Professor University of Washington, Department of Biology, Washington, United States
Session Description: Mechanistic niche modelling is a growing area of ecology that applies physical principles of energy and mass balance to organisms and their microclimates to understand where they can persist. Mechanistic niche models can be used to understand environmental constraints on microhabitat use and behaviour, on life histories and life cycles, and ultimately on distribution and abundance. They are particularly important for predicting responses of species to novel environmental changes, including climate change. This is because, unlike correlative alternatives, mechanistic niche models are explicit about processes and do not require extrapolation. This session will provide an overview of the core concepts of mechanistic niche modelling and then introduce the participants to R packages and resources we have developed called 'NicheMapR' and 'TrenchR' which include tools for modelling microclimates, solving heat and water budgets of ectotherms and endotherms, and linking to energy budgets via metabolic theory. The session will use a combination of explanations, demonstrations and hands on use of the package via R Shiny apps and direct coding to teach participants the basic ideas and how to get started with the approach. Basic familiarity with the R language will be useful but not absolutely necessary.
