Personal development training on "The use of GIS and satellite data to study biodiversity and the dynamics of landscapes: analysis, modeling" was held at the Department of Geography of NEFU Institute of Natural Sciences from May 18 to 24. Foreign experts gave lectures and held seminars.

On May 19, Professor Volker Radeloff, the head of SILVIS Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin (USA) gave a lecture on "Changes of land use in Russia and Eastern Europe at the beginning of the twenty-first century" for the staff and students of NEFU Institute of Natural Sciences. "Our study focuses on land use and how it affects nature. We used satellite images to monitor the changes in the world, including Russia and Eastern Europe”, the scientist said.

He noted that the use of satellite images and statistical analyses are very helpful in such studies. "This is my first visit to the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and I'm glad to be here. I hope for a fruitful cooperation and new interesting projects in the future", Volker Radeloff said.

Also the seminars were held by the laboratory staff of Evgenia Bragina, Maksim Dubinin, professor at the University of Wisconsin (USA) Timothy Van Dylan, graduate student, an assistant professor at the University of Trier (Germany) Johanna Buchner. About 38 employees of NEFU, the Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, the Directorate of Biological Resources of the Ministry for Nature Protection and other research and industrial organizations, including students of the institute attend courses.

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Research interests of SILVIS laboratory of the University of Wisconsin (USA): anthropogenic changes in the environment, regularity of biodiversity change, changes of wild and managed forests, the use of satellite images for a change, range modeling of rare animal species.