Biogeography workshops

Use existing evolutionary trees to investigate ancestral traits, geographic histories and diversification. Participants edit, plot and time-scale phylogenies, reconstruct discrete and continuous characters, assess phylogenetic signal and compare models of trait evolution. Practical work introduces comparative methods, lineage-through-time plots and variation in diversification rates through Mesquite, FigTree and R packages. The course addresses dependence among species and evolutionary processes over deep time; reconstructing trees is outside its scope. Live sessions: 11, 13, 14, 18 and 20 January, 10:00–14:00, Europe/Madrid (CET, UTC+01:00). Total 40 hours: 20 live plus 20 recorded lessons and assignments. English-language live online course; Fee €470 until 31 October, then €584; Ambassador rates €376/€467.20. VAT included. Capacity: 16. For Biology graduates and palaeontologists; preparatory recorded R lessons are provided. Registration requires acceptance; payment follows confirmation. Recordings are provided, but live attendance is required for a certificate.

Build and evaluate correlative species-distribution and ecological-niche models with R. The course connects niche theory with occurrence-data quality, environmental predictors, model fitting and validation, then examines spatial and temporal projections and their limitations. Participants learn to recognize common modelling pitfalls, automate reproducible analyses and apply workflows to example or personal species datasets. 2027-02-01–2027-02-05, 15:00–18:00 daily, Europe/Berlin (CET, UTC+01:00). Online course; fee €480. Basic R knowledge is strongly recommended. Live classes are complemented by about four hours of independent work daily and annotated scripts, with remote support available between 09:00 and 23:00 Berlin time.

This course develops a species-distribution modelling workflow using Bayesian additive regression trees. Participants compare BART with other modelling approaches and use the R packages embarcadero and dbarts to choose environmental predictors, train and evaluate occurrence models, and predict presence or absence in new places or periods. The programme introduces Bayesian regression and boosted trees, then examines predictor effects, interactions, spatial effects and random-intercept BART models, with practical troubleshooting and interpretation. Live online teaching takes place from 15:00 to 18:00 Berlin time (CET, UTC+1) on 9–11 February 2027. The programme also specifies four additional hours of independent practical work using annotated R scripts and online support. Advanced students, researchers and practitioners should already know the basics of species-distribution modelling and be comfortable using RStudio, installing packages and editing simple scripts. A laptop, webcam and reliable internet connection are required. The standalone course fee is EUR 390.

Develop phylogenetic comparative methods from their probabilistic foundations using Julia. Participants implement likelihood and Bayesian inference, including Markov chain Monte Carlo, and study Brownian motion, continuous-time Markov chains and birth–death processes. These tools are applied to trait evolution, biogeography and diversification, including the effects of environmental and biotic interactions. The practical course is intended for researchers familiar with programming, probability and phylogenetics; prior Julia experience is not required. Sessions on 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 March 2027, 14:00–18:00 Madrid time (CET). Fee including VAT: EUR 492 through 31 December 2026, then EUR 576; Ambassador Institution rates EUR 393.60 and EUR 460.80. Limited to 18 participants. Acceptance is confirmed before payment. Delivered live online in English with practical exercises. Live attendance is required for a certificate.