Abstract

Many people associate "statistics" only with dense mathematical formulas and numbers. While superficially this is the case, at a much deeper level statistics is about creating models of real-world phenomena. In particular, these data-driven models must navigate uncertainty. In this data visualization driven talk, Professor Kim will address three questions relating to the growth of trees (1) "How can we model growth?" (2) "How can we model the effect of interspecies competition on growth?" and (3) "How does climate change affect annual growth?" The talk will center on forestry data from the ForestGEO network’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA, USA.