This master thesis deals with the analysis of housing prices in Prague. The main goal is to identify and explain the factors which have an influence on the prices of flats at the macro and micro level. Two spatial statistic methods, namely multiple linear regressions and geographically weighted regressions (GWR), are used in the first part of the thesis, which deals with the prices in Prague in general. The influence on the values of flats in Prague basic settlement units caused by several factors such as the distance from the Old Town Square, age of dwellings, the presence of migrants or air pollution was investigated using these two methods. The price map of the association of real estate agencies, the Czech Statistical Office and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development provided the data used in the presented research. Price profiles from the centre of Prague to the suburbs in various directions were also created and analyzed. Factors with an influence on housing prices at the micro level in a case study of the Prague cadastral territory of Modřany are described in the second part of the thesis. The analysis of new developer projects and older flats in panel houses investigates the influence on the housing prices caused by factors such as noise, physical condition of apartments and the quality of...

abstract: Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) has been broadly used in various fields to model spatially non-stationary relationships. Classic GWR is considered as a single-scale model that is based on one bandwidth parameter which controls the amount of distance-decay in weighting neighboring data around each location. The single bandwidth in GWR assumes that processes (relationships between the response variable and the predictor variables) all operate at the same scale. However, this posits a limitation in modeling potentially multi-scale processes which are more often seen in the real world. For example, the measured ambient temperature of a location is affected by the built environment, regional weather and global warming, all of which operate at different scales. A recent advancement to GWR termed Multiscale GWR (MGWR) removes the single bandwidth assumption and allows the bandwidths for each covariate to vary. This results in each parameter surface being allowed to have a different degree of spatial variation, reflecting variation across covariate-specific processes. In this way, MGWR has the capability to differentiate local, regional and global processes by using varying bandwidths for covariates. Additionally, bandwidths in MGWR become explicit indicators of the scale at various processes operate. The proposed dissertation covers three perspectives centering on MGWR: Computation; Inference; and Application. The first component focuses on addressing computational issues in MGWR to allow MGWR models to be calibrated more efficiently and to be applied on large datasets. The second component aims to statistically differentiate the spatial scales at which different processes operate by quantifying the uncertainty associated with each bandwidth obtained from MGWR. In the third component, an empirical study will be conducted to model the changing relationships between county-level socio-economic factors and voter preferences in the 2008-2016 United States presidential elections using MGWR. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2020

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One of the key concerns in spatial analysis and modelling is to study and analyse similarities or dissimilarities between places over geographical space. However, ”global“ spatial models may fail to identify spatial variations of relationships (spatial heterogeneity) by assuming spatial stationarity of relationships. In many real-life situations spatial variation in relationships possibly exists and the assumption of global stationarity might be highly unrealistic leading to ignorance of a large amount of spatial information. In contrast, local spatial models emphasise differences or dissimilarity over space and focus on identifying spatial variations in relationships. These models allow the parameters of models to vary locally and can provide more useful information on the processes generating the data in different parts of the study area. In this study, a framework for localising spatial interaction models, based on geographically weighted (GW) techniques, has been developed. This framework can help in detecting, visualising and analysing spatial heterogeneity in spatial interaction systems. In order to apply the GW concept to spatial interaction models, we investigate several approaches differing mainly in the way calibration points (flows) are defined and spatial separation (distance) between flows is calculated. As a result, a series of localised geographically weighted spatial interaction (GWSI) models are developed. Using custom-built algorithms and computer code, we apply the GWSI models to a journey-to-work dataset in Switzerland for validation and comparison with the related global models. The results of the model calibrations are visualised using a series of conventional and flow maps along with some matrix visualisations. The comparison of the results indicates that in most cases local GWSI models exhibit an improvement over the global models both in providing more useful local information and also in model performance and goodness-of-fit.

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging infectious disease that has widespread implications for public health practitioners across the world. Within a few years of its arrival in the United States the virus had spread across the North American continent. This research focuses on the development of a spatially explicit GIS-based predictive epidemiological model based on suitable environmental factors. We examined eleven commonly mapped environmental factors using both ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR). The GWR model was utilized to ascertain the impact of environmental factors on WNV risk patterns without the confounding effects of spatial non-stationarity that exist between place and health. It identifies the important underlying environmental factors related to suitable mosquito habitat conditions to make meaningful and spatially explicit predictions. Our model represents a multi-criteria decision analysis approach to create disease risk maps under data sparse situations. The best fitting model with an adjusted R2 of 0.71 revealed a strong association between WNV infection risk and a subset of environmental risk factors including road density, stream density, and land surface temperature. This research also postulates that understanding the underlying place characteristics and population composition for the occurrence of WNV infection is important for mitigating future outbreaks. While many spatial and aspatial models have attempted to predict the risk of WNV transmission, efforts to link these factors within a GIS framework are limited. One of the major challenges for such integration is the high dimensionality and large volumes typically associated with such models and data. This research uses a spatially explicit, multivariate geovisualization framework to integrate an environmental model of mosquito habitat with human risk factors derived from socio-economic and demographic variables. Our results show that such an integrated approach facilitates the exploratory analysis of complex data and supports reasoning about the underlying spatial processes that result in differential risks for WNV. This research provides different tools and techniques for predicting the WNV epidemic and provides more insights into targeting specific areas for controlling WNV outbreaks.

