iDiv Summer School 2018 – Ecological Theory and Modelling for the Biodiversity Crisis

The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) will conduct its fourth summer school “Ecological Theory and Modelling for the Biodiversity Crisis” from 20 to 31 August 2018 in Leipzig, Germany. The lead teacher is Henrique Pereira, iDiv Professor and head of the research group Biodiversity Conservation. Please find more information about the theme, contents and further teachers below.

Over a period of two weeks, students will be immersed in a “hands-on” course addressing different topics on biodiversity conservation through modelling and informed by ecological theory.

The course will address different levels of biological organization, from individuals to ecosystems, in a social-ecological perspective. We will consider both how biodiversity change is driven by society (with an emphasis on land-use change) and how society benefits from ecosystem services.

The summer school is aimed mainly at PhD students working on biodiversity topics, but applications from advanced master’s level students and postdocs will also be considered. Please note that basic knowledge of R and GIS is required, as the course emphasizes the development of R programming skills and spatial analysis.

Topics to be covered include:

  • Game theory and optimal foraging for habitat selection
  • The dynamics of dispersal in countryside landscapes
  • Monitoring of biological populations and communities
  • Economics of harvesting populations and food webs
  • Land-use scenarios for biodiversity
  • Modelling ecosystem services, designing protected areas for biodiversity and rewilding
  • The biodiversity footprint of nations and tipping points in social-ecological systems.

Programme

The programme of the summer school will consist of:

  • Keynote lectures
  • Methodological lectures and exercises
  • Hands-on sessions
  • Working in small groups lead by an experienced researcher
  • Presentation of the results by participants
  • Exchange with iDiv researchers
  • Field excursion

Teachers

The lecturers and project leaders of this summer school will include the scientific staff of the Biodiversity Conservation group:

Date and venue

The summer school will take place from 20 to 31 August 2018 at iDiv, which is located at theBiocity Leipzig. The site has good transport connections in the immediate vicinity of the university’s natural science campus and the German National Library. It is surrounded by other cutting-edge research centres in the field of biosciences, including the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI). The Leipzig Botanical Garden is also located at a walking distance from iDiv.

Costs

As course fee, all participants are expected to pay EUR 150.00. This covers the costs of teaching and materials, coffee breaks, lunch, the excursion, and the cultural programme.

Participants are generally asked to cover the costs of their travel, accommodation and evening meals (except when included as part of the summer school programme).

iDiv is able to offer a limited number of travel grants to cover the full costs of travel and accommodation.Funded positions are primarily aimed at applicants who have limited opportunities to fund their participation via other means.

Excursions

An excursion will be organised in the course of the summer school. More information will follow soon.

In addition, several joint side events will be offered in the evenings, including a guided city tour and visits to local beer gardens. Leipzig is a vibrant city offering a variety of cultural attractions for those participants who would also like to explore the city on their own.

In general we recommend all participants to prepare with all-weather clothing: sunglasses, hats, and sun cream will be needed, but you should also pack raincoats and a good backpack.

Date
20–31 August 2018

Location
iDiv at BioCity Campus Leipzig
Deutscher Platz 5e
04103 Leipzig, Germany

Contact

Dr. Nicole Sachmerda-Schulz
yDiv Coordinator

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