Informatics
Introduction
We are a newly formed team within Landcare Research bringing together individuals with cross-disciplinary skills that frequently combine knowledge of Informatics together with more traditional science disciplines.
Our work covers a spectrum of activities:
- New tools, systems, services and standards for delivering information to external end-users, and our own research community
- Collaborative research with other teams within Landcare Research, and other groups both nationally and internationally
- Design, development, support and maintenance of ‘backbone’ science information systems
- Consultancy and advisory services for information management and biometrics
The Informatics Team currently has 28 staff and a number of contractors. We have specific expertise in the areas of Remote Sensing, GIS, Database application development, Biodiversity Informatics and Biometrics.
Informatics may be defined as the study of the application of computer science, computational, statistical and visualisation techniques for improving acquisition, storage, management, access, utilisation and dissemination of information.
Research themes
- Biodiversity informatics
Primary contact: Nick Spencer
At Landcare Research, the Biodiversity Informatics team develops applied databases and Internet solutions to support the management, integration, and interoperability of biodiversity information, in order to make it accessible for researchers and decision makers. - Geospatial informatics
Primary contact: Robert Gibb
Geospatial Informatics scientists at Landcare Research use GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and other geospatial technologies to link or integrate different types of data to achieve new results and provide insights about the relationship between data types. An integral part of the team's work is managing one of New Zealand's most extensive collections of natural resource data, covering New Zealand, Antarctica and the Pacific. Geospatial Informatics is a field of science that has many different applications and team members are involved in a diverse range of projects both within and outside the company. - Remote sensing
Primary contact: David Pairman
Remote Sensing staff at Landcare Research develop cost-effective remote sensing techniques for mapping, monitoring, change detection, and to retrieve information on physical characteristics of ground cover targets.
Tools & Services
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EcoSat
Mapping ecosystem attributes by satellite to provide current and cost–effective information about our ecosystems at regional scales. -
Geospatial data integration portal
Your gateway to Landcare Research´s considerable holdings of environmental data layers – the portal can be used to make maps, identify individual features shown on the maps and from there follow links to explanatory pages in other subject portals, such as the Soils Portal. -
Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ)
Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) is a classification of environments mapped across New Zealand´s landscape – a classification that is nationally consistent, works at a range of scales, and comes complete with information about climate, soils and landforms. -
Land Resource Information System (LRIS)
Comprises the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), the National Soils Database (NSD), and derivatives (including Fundamental Soil Layers (FSL), digital soil maps, and other spatial databases). -
NOAA satellite imagery of New Zealand
Satellite image of New Zealand, updated 4–5 times daily. -
Remote sensing & image processing
Can provide advice on satellite services, data archive searches, satellite data ordering and supply, contract research work and commercial contracts in all aspects of environmental monitoring and mapping using digital technologies. -
S–map project
A new digital soil spatial information system for New Zealand. -
Satellite imagery
Digital and multispectral imagery of New Zealand, corrected for slope, aspect, topography, and atmosphere. -
Soils portal
The Soils Portal should be your first port of call for any information about New Zealand Soils – their names, distributions, properties and background information. -
Spatial modelling
Using analytical procedures (or models) applied with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to make spatial predictions. -
Urban mapping
Using remotely sensed data to derive information about size and arrangement of greenspace areas and connectivities, industrial and retail developments, and urban infill and sprawl.
Science leader
 | Robert Gibb Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: 06 353 4800 |