The module gives an overview of the phases and important aspects of the environmental information processing. **Professional competence** The students: - apply basic processing algorithms to classify and process data - compare, evaluate and design data structures to store spatial data efficiently - apply basic functions of a geo-information system - describe, evaluate and apply basic processes of data mining - describe, evaluate and apply basic geostatistics processes - evaluate and apply multicriteria decision making processes **Methodological competence** The students: - use geoinformation systems for environmental appplication - use data mining tools for data analysis **Social competence** The students: - solve tasks in teams of 2-3 students - present and discuss their solutions in class **Self-competence** The students: - reflect their own behaviour with regard to the methods of environmental informatics

Content of the Module: Environmental information systems make information about the general environmental state available for public management and public facilities, enterprises or interested citizens. The collection, storage and evaluation of this information is interesting for computer science. 
 Within the scope of the lecture we will examine the processing of environmental information step-by-step, this means: - problems of data acquisition and data processing, - data structures and database concepts for an efficient access to (usually) spatial data, - introduction of data analysis (in particular from geostatistics and data mining), - introduction of multicriteria decision processes, as well as - the supply of data supported by meta data. 
 The module "Umweltinformationssysteme" is accompanied by the module "Modellbildung in Simulation ökologischer Systeme". The subjects of "Modellbildung in Simulation ökologischer Systeme" represent the dynamic aspects of environmental systems (mainly of ecological systems). Nevertheless, the modules can be taken independently from each other.

Oliver Günther, Environmental Information Systems, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1998

Associated with the module: - inf500 Modellbildg. und Sim. ökol. Systeme

Second and third week after the end of the lecture persiod - retake before the upcomming lecture perdiod

Practical exercises and oral examination or portfolio