I have research interests at a variety of scales, from microhabitat utilization of mice to biogeographic structures of entire island chains. Current research projects include: (1) the use of remotely sensed images and geographical information systems to produce chonosequences of insular vegetation, (2) testing of theories of socially induced dispersal, (3) biogeography of insular mammals, and (4) characteristics of image sources (satellites and aerial photographs) that affect perceptions of ecological landscapes.

The techniques I use to test ecological theories are similarly varied. Field experimentation is my preferred methodology when a hypothesis is testable at a scale where manipulations are logistically feasible. At larger scales, I use multivariate statistical analysis coupled with Monte-Carlo simulation models and geographical information systems. I serve as the Data Manager for the Virginia Coast Research Long-Term Ecological Research (VCR/LTER) project and mange the Remote-sensing and Geographical Information System Laboratory within the Department of Environmental Sciences.

PUBLICATIONS

Porter Google Scholar Link

Porter ORCID Link

• Scientific databases for environmental research
  2017; Ecological Informatics: Data Management and Knowledge Discovery: Third Edition; Porter, J.H.
• A prototype system for multilingual data discovery of International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network data
  2017; Ecological Informatics; Vanderbilt, K. | Porter, J.H. | Lu, S.-S. | Bertrand, N. | Blankman, D. |...
• Seagrass blue carbon spatial patterns at the meadow-scale
  2017; PLoS ONE; Oreska, M.P.J. | McGlathery, K.J. | Porter, J.H.
• Fostering ecological data sharing: Collaborations in the International Long Term Ecological Research Network
  2015; Ecosphere; Vanderbilt, K.L. | Lin, C.-C. | Lu, S.-S. | Kassim, A.R. | He, H. |...
• Improving forecasts for noisy geographic time series
  2015; Journal of Business Research; Huddleston, S.H. | Porter, J.H. | Brown, D.E.
• Cost-distance analysis of mesopredators as a tool for avian habitat restoration on a naturally fragmented landscape
  2015; Journal of Wildlife Management; Porter, J.H. | Dueser, R.D. | Moncrief, N.D.
• Contemplating the future: Acting now on long-term monitoring to answer 2050's questions
  2015; Austral Ecology; Lindenmayer, D.B. | Burns, E.L. | Tennant, P. | Dickman, C.R. | Green, P.T. |...
• Nonlinear dynamics and alternative stable states in shallow coastal systems
  2013; Oceanography; McGlathery, K.J. | Reidenbach, M.A. | D'Odorico, P. | Fagherazzi, S. | Pace, M.L. |...
• Quantity is nothing without quality: Automated QA/QC for streaming environmental sensor data
  2013; BioScience; Campbell, J.L. | Rustad, L.E. | Porter, J.H. | Taylor, J.R. | Dereszynski, E.W. |...
• The ethics of data sharing and reuse in biology
  2013; BioScience; Duke, C.S. | Porter, J.H.

TEACHING

GIS Methods (EVSC 3020)
Explores the theory of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their applications in a range of disciplines using various GIS software packages. Example applications are from physical and social sciences, often with a focus on the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. For students interested in immediate applications of GIS in their work.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (EVSC 5020)
This is an introductory course focusing on the theory and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technology. The course combines related theory with practical laboratory assignments