Fredrick Ojija
Lecturer (Mbeya University of Science and technology – MUST) and PhD Scholar (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management) at the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST)
The aim of the project is to model the potential spatial distribution of the Invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus in and around the border zones of Arusha National Park after 50 years. Invasive plants pose significant challenges to manage and maintain indigenous biodiversity in many conservation areas in Tanzania. The project will use ensemble machine learning tools such as Genetic algorithm (GA), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA), Maximum Entropy and Regression Models such as generalized linear model (GLM), generalized additive model (GAM), boosted regression trees (BRT), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS).