Nature Networks
Master of Applied IT
Bart Blaak
Dima Pakhuta
Sander Everaers
Arwen Voorn
Project description
The main goal of these projects is to utilize graph theory, data analysis, and visualization techniques to explore various aspects of nature networks and biodiversity. The projects aim to address questions related to ecological interactions, urban habitat connectivity, fungi DNA strain visualization, and water scarcity. The overall objective is to develop tools and insights that can contribute to a better understanding of nature's complexity and promote informed decision-making for biodiversity conservation.
Context
The projects align with the "Data and Nature" research line's mission to apply advanced data science and mathematical modeling to address biodiversity challenges and foster a nature-inclusive society. They are also part of a growing collaboration with the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, which focuses on monitoring and enhancing biodiversity, particularly in the Netherlands.
Results
The projects have yielded several important outcomes:
1. Nitrogen’s Impact on Biodiversity: A prototype has been developed to visualize the impact of nitrogen deposition on plant species in Dutch ecosystems. This interactive graph aims to raise awareness about the effects of nitrogen deposition and provides insights into the complex relationships within ecological networks.
2. Urban Habitat Connectivity: An interactive game has been developed that explores urban green connectivity in Eindhoven. The game aims to raise awareness and support decision-making regarding urban planning and biodiversity conservation.
3. Fungi DNA Strain Visualization: This project is exploring ways to visualize fungi DNA strain data for exploration purposes. This could potentially contribute to research on fungal biodiversity and identification.
4. Water Scarcity: This project focuses on applying data analysis and visualization techniques to understand and address water scarcity issues, aligning with the broader theme of utilizing technology for environmental sustainability.
About the project group
This project group is comprised of students working on data science and visualization projects related to biodiversity and nature networks. The projects are supervised by Simona Orzan and are part of the "Data and Nature" research line within the Fontys AI & Big Data research group.