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ADVANCED COURSE
IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELLING
FIRST EDITION
23-27 July 2018
Observatório Astronómico Prof. Manuel de Barros
Faculty of Sciences • University of Porto
Alameda do Monte da Virgem, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Have you built an Ecological Niche Model? If yes, you have already encountered challenges on data preparation, or have struggled with issues in models fitting and accuracy. This course will teach you how to overcome these challenges and improve the accuracy of your ecological niche models. By the end of 5-day practical course, you will have the capacity to filter records and select your variables with variance inflation factor; to test effect of Maxent regularization parameter in models performance; to perform correlative models; to validate models performance and accuracy; to perform MESS analysis, null models as well as-mechanistic models and finally you will learn how to build your “virtual species”.
This course is orientated to PhD and MSc students, as well as other students and researchers working on biogeography, spatial ecology, or related disciplines, with experience in ecological niche models. Participants will receive a diploma of course attendance, copies of presentations and materials used, a selection of the most relevant articles on Ecological Niche Modelling, and a copy of programs and other tools used in the course. When asked, course invoice will be issued for the registration fee.
Course Syllabus
Ecological niche, species distribution, habitat distribution, or climatic envelope models are different names for similar mechanistic or correlative models, empirical or mathematical approaches to the ecological niche of a species, where different types of ecogeographical variables (environmental, topographical, human) are related with species physiological data or geographical locations, in order to identify the factors limiting and defining the species' niche. ENMs have become popular due to the need for efficiency in the design and implementation of conservation management.
The course will be mainly practical, with some theoretical lectures. All modelling processes and calculations will be performed with R, the free software environment for statistical computing and graphics (http://www.r-project.org/). Students will learn to use functions implemented in the packages “usdm”; “dismo”; “ENMEval”; “SDMvspecies”; “EniRG”; “spThin”; “NicheMapper” among others.
Day One:
Problems on ENM.
ENM methods.
ENM packages.
Filtering records using usdm/sp Thin packages.
Variable selection with variance inflation factor (VIF) usdm packages.
Day Two:
Build models with EniRG packages.
Test effect of Maxent regularization parameter.
Day Three:
Correlative models with AIC, ENMeval packages.
Validate models using ENMeval, and EniRG packages.
Day Four:
Null models practice.
MESS practice.
Mechanistic model NicheMapper packages.
Day Five:
MIGCLIM practice.
VirtualSpecies SDMvspecies packages.
Recommended Background
Solid knowledge in Geographical Information Systems and R statistical package is necessary. It is also essential to have experience in ecological niche models. This course will suppose the attenders know how to run a ecological niche model. We will focus exclusively on advanced methods. If you need an introductory course on ecological niche models, please consider attending our basic course through Transmitting Science (www.transmittingscience.org) or PRStatistics (www.prstatistics.com).
Course Format
The morning of the first course day will be mainly theoretical. The following days will be mainly practical with some short theoretical presentations. The course will be lectured in English.
Lecturers
Neftalí Sillero
Cândida Gomes Vale
Salvador Arenas-Castro
Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais (CICGE)
Faculty of Sciences University of Porto
https://sites.google.com/site/neftalisillero/
neftali.sillero@gmail.com; candivale@gmail.com; sarenascastro78@gmail.com
Course Information and Registration
Only 24 inscriptions!
Students must bring their own laptops!
Dates: 23-27 July 2018.
Venue: Observatório Astronómico Prof. Manuel de Barros
Faculty of Sciences • University of Porto
Alameda do Monte da Virgem, Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal)
The registration fee is €150. To apply for the course, please fill the registration form (see below or download it from this link) and send by mail to neftali.sillero@gmail.com before 1/7/2018.
The 24 course places will be fulfilled in strict order of inscription. After confirmation of registration by the organisation, students shall have one week to make a deposit for the course fee (€150). Final inscription on the course will be only valid after sending the bank payment receipt to the organisation.
Payment through bank transference to:
Universidade do Porto
IBAN: PT50 0035 0206 00010363530 87
BIC SWIFT: CGDIPTPL
Description: CURSO ENM
Fee: €150
ADVANCED COURSE
IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELLING
FIRST EDITION
23-27 July 2018
Observatório Astronómico Prof. Manuel de Barros
Faculty of Sciences • University of Porto
Alameda do Monte da Virgem, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Registration form
Name: …................................................................................................................................................
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Why are you interested in this course?
Do you have basic knowledge in Ecological Niche Modelling, Geographical Information Systems, and R statistical package?
Please, send this form to neftali.sillero@gmail.com
You can download this registration form from this link.
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