Dr. Jill S. Heaton
Assistant Professor

University of Nevada, Reno Mail Stop 154
Department of Geography, Mackay Science
Reno, NV 89557
Tel: (775) 784-8056
Fax: (775) 784-1058
Office: MS 325A
G-Lab: MS 327
Email: jheaton@gis.unr.edu
Curriculum Vitæ
Website: Research Lab 327 - G-Lab

Research Statement
Dr. Heaton is an arid lands ecologist, with dual degrees in biology and geography. Her strengths are in quantitative and statistical techniques as applied to ecological problems, and integrating ecological theory and principles with the spatial and temporal complexity of the natural environment. She has extensive experience and expertise in GIS, habitat modeling, (especially as related to reptiles and small mammals), statistical modeling, environmental issues on military installations, urban and development biodiversity boundary interactions, and issues relating to land use and conservation.

Research Areas of Interest
Desert ecology, habitat modeling, reptiles, wildlife detection dogs, GISystems and GIScience, spatial modeling, ecosystem functioning, decision support systems, and knowledge management.

Professional Preparation
University of North Texas - Biology B.S. 1993
University of North Texas - Biology M.S. 1996
Oregon State University - Geography Ph.D. 2001

Courses Taught
Geog 405/605 GIS I: Geographic Information Systems and Science
Syllabus and Course Outline, Fall '05

Geog 407/607 GIS II: Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Science
Draft Syllabus and Course Outline, Sp '06

Geog 416/616 Spatial Analysis in Geography

Geog 473/673 Geography of Arid Lands

Geog 701g Advanced Field Methods Syllabus and Course Outline, Sp '05

Selected Publications

Heaton, J.S., A.R. Kiester and M. Meyers. Accepted . 2006. The LizLand model: a geomorphic
approach to lizard habitat modeling in the Mojave Desert . Special issue of Journal of Arid Environments .

Vert, G., A. Morris and J.S. Heaton. Accepted . 2006. Decision support based methods to facilitate 3D volumetric locking in a new peer to peer based spatial database system. Special issue of Control and Cybernetics .

Miao, X., P. Gong, S. Swope, R. Pu, R.I. Carruthers, G.L. Anderson, J.S. Heaton and C.R. Tracy. Accepted . 2006. Estimation of yellow starthistle abundance through CASI-2 hyperspectral imagery using linear spectral mixture models. Remote Sensing of the Environment .

Heaton, J.S. Accepted with revisions . 2006. Patterns of alluvial plain macro and micro habitat utilization and land use affinities of Callisaurus draconoides within the California Mojave Desert. Journal of Herpetology .

Cablk , M.E. and J.S. Heaton, Accepted with revisions . 2006. Accuracy and reliability of dogs in surveying for desert tortoises ( Gopherus agassizii ). Ecological Applications.

Cablk , M.E. , J.S. Heaton, J.C. Sagebiel, and S. Francis. In review . Risk of attracting predators from human and human-dog team wildlife surveys. Journal of Wildlife Management.

Webb, R.H., L.F. Fenstermaker, J.S. Heaton, D.L. Hughson, E.V. McDonald, D.M. Miller. Eds. In review . 2007. "The Mojave Desert : Ecosystem Processes and Sustainability". University of Arizona Press.

Heaton, J.S. 2001. The LizLand Model: Geomorphic landform and surface composition analysis of lizard habitat in the California Mojave Desert. Ph.D. Dissertation. Oregon State University , Department of Geosciences.

Heaton, J.S. 1996. Use of geographic information systems (GIS) and remotely sensed data to characterize the habitat and predict the distribution of Peromyscus truie comanche . M.S. Thesis. University of North Texas , Department of Biology.