Exploratory Analysis of Forestry Data in NEFIS

1. Exploratory Analysis of Forestry Data in NEFIS Natalia Andrienko & Gennady Andrienko FHG AIS (Fraunhofer Institute for Autonomous Intelligent Systems) http://www.ais.fraunhofer.de/and NEFIS Project Workshop, JRC Italy, 29th June 2005

2. NEFIS and our research • Our research focus is EDA – Exploratory Data Analysis (in particular, spatial and temporal data) • In NEFIS, we strive at explaining and promoting the ideas and principles of EDA • We have used the ICP Forests defoliation data as a non-trivial example to demonstrate systematic, comprehensive EDA • We hope to receive valuable feedback from you for guiding our further work

3. What Is EDA? • Emerged in statistics in 1970ies; originator: John Tukey • A philosophy and discipline of unbiased looking at data: “What can data tell me?” rather than “Do they agree with my expectations?” • Similar to the work of a detective (J.Tukey) • Need to look at data  focus on visualisation and user interaction with data displays

4. Purposes of EDA • Uncover peculiarities of the data and, on this basis, understand how the data should be further processed (e.g. filtered, transformed, split into parts, fused, …) • Generate hypotheses for further testing (e.g. using statistical methods) • Choose proper methods for in-depth analysis (possibly, domain-specific) • Especially important for previously unknown data, e.g. found in the Web  relevant to NEFIS

5. EDA vs. other analyses • EDA does not substitute rigor methods of numerical analysis, either general or domain-specific, but should give the understanding what methods and how to apply Original data 1. EDA Understanding of the data (mental model) 3. In-depth analysis 2. Data processing Conclusions, theories, decisions, … Processed data

6. EDA vs. information presentation • EDA makes intensive use of graphics • However, “nice” presentation and reporting are not EDA purposes • Primary goal of presentation: convey certain idea or set of ideas to others • Understandably • Convincingly • Aesthetically attractively • This requires different visual means than exploration

7. The defoliation data • Large volume: 6169 spatially-referenced time series • Two dimensions: S&T • Many missing values • No full compatibility across countries, species, time etc.

8. EDA: data quality issues • Specialists’ opinion (after seeing the draft report of the data exploration): “The data were not meant for analysis!” • But: • There are no ideal data (especially in the Web and for free) • Even for understanding data inadequacy one needs first to explore them • Even imperfect data can be useful • The principles of EDA (demonstrated further) are applicable to perfect data as well

9. General procedure of the EDA • See the whole • Space + Time  2 complementary views • Evolution of spatial patterns in time • Distribution of temporal behaviours in space • Divide and focus • Data are complex  Have to be explored by slices and subsets (species, age groups, countries, years, …) • Attend to particulars • Detect outliers, strange behaviours, unexpected patterns, …

10. See the whole: Handle large data volumes • General approach: Data aggregation • Task 1: Explore evolution of spatial patterns • Appropriate data transformation: aggregate by small space compartments (regular grid with 4025 cells); separately for different species; various aggregates (mean, max) • Gain: no symbol overlapping

11. Explore evolution of spatial patterns • Animated map • Map sequence • Observations: • Persistently high values in Poland • Improvement in Belarus • Mosaic distribution in most countries: great differences between close locations • Outliers

12. Divide and Focus: Exploration on country level • Recommendable due to inconsistencies between countries • Observation: abrupt changes between locations  spatial smoothing methods are not appropriate

13. Explore spatial distribution of temporal behaviours • Are behaviours in neighbouring places similar? • Step 1. Smoothing supports revealing general patterns and disregarding fluctuations and outliers(we shall look at outliers later)

14. Are behaviours in neighbouring places similar? Step 2. Temporal comparison (e.g. with particular year, mean for a period) helps to disregard absolute differences in values and thus focus on behaviours Explore spatial distribution of temporal behaviours Observation: no strong similarity between neighbouring places

15. Compare behaviours in plots with different main species • Mosaic signs: • 6 rows for species; • 14 columns for years 1990-2003; • Colours encode defoliation values Observation: behaviours differ for different main species

16. Explore overall temporal trends Line overlapping obstructs data analysis  apply aggregation

17. Aggregation method 1: by quantiles

18. Aggregation method 2: by intervals

19. Divide and Focus: Germany

20. Divide and Focus: age groups 1,3

21. Attend to particulars Types of particulars (examples): • Extreme values • Extreme changes • High variability • … Questions: • When? • Where? • What is around? • Why?(a question for further, in-depth analysis) Domain knowledge is essential

22. Attend to particulars: extreme values • Click on a segment corresponding to extreme values • The behaviour(s) is(are) highlighted on the time graph • The location(s) is(are) highlighted on the map

23. Attend to particulars: what is around? • In some neighbouring places the behaviours during the period 2000 - 2003 are somewhat similar

24. Attend to particulars: extreme changes • Transform the time graph to show changes • Select extreme changes in a specific year (here 2003)

25. Attend to particulars: high variation • Aggregate time graph by quantiles • Save counts • Visualise e.g. on a scatter plot • Select items with high variation

26. Attend to particulars: high fluctuation • Select items with maximal number of jumps between quantiles

27. Attend to particulars: stable extremes • Select items being always in the topmost 10%

28. Attend to particulars: stable increase • Turn the time graph in the segmentation mode • Choose “increase” and set minimum difference • Select a sequence of years by clicking • Check sensitivity to the time period!

29. Conclusions: the Data • This dataset is not suitable for application of major statistical analysis methods due to • absence of spatial & temporal smoothness • skewed distributions • outliers • missing values • The data may be suitable for other purposes (e.g. in a context of a broader study of the ecological situation over Europe) • EDA methods can promote insights

30. Recap: Exploration procedure • See the whole • Evolution of spatial patterns in time • Distribution of temporal behaviours in space • Divide and focus • Data were explored by slices and subsets (species, age groups, countries, years, …) • Attend to particulars • Extreme values, extreme changes, high variation, high fluctuations, stable growth …

31. Recap: Tools • Visualisation on thematic maps, time graphs, other aspatial displays • Aggregation: reduce data volume & symbol overlapping • Filtering: divide and focus (select subsets) • Marking: see corresponding data on different displays • Data transformation: smoothing, computing changes, normalisation etc. It is important to use the tools in combination

32. Further information • Software: http://www.commongis.com • Scientific issues (papers, tutorials, demos): http://www.ais.fraunhofer.de/and • Book to appear: N. and G. Andrienko “Exploratory Analysis of Spatial and Temporal data. A Systematic Approach” (Springer-Verlag,  end 2005) A systematic approach to defining tasks, tools, and principles of EDA

33. http://www.ais.fraunhofer.de/and In press, to appear  end 2005