Title: Changes of lengths of periods with characteristic air temperatures Author: Eva Černochová Department: Department of Meteorology and Environment Protection Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Jaroslava Kalvová, CSc. Supervisor's e-mail address: jaroslava.kalvova@mff.cuni.cz Abstract: Lengths of periods with characteristic air temperatures were derived using two different methods (linear interpolation, robust locally weighted regression) for 10 stations in the Czech Republic and for output data of regional climate models HIRHAM and RCAO in 4 grid points. Averages for a forty-year period (1961-2000) and for a thirty-year period (1961-1990) were computed as well as averages for every decade. Considerable attention was also paid to the analysis of methods used in the research. Most stations showed lengthening of growing season and summer during the twentieth century. Decennary average length of growing season and summer shortened in the years 1971-1980. The comparison of output data of regional climate models HIRHAM and RCAO and measured station data showed that the thirty-year average lengths of growing season and summer estimated by the two models were reasonably accurate approximately half of all cases. The models' estimates were not accurate at all concerning decennary averages. Keywords: robust locally...

Mapas pedológicos são importantes fontes de informação necessárias à agricultura, mas praticamente inexistentes em escalas adequadas para o Brasil, e seu levantamento pelo método convencional para a demanda brasileira é inviável. Como alternativa ao problema, mapeamento pedológico digital apresenta-se como uma área do conhecimento que envolve as relações das informações de campo, laboratório e pontuais de solos com métodos quantitativos via imagens de satélite e atributos do relevo para inferir atributos e classes. A literatura destaca, portanto, a importância do estudo da posição espacial de pontos amostrais na estimativa de atributos do solo a partir dos valores espectrais de imagens de satélite, aliado a isso, faz-se importante o cruzamento dos atributos do solo estimados e espacializados para chegar a classes de solo. Face ao exposto, o objetiva-se o desenvolvimento de uma técnica via imagem de satélite, dados espectrais e atributos do relevo, integrados por lógica booleana, para determinar mapas pedológicos. O trabalho foi realizado no município de Rio das Pedras, SP e entornos, numa área total de 47.882 ha. Onde, realizou-se processamento de imagens de satélites multitemporais, para obtenção da informação espectral da superfície de solo exposto. Esta informação foi correlacionada com espectro de laboratório de pontos amostrais em subsuperfície (profundidade 80-100 cm) e estimou-se os espectros simulando bandas de satélite para locais desconhecidos. Elaborou-se uma chave de classificação de solos por cruzamento de mapas de atributos via lógica booleana, onde definiu os seguintes atributos a serem mapeados: argila, V% e matéria orgânica (M.O) na profundidade 0-20 cm e argila, CTC, V%, m%, Al, ferro total, matiz, valor e croma na profundidade 80-100 cm. As estimativas de espectros em subsuperfície e dos atributos dos solos nas duas profundidades foram realizadas pela técnica multivariada regressão geograficamente ponderada (GWR), que teve seu desempenho preditivo avaliado pela comparação com desempenho preditivo da técnica de regressão linear múltipla (MRL). Os resultados mostraram correlação entre os espectros das duas profundidades, com R2 de validação acima 0.6. Argila (0-20 e 80-100 cm), matiz, valor e croma foram os atributos do solo que obtiveram as melhores estimativas com R2 acima 0.6. A técnica multivariada GWR obteve-se desempenho superior ao MRL. O mapa pedológico digital comparado aos mapas de solos detalhados de levantamentos convencionais obteve índice kappa de 34.65% e acurácia global de 54,46%. Tal resultado representa um nível regular de classificação. Por outro lado, deve se considerar que se trata de uma região de alta complexidade geológica e compreendendo heterogeneidade de solos. A técnica desenvolvida mostra-se com potencial de evolução no mapeamento digital de solos à medida que forem evoluindo as estimativas de atributos de solos e ajustes nos critérios da chave de classificação. / Soil maps are important sources of information necessary for agriculture, but practically absent in appropriate scales for Brazil, and its mapping by the conventional method for the brazilian demand is impracticable. How an alternative to the problem, digital pedological mapping appears as an area of knowledge that involves the relationship of field information, laboratory and point of soils with quantitative methods by satellite images and relief attributes to predict attributes and classes. The literature highlights therefore the importance of studying the spatial position of sampling points in the estimation of soil attributes from spectral values of satellite images, combined to this, is an important the crossing of the estimated and spatialized soil attributes to get the soil classes. In view of exposed, the objective is the development of a technique satellite image, spectral data and attributes of relief, integrated by boolean logic to determine soil maps. The work was carried out in Rio das Pedras county, SP, and surroundings, in a total area of 47,882 ha. Which was held processing multitemporal satellite images, to obtain spectral information of exposed soil surface. This information was correlated with laboratory spectra of sample points in the subsurface (depth 80-100 cm) and was estimated spectra simulating satellite bands to unknown locations. Produced is a soil classification key for cross attribute maps by boolean logic, which defines the following attributes to be mapped: clay, cation saturation and organic matter (OM) in the 0-20 cm depth and clay, CEC, cation saturation, aluminiu saturation, Al, total iron, hue, value and chroma in depth 80-100 cm. The estimates spectra subsurface and soil attributes in two depths were performed by multivariate technique geographically weighted regression (GWR), which had its predictive performance is evaluated by comparison with predictive performance of multiple linear regression (MRL). The results showed a correlation between the spectra of the two depths, with validation R2 above 0.6. Clay (0-20 and 80-100 cm), hue, value and chroma were the soil attributes obtained the best estimates R2 above 0.6. The GWR multivariate technique yielded better performance than MRL. The digital soil map compared to the detailed soil maps of conventional surveys obtained kappa index of 34.65% and overall accuracy of 54.46%. This result is a regular level of classification. On the other hand, it must be considered that it is a highly complex geological region and comprising heterogeneity of soils. The technique developed shows with potential developments in digital soil mapping as they evolve estimates of soil attributes and adjustments to the classification key criteria.

This thesis concerns Precision Agriculture (PA) technology which involves methods developed to optimise grain yield by examining data quality and modelling protein/yield relationship of wheat and sorghum fields in central and southern Queensland. An important part of developing strategies to optimisise grain yield is the understanding of PA technology. This covers major aspects of PA which includes all the components of Site- Specific Crop Management System (SSCM). These components are 1. Spatial referencing, 2. Crop, soil and climate monitoring, 3. Attribute mapping, 4. Decision suppport systems and 5. Differential action. Understanding how all five components fit into PA significantly aids the development of data analysis methods. The development of PA is dependent on the collection, analysis and interpretation of information. A preliminary data analysis step is described which covers both non-spatial and spatial data analysis methods. The non-spatial analysis involves plotting methods (maps, histograms), standard distribution and statistical summary (mean, standard deviation). The spatial analysis covers both undirected and directional variogram analyses. In addition to the data analysis, a theoretical investigation into GPS error is given. GPS plays a major role in the development of PA. A number of sources of errors affect the GPS and therefore effect the positioning measurements. Therefore, an understanding of the distribution of the errors and how they are related to each other over time is needed to complement the understanding of the nature of the data. Understanding the error distribution and the data give useful insights for model assumptions in regard to position measurement errors. A review of filtering methods is given and new methods are developed, namely, strip analysis and a double harvesting algoritm. These methods are designed specifically for controlled traffic and normal traffic respectively but can be applied to all kinds of yield monitoring data. The data resulting from the strip analysis and double harvesting algorithm are used in investigating the relationship between on-the-go yield and protein. The strategy is to use protein and yield in determining decisions with respect to nitrogen managements. The agronomic assumption is that protein and yield have a significant relationship based on plot trials. We investigate whether there is any significant relationship between protein and yield at the local level to warrent this kind of assumption. Understanding PA technology and being aware of the sources of errors that exist in data collection and data analysis are all very important in the steps of developing management decision strategies.

This thesis deals with the modelling of applying techniques of ordinary least squares method and geographically weighted regression for all administrative divisions of the Czech Republic using ArcGIS software. In general this thesis introduces a GWR method which partially solves the problems associated with the analysis of spatial data. The research compares benefits of using geographically weighted regression with spatial data compared with linear regression in thesis conclusion.

abstract: This work investigates the effects of non-random sampling on our understanding of species distributions and their niches. In its most general form, bias is systematic error that can obscure interpretation of analytical results by skewing samples away from the average condition of the system they represent. Here I use species distribution modelling (SDM), virtual species, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to explore how sampling bias can alter our perception of broad patterns of biodiversity by distorting spatial predictions of habitat, a key characteristic in biogeographic studies. I use three separate case studies to explore: 1) How methods to account for sampling bias in species distribution modeling may alter estimates of species distributions and species-environment relationships, 2) How accounting for sampling bias in fossil data may change our understanding of paleo-distributions and interpretation of niche stability through time (i.e. niche conservation), and 3) How a novel use of MGWR can account for environmental sampling bias to reveal landscape patterns of local niche differences among proximal, but non-overlapping sister taxa. Broadly, my work shows that sampling bias present in commonly used federated global biodiversity observations is more than enough to degrade model performance of spatial predictions and niche characteristics. Measures commonly used to account for this bias can negate much loss, but only in certain conditions, and did not improve the ability to correctly identify explanatory variables or recreate species-environment relationships. Paleo-distributions calibrated on biased fossil records were improved with the use of a novel method to directly estimate the biased sampling distribution, which can be generalized to finer time slices for further paleontological studies. Finally, I show how a novel coupling of SDM and MGWR can illuminate local differences in niche separation that more closely match landscape genotypic variability in the two North American desert tortoise species than does their current taxonomic delineation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2018