Innovative tools for mapping and modelling species distributions
In this workshop, participants will use the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and the Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL) to explore species data and ecological models to understand the relationships between species and their environment.
We will show how you can use the ALA Spatial Portal to learn about key features, data quality issues, cleaning data and environmental layers. We will then introduce the basic elements of species distribution models and climate change projections, including the data required to run the models, the differences across various model algorithms and how to appropriately interpret and evaluate the results of model outputs. Workshop participants will access national datasets in the BCCVL to run a species distribution model and then project the results into the future using a climate change projection with a number of different emission scenarios.
These tools provide a great resource to introduce the concepts of data discovery and ecological modelling. The workshop is aimed at researchers that are interested in ecology, environmental science, climate change impacts and conservation.
No complex coding/statistical knowledge is required. Just bring your laptop, and we'll provide access to a wealth of data and modelling tools.