Species Distribution Modeling Methods for Conservation Biologists

Applications are now being accepted for a course entitled: Species Distribution Modeling Methods for Conservation Biologists. Models that predict species’ potential distributions by combining observed occurrence records with digital data layers of environmental variables have great potential for application across a range of ecological analyses. The course will focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of this approach (sometimes termed ‘ecological niche’ or ‘bioclimate envelope’ modeling) and is designed for students, researchers and practitioners of conservation biology. Using a mixture of lectures, hands-on computer lab applications, discussions, and case studies, course participants will learn to:

* Obtain and process data necessary for species distribution modeling;

* Run distribution models using a variety of approaches;

* Validate and interpret model results;

* Apply these techniques to a range of applications, including conservation prioritization, predicting potential impacts of climate change, and forecasting species’ invasions.

Each participant is encouraged to develop an idea for a project they would like to work on, so lessons learned during the course can immediately be applied to an example of interest. These projects can be discussed with the course organizers in advance to ensure they are appropriate. If participants do not have their own project one will be assigned to them during the course.

IMPORTANT DATES: Application deadline: April 7, 2006

Course dates: May 22 to 26 2006

COURSE LOCATION: This course will be offered at the American Museum of Natural History’s Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The Station (http://research.amnh.org/swrs/) is located at 5,400 ft in riparian habitat, surrounded by oak-juniper-pinyon pine woodlands. The local region is of considerable biogeographical interest and the Research Station provides an ideal retreat for the course.

INSTRUCTORS: The course will be taught by three instructors – Drs. Richard Pearson (American Museum of Natural History), Catherine Graham (Stony Brook University) and Steven Phillips (AT&T Labs-Research).

COURSE FEE: $1,000 for each participant. The course fee includes room, board, and instruction in the class. Payment in full is due one month before the course begins. Unfortunately, scholarship funds to defray course expenses are not available. Participants will also need to provide their own transportation to and from the site.

APPLICATION: Those interested in participating in the course should send a short paragraph with the following information: name, contact details, current position (student, academia, government, etc.), brief statement on why you want to take the course, overview of prior modeling or GIS experience (if any), and a brief description of a project you would like to work on if you have one in mind. Please send applications and questions about course logistics to Diane Smith (dsmith@amnh.org), Southwestern Research Station, P.O. Box 16553, Portal, AZ 85632. For information about the contents of the course please contact Richard Pearson (pearson@amnh.org.

Please also see the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Remote Sensing and GIS facility website for further information: http://geospatial.amnh.org

Course webpage: http://geospatial.amnh.org/remote_sensing/training/cbc_workshops/species_modeling.html

Source: SCGIS@listserv.uri.edu

Jorge Brenner