         :ref:`Lab 2.1 <lab2-1>` *due*
      -        
   *  -  Thu 10/9
      -  Conservation policy instruments: an overview of common strategies
      -  :download:`slides </_static/slides/12_conservation_instruments.pptx>`
   *  -  Tue 10/14
      -  *No class: Substitute Monday schedule after Indigenous Peoples' Day*

         :ref:`Lab 2.2 <lab2-2>` *due*
      -  
   *  -  Thu 10/16
      -  Explaining conservation costs with ``statsmodels``

         :ref:`Lab 2.3 <lab2-3>` *due on Friday*
      -  `Newburn et al. 2006 <https://www.jstor.org/stable/3697964>`_

         *see* :ref:`Lab 3.1 <lab3-1>` *for guidance*

         :download:`slides </_static/slides/14_newburn_policy_targeting.pptx>`
   *  -  Tue 10/21
      -  Predicting conservation costs with ``scikit-learn``: cross-validation

         :ref:`prospectus` *due*
      -  :download:`slides </_static/slides/15_cross_validation_tree_ensembles.pptx>`
   *  -  Thu 10/23
      -  Predicting conservation costs with ``scikit-learn``: tree ensembles

      -  Optional (on algorithms):

         ERT: `Geurts et al. 2006 <https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s10994-006-6226-1>`_

         GB: `Natekin & Knoll 2013 <https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurorobotics/articles/10.3389/fnbot.2013.00021/full>`_
   *  -  Tue 10/28
      -  Predicting conservation costs (continued)
      -  
   *  -  Thu 10/30
      -  Simulating the cost-effectiveness of policy strategies

         :ref:`lab2-test` (postponed from 10/23)

         :ref:`Lab 3.1 <lab3-1>` *due on Friday*
      -  `Newburn et al. 2006 <https://www.jstor.org/stable/3697964>`_

         *see* :ref:`Lab 3.2 <lab3-2>` *for guidance*
   *  -  Tue 11/4
      -  Simulating the cost-effectiveness of policy strategies (continued)
      -  
   *  -  Thu 11/6
      -  Rigorous impact evaluation: framework and methods

         :ref:`Lab 3.2 <lab3-2>` *due on Friday*
      -  `Ferraro 2009 <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Ferraro/publication/227616321_Counterfactual_Thinking_and_Impact_Evaluation_in_Environmental_Policy/links/5f9c143f299bf1b53e5152f9/Counterfactual-Thinking-and-Impact-Evaluation-in-Environmental-Policy.pdf>`_

         :download:`slides </_static/slides/20_impact_evaluation.pptx>`
   *  -  Tue 11/11
      -  Rigorous impact evaluation: matching
      -  `Ferraro & Hanauer 2014 <https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5926f8f75016e1695b3108ff/t/60a00a3121f723577a488b06/1621101106293/Ferraro+Hanauer+annurev-environ.pdf>`_
   *  -  Thu 11/13
      -  Rigorous impact evaluation: matching exercise I
      -  Intro to R, `Ho et al. 2007 <https://gking.harvard.edu/files/matchp.pdf>`_
   *  -  Tue 11/18
      -  Rigorous impact evaluation: matching exercise II

         :ref:`project-plan` *due*
      -  
   *  -  Thu 11/20
      -  Rigorous impact evaluation: matching exercise III 

         :ref:`lab3-test`
      -  
   *  -  Tue 11/25
      -  Class project workshop

         :ref:`Lab 4 <lab4>` *due*
      -  
   *  -  Thu 11/27
      -  *No class: Thanksgiving*
      -  
   *  -  Tue 12/2
      -  Project meetings *or* bonus lab: interactive mapping 

         :ref:`lab4-test`
      -  
   *  -  Thu 12/4
      -  Project meetings *or* bonus lab: 3D visualization
      -  
   *  -  Tue 12/9
      -  Wrap-Up

         :ref:`final-report` *due*
      -  
   *  -  Thu 12/16
      -  *No final exam*
      -