Understanding the mechanisms underlying the distribution of biodiversity lies at the core of macroecology and biogeography. To more accurately characterize how organisms experience and interact with their environment, biogeographers can now integrate microclimate models and biophysical models with Species Distribution Models (SDM). This workshop will present software for microclimate and biophysical modeling by working through a shared example in which participants will conduct all the steps required to model the spatial distribution of a terrestrial animal. This will include biophysical modelling of heat and water balances and their integration with advanced SDM algorithms. Finally, we will demonstrate how hybrid SDM can be used to simulate organismal responses to climate change.
To deepen their understanding of microclimate modeling algorithms, attendees may also wish to take the course “Using Microclimate data and models for ecological applications”, offered 3 – 5 June 2025 by David Klinges, Yale University.
Depth of knowledge needed by attendees: Attendees should have experience using R and basic knowledge of R programming, such as ‘for’ loops, conditional statements, and custom functions.
Mode of organization: 3 sessions of 2.5 hours each
Dates: 2-4 April 2025
Time: 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. GMT
