Understanding paleoclimatic variations is crucial for deciphering the historical shifts in global ecosystems, which have shaped today’s biodiversity. The Temporal Altitudinal Biogeographical Shifts (TABS) R package is a powerful tool designed to model these shifts, providing spatially detailed reconstructions over continuous time series. This workshop aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to use TABS for analyzing the biogeographical history of insular systems, such as oceanic islands and alpine regions, as they responded to fluctuating sea level and treeline fluctuations. TABS facilitates the reconstruction of spatio-temporal changes depicting with exceptional detail the changes in surface area and connectivity/isolation, producing ready to use geospatial datasets and overview maps of changes through time. The workshop will include both theoretical and practical components, utilizing two main case studies: coastlines and high-elevation treelines, to demonstrate the functionality and strengths of TABS. The initial sessions will provide theoretical lectures to introduce the key concepts and background of the case studies. This foundation will help participants understand the ecological and geological principles underlying the biogeographical shifts modeled by TABS. Following the theoretical introduction, the workshop will offer hands-on practice into the detailed functionality of TABS. Participants will follow step-by-step tutorials based on the vignettes available on the TABS website. These sessions will cover the following topics: get started, Input data: labs, region, curve, correction, reclabs, Output data: tabs, plotting. If sufficient participants have their own case studies or datasets, interactive sessions will be organized. These sessions will allow participants to apply TABS to their specific research contexts, such as reconstructing island connectivity histories using labeled points or polygons of islands or mountain peaks. This hands-on approach aims to enhance the practical application of TABS and allow collaborative learning.
Depth of knowledge needed by attendees/target audience: The workshop is tailored for individuals with an interest in biogeographical concepts and a basic familiarity with coding, particularly in R. No advanced prior knowledge is required, but participants should have an affinity for the subject matter and be comfortable using RStudio. Attendees need to install the latest version of RStudio, TABS, and the associated default datasets prior to the workshop.
Mode of organization: Online, including 3 sessions of 2.5 hours
Dates: 9-11 April 2025
Time: 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. GMT
