Identifying the properties that underpin ecosystem resilience in response to climate change and other disturbances is a global research priority. The biological and geochemical information preserved in sediments from lakes and bogs provides a unique opportunity to investigate the long-term dynamics related to resilience in ecological systems, since they can provide time series of past ecosystem dynamics and associated disturbances on timescales of decades to millennia. However, a current knowledge gap exists in how to move from qualitative descriptions to quantitative analyses for objective comparisons when using these data. EcoRe3 is a network of palaeoecologists, ecologists and ecological statisticians working to bridge this knowledge gap. We are developing a set of standardised, quantitative approaches, focusing on measuring resistance (the amount of change following a disturbance), recovery (the speed to return to equilibrium following a disturbance) and how these components contribute to the resilience (the ability to tolerate disturbance and remain in the same state) in ecological systems using sediment data. Our goal is to develop methods which will enable comparison within and between different biomes.
http://www.pages-igbp.org/calendar/upcoming/127-pages/1998-ecore3-2020
This workshop will cover basic tools for analysis of resilience in palaeoecological (mainly Holocene) data, with an emphasis on datasets from Southern Africa. The workshop will be based in R. It is hosted by A/Professor Lindsey Gillson of University of Cape Town and will be taught by A/Professor Alistair Seddon of the University of Bergen, Norway.
Requirements:
1) Basic competencies in R
2) Own laptop with up to date versions of R and R studio.
Topics covered over the workshop include an introduction to:
1. Analysis of theoretical models of regime shifts and alternative states
2. Abrupt change detection and characterisation using, e.g. generalised-additive modelling, non-linear regression
3. Early-warning indicator analysis.
We encourage participants to bring their own data to analysis. We anticipate that one day will be spent discussing a potential synthesis paper to assess components of vegetation resilience from datasets in southern Africa.
This workshop is supported by SANORD and is part of a PAGES-funded EcoRe3 working group activity.
There are maximum of 12 spaces on the workshop, with 3 PAGES-funded spaces for participants from southern Africa outside of South Africa.
The course is free but all travel (including ground travel in Cape Town) and accomodation are at own expense.
Accommodation is available at All Africa House and can be booked via http://www.dsa.uct.ac.za/staff-visiting-academic-housing/visiting-academics/bookings
Applicants from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe may apply for PAGES funding that covers their transport and accommodation. Please supply a letter of motivation if you