Species Distribution Modelling with Bayesian Statistics (SDMB08) – Applications for Evolutionary Biology
https://prstats.org/course/species-distribution-modelling-with-bayesian-statistics-sdmb08/
Delivered by Dr. Márcia Barbosa, a biogeographer and macroecologist with extensive expertise in species distribution modelling, ecological niche modelling, GIS, and biodiversity forecasting.
Learn how to build Bayesian Species Distribution Models (SDMs) using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART), with methods that are highly applicable to evolutionary biology, biogeography, and macroevolutionary research.
Species distributions reflect both contemporary environmental conditions and evolutionary history. Bayesian species distribution modelling is increasingly used to investigate historical range dynamics, ecological niches, adaptation, diversification, and the processes shaping biodiversity across space and time. This hands-on course introduces Bayesian SDMs using BART, providing a practical workflow for building, validating, and interpreting predictive distribution models while explicitly accounting for uncertainty.
What you'll gain
- A strong understanding of Bayesian species distribution modelling
- Practical experience building SDMs using BART in R
- Skills in model validation, cross-validation, and performance assessment
- Understanding of prediction uncertainty and credible intervals
- Confidence in interpreting variable importance, partial dependence plots, and habitat suitability maps
Course format
- Live, instructor-led online training
- Hands-on coding with real-world ecological datasets
- Interactive practical exercises throughout
- Strong focus on applied, research-ready workflows
Who is this course for?
- Evolutionary biologists and evolutionary ecologists
- Biogeographers and macroecologists
- Researchers investigating adaptation, speciation, and historical biogeography
- PhD students and quantitative life scientists
- Anyone interested in combining Bayesian modelling with evolutionary research
Why take this course?
Species distribution models have become an important component of modern evolutionary biology, allowing researchers to investigate how environmental factors influence species ranges, ecological niches, and diversification. Bayesian approaches provide an important advantage by quantifying uncertainty while producing robust predictions, making them particularly valuable for studying historical distributions, niche evolution, climate change, adaptive divergence, and the ecological processes that drive evolutionary change.
This course equips you with the practical skills needed to develop, evaluate, and interpret Bayesian species distribution models using BART. Whether you're studying niche evolution, phylogeography, adaptive radiation, historical range shifts, or the impacts of past and future climate change on biodiversity, you'll gain the knowledge and confidence to apply modern Bayesian SDM methods to your own evolutionary research.
Learn more & enrol
PR Stats course page for Species Distribution Modelling with Bayesian Statistics (SDMB08)
https://prstats.org/course/species-distribution-modelling-with-bayesian-statistics-sdmb08/
Questions?
Email: oliver@prstats.org

Oliver Hooker
Managing Partner
Advanced Training for Researchers in the Life Sciences
coursesinfo@prstats.org | www.prstats.org

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