Background

Hein van Gils holds an MSc degree in Natural and Social Sciences and a PhD degree in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Geobotany) from the Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His PhD thesis tested the prediction of the presence of a specific flora in the contact zone between submediterranean montane forests and grassland throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Thereafter he undertook a series of short contracts as a private consultant (in Botswana and The Netherlands) and teacher before starting his career at ITC in 1979. At ITC he pursued a rewarding blend of consultancy, academic teaching, project management and scientific research. His consulting work included capacity-building and product development of remote sensing and GIS with clients from inter alia UN organizations, multi-lateral banks, NGOs and the Dutch government. His educational achievements include supervision of almost a hundred MSc research students in four continents. Currently he is co-promotor of several PhD candidates. He has published widely on natural resource management issues in a diverse range of ecological and policy environments and is the leading author of two regional environmental profiles in Zambia and Pakistan. From 1992 to 1994, he was granted leave-without-pay from ITC to take up an appointment as the senior technical advisor of environment at the United Nations Multilateral Financial Agency (IFAD) in Rome, where he pioneered Environmental Impact Assessments. From 1995 to 2004 he led the design and development of land information management training and education for the implementation of land reform in Namibia and South Africa. In December 2009 he successfully completed the building of the national Geographic Information Center for Natural Resource Management in Mongolia, a project for which he was the ITC team leader. His current research focus is on the link between land tenure and natural resource management as well as on various ecosystem patterns and processes in the Majella National Wilderness Park, central Apennines, Italy. His teaching includes GIS-based land use zoning and EIA and research skills.

Publications

ISI Journal Articles

van Gils, H.A.M.J., Odoi, J.O. and Andrisano, T. (2010) From monospecific to mixed forest after fire : an early forecast for the montane belt of Majella, Italy. In: Forest ecology and management, 259 (2010)3, pp. pp. 433-439. Full text | Full text

Ngene, S.M., Skidmore, A.K., van Gils, H.A.M.J., Douglas-Hamilton, I. and Omondi, P. (2009) Elephant distribution around a volcanic shield dominated by a mosaic of forest and savanna, Marsabit, Kenya. In: African journal of ecology, 47 (2009)2, pp. 234-245. Full text | Full text

Ngene, S.M., van Gils, H.A.M.J., van Wieren, S.E., Rasmussen, H., Skidmore, A.K., Prins, H.H.T., Toxopeus, A.G., Omondi, P. and Douglas-Hamilton, I. (2009) The ranging patterns of elephants im Marsabit protected area, Kenya : the use of satellite linked GPS collars. In: African journal of ecology,  (2009)IN PRESS, Full text | Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Kayijamahe, E. (2009) Sharing natural resources: mountain gorillas and people in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda. In: African journal of ecology,  (2009)IN PRESS, Full text | Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J., Batsukh Orgil, Rossiter, D.G. and ... [et al.] (2008) Forecasting the pattern and pace of Fagus forest expansion in Majella national park, Italy. In: Applied vegetation science, 11(2008)4, pp. 539-546. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J., Mwanangi, M. and Rugege, D. (2006) Invasion of an alien shrub across four land management regimes, west of St. Lucia, South Africa. In: South African journal of science, 102(2006), pp. 9-12. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Loza Armand Ugon, A.V. (2006) What drives conversion of tropical forest in Carrasco province, Bolivia?. In: Ambio : a journal of the human environment, 35 (2006)2, pp. 81-85. Full text | Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J., Delfino, J., Rugege, D. and Janssen, L. (2004) Efficacy of Chromolaena odorata control in a South African conservation forest. In: South African journal of science, 100(2004)3, pp. 251-253. Full text

Salvatori, V., Egunyu, F., Skidmore, A.K., de Leeuw, J. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (2001) The effects of fire and grazing pressure on vegetation cover and small mammal populations in the Maasai Mara national reserve. In: African Journal of Ecology, 39(2001)2, pp. 200-204. Full text | Full text

Esselink, P. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1994) Nitrogen and phosphorus limited production of cereals and semi natural annual type pastures in SW Spain. In: Acta Ecologica, 15(1994)3, pp. 337-354.

Beek, K.J. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1992) Global and environmental monitoring : the challenges to educators. In: ISPRS journal of photogrammetry and remote sensing, 47 (1992)1, pp. 51-58. Full text | Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1988) Mid - altitudinal vegetation of the Macaronesian island Santo Antao, Cabo Verde. In: Vegetatio, 74(1988)1, pp. 33-38. Full text

van der Meulen, F. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1983) Savannas of southern Africa : attributes and use of some types along the Tropic of Capricorn. In: Bothalia, 14(1983)3-4, pp. 675-681. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Huits, P. (1978) Standplaats, stengelhoogte en levensduur van Inula conyza DC, in Nederland. In: Gorteria, 9(1978)4, pp. 93-103. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Keysers, E. (1978) Staudengesellschaften mit Geranium sanguineum und Trifolium medium in der sub - montanen Stufe des Walliser Rhonetals, Schweiz. In: Folia Geobotanica, 13(1978), pp. 351-369. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Launspach, W. (1975) Saumgesellschaften im klimazonalen Bereich des Ostryo - Carpinion orientalis. In: Vegetatio, 31 (1975)1, pp. 47-64. Full text

Other Refereed Journal Articles

van Gils, H.A.M.J., Huizing, H.G.J., Kannegieter, A. and van der Zee, D. (1991) The evolution of the ITC system of rural land use and land cover classification LUCC. In: ITC journal : bulletin de l'ITC,  (1991)3, pp. 163-167. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1989) Legends of landscape ecology maps. In: ITC journal : bulletin de l'ITC,  (1989)1, pp. 41-48. Full text

Esselink, P. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1985) Ground based reflectance mearsurements for standing crop estimates. In: ITC journal : bulletin de l'ITC,  (1985)1, pp. 47-52. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and van Wijngaarden, W. (1984) Vegetation structure in reconnaissance and semi - detailed vegetation surveys. In: ITC journal : bulletin de l'ITC,  (1984)3, pp. 213-218. Full text

Conference Proceedings (full papers)

Huizing, H.G.J., Groten, S.M.E., Toxopeus, A.G., van Gils, H.A.M.J. and de Leeuw, J. (1997) ITC's contribution to GIS training and capacity building for natural resource management. In: Proceedings of the AFRICAGIS '97 conference, 23-27 June 1997, Gaborone, Botswana, 9 p.

Beek, K.J. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1990) Global and environmental monitoring : the challenges to educators. In: ISPRS 1990 : Vol. 28 : Commission VII : September 17-21 1990, Canada, pp. 12-19.

Yath, Y.A. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1986) Multi temporal Landsat for land unit mapping on project scale of the Sudd floodplain, Southern Sudan.. In: ISPRS 1986 : Vol. XXVI Commission VII part 1, 2 and 3 : remote sensing for resources development and environmental management : proceedings of the 7th international symposium, Enschede, 25 - 29 August 1986. - Rotterdam etc. : Balkema, 1986. - (International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing : IAPRS : ISPRS ; Vol.XXVIComm; ) pp 531-532. Full text

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1983) Rangelands of the world : unifying vegetation features. In: Proceedings of the workshop on land evaluation for extensive grazing LEEG : international workshop : Addis Ababa, Ethiopia October 31 - November 4, 1983. / ed. by. W. Siderius. - Wageningen : International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI), 1984. (ILRI Publication ; 36; ). pp. 17-26. Full text

Scientific and Professional Publications

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Holland, E.W. (2001) Training and education in land management in Southern Africa TELMSA : final report, 1 January 1999 - 1 September 2001. Enschede, ITC, 2001. 125 p.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1994) Preliminary development and testing phase natural resource management for rural poverty alleviation pilot environmental assessments : progress report 18.02.94. In: original paper.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1993) Vegetation classification : a review for harmonization of maps. In: Workshop on vegetation classification held in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, 24-26 January 1993, 29 p.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (editor) and Shabbir Baig, M. (editor)  (1992) Environmental profile Balochistan Pakistan : text and appendices. Enschede, ITC, 1992. 56 p., 35 p. ISBN: 90-6900-009-1.

Esselink, P., Schotel, J. and van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1991) Nitrogen- and phosphorus, limited primary production of annuals : a case study of semi - natural grazing lands, Dehesas, in southwestern Spain, with implications for their exploitation. Enschede, ITC, 1991. ITC Publication  11, 150 p. ISBN: 90-6164-072-5.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1990) Ecological monitoring in Uganda : mission to Uganda : 7 - 30 May 1990. In: Debriefing report to United Nations Sudano Sahelian Office (UNSO), UNEP, 1990, 25 p.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. (1988) Environmental profile : western province, Zambia. Enschede ; Mongu, ITC ; Provincial Planning Unit, 1988. 37 p.

van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Zonneveld, I.S. (1981) Aerial and space surveys and the development of animal husbandry. In: The Courier, (1981)65, pp. 79-80.

Zonneveld, I.S., van Gils, H.A.M.J. and Thalen, D.C.P. (1979) Aspects of the ITC approach to vegetation survey. In: Documents Phytosociologiques : New Series, IV(1979), pp. 1029-1063. Full text