BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PR Stats - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:PR Stats X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://prstats.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for PR Stats REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251209 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251211 DTSTAMP:20260416T030641 CREATED:20251107T070633Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T105831Z UID:10000550-1765238400-1765411199@prstats.org SUMMARY:Model Selection and Model Simplification (MSMS06) DESCRIPTION:Model Selection and Model Simplification (MSMS06)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Event Date \nMonday\, December 1st\, 2025\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Course Format\nThis is a ‘LIVE COURSE’ – the instructor will be delivering lectures and coaching attendees through the accompanying computer practical’s via video link\, a good internet connection is essential. \nTime Zone\nTIME ZONE – Portugal (GMT+1) local time – however all sessions will be recorded and made available allowing attendees from different time zones to follow. \nPlease email oliverhooker@prstatistics.com for full details or to discuss how we can accommodate you). \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About This Course\n 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 validate models performance and accuracy; to perform MESS analysis\, null models\, and mechanistic models\, as well as to build your “virtual species”. \nEcological niche\, species distribution\, habitat distribution\, or climatic envelope models are different names for mechanistic and correlative models\, which are empirical or mathematical approaches to the ecological niche of a species. These methods relate different types of ecogeographical variables (environmental\, topographical\, human) to species physiological data or geographical locations\, in order to identify the factors limiting and defining the species' niche. ENMs have become popular because of their efficiency in the design and implementation of conservation management. \nBy the end of 5-day practical course should be able to: \n\nfilter records and select your variables with variance inflation factor;\ntest the effect of Maxent regularization parameter in models performance;\nvalidate models performance and accuracy;\nperform MESS analysis\, null models\, and mechanistic models\, as well as to build your “virtual species”.\n\nStudents will learn to use functions implemented in the packages “usdm”; “dismo”; “ENMEval”; “SDMvspecies”; “spThin”; and “NicheMapper” among others. \n \n \n \n \n \n Intended Audiences\n 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. \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n Delivered remotely\n \n \n \n \n \n Course Details\n Time Zone – Portugal (GMT+!) local time \nAvailability – 24 places \nDuration – 5 days\, 7 hours a day \nContact hours – Approx. 35 hours \nECT’s – Equal to 3ECT’s \nLanguage – English \n \n \n \n \n \n Teaching Format\n 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”; “spThin”; and “NicheMapper” among others. \n \n \n \n \n \n Assumed quantitative knowledge\n A basic understanding of ecological niche models and biogeography in general is required\, thus we will assume the attendees know how to run an ecological niche model. \n \n \n \n \n \n Assumed computer background\n Solid knowledge in Geographical Information Systems and R statistical package is necessary. It is also essential to have experience in ecological niche models. We will focus exclusively on advanced methods. If you need an introductory course on ecological niche models\, please consider attending our basic course on PRStatistics (www.prstats.org). \n \n \n \n \n \n Equipment and software requirements\n \nA laptop computer with a working version of R or RStudio is required. R and RStudio are both available as free and open source software for PCs\, Macs\, and Linux computers. R may be downloaded by following the links here https://www.r-project.org/. RStudio may be downloaded by following the links here: https://www.rstudio.com/. \n\n\nAll the R packages that we will use in this course will be possible to download and install during the workshop itself as and when they are needed\, and a full list of required packages will be made available to all attendees prior to the course. \n\n\nA working webcam is desirable for enhanced interactivity during the live sessions\, we encourage attendees to keep their cameras on during live zoom sessions. \n\n\nAlthough not strictly required\, using a large monitor or preferably even a second monitor will improve he learning experience \n\n\nDownload R \n\n\nDownload RStudio \n\n\nDownload Zoom \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PLEASE READ – CANCELLATION POLICY \nCancellations are accepted up to 28 days before the course start date subject to a 25% cancellation fee. Cancellations later than this may be considered\, contact oliverhooker@prstatistics.com. Failure to attend will result in the full cost of the course being charged. In the unfortunate event that a course is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances a full refund of the course fees will be credited.\n \n \n \n \n \n \nIf you are unsure about course suitability\, please get in touch by email to find out more oliverhooker@prstatistics.com \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n COURSE PROGRAMME\n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Monday 1st\n Day 1 – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 \n\nENM guide: how to model\nENM R packages.\nSources of environmental variables using geodata package.\nGetting species records with geodata package.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Tuesday 2nd\n Day 2 – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 \n\nVariable selection with variance inflation factor (VIF) and usdm packages.\nChoosing the correct study area.\nFiltering records using usdm/spThin packages.\nChoosing pseudo-absences with Biomod2 package.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday 3rd\n Day 3 – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 \n\nSplit records in training and test with ENMeval package.\nTest effect of Maxent regularization parameter.<.li>\nComparing correlative models with AIC\, with ENMeval package.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday 4th\n Day 4 – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 \n\nMESS practice with Biomod2 package.\nValidate models null models.\nVirtualSpecies virtualspecies packages.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Friday 5th\n Day 5 – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 \n\nMechanistic model NicheMapper packages.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Neftali Sillero\n \n Neftalí Sillero works in the analysis and identification of biodiversity spatial patterns\, from species to populations and individuals. For this\, he uses four powerful tools to better understand how space influence biodiversity: Geographical Information Systems\, Remote Sensing\, Ecological Niche Modelling\, and Spatial Statistics. His main areas of research are: application of new technologies on species’ distributions atlases\, ecological modelling of species’ ranges\, identification of biogeographical regions and species’ chorotypes\, mapping and modelling road-kill hotspots\, and spatial analyses of home ranges. \nHe has more than 10 years’ experience working in ecological niche models. He has authored >70 peer reviewed publications and he is since 2007 Chairman of the Mapping Committee of the Societas Herpetologica Europaea\, where he is the PI of the NA2RE project (www.na2re.ismai.pt)\, the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe \nPersonal website \nWork Webpage \nResearchGate \nGoogleScholar \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Teaches\n \nEcological Niche Modelling Using R (ENMR)\nAdvanced Ecological Niche Modelling Using R (ANMR)\nGIS And Remote Sensing Analyses With R (GARM)\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Teaches\n \nEcological Niche Modelling Using R (ENMR)\nAdvanced Ecological Niche Modelling Using R (ANMR)\nGIS And Remote Sensing Analyses With R (GARM)\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Salvador Arenas-Castro\n \n Dr. Salvador Arenas-Castro is a broad-spectrum ecologist with interesting in differentintegrative perspective of the fundamental ecology\, macroecology and biogeographywith their both application and relationship to climate and land management. He is alsoexploring other research sources in agroecology\, forestry\, spatial ecology\, andecoinformatics\, all addressed by explicitly considering the spatial component ofecological processes\, mainly applying spatially explicit modelling approaches\, GIS andremote sensing techniques. Please check his webpage for further information:https://salvadorarenascastro.wordpress.com \nGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UAYiB5UAAAAJ&hl=es&oi=aoResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Salvador-Arenas-Castro URL:https://prstats.org/course/model-selection-and-model-simplification-msms06/ LOCATION:Delivered remotely (United Kingdom)\, Western European Time Zone\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:All Live Courses,Home Seminars,Live Online Courses ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://prstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MSMS05.jpg GEO:53.1423672;-7.6920536 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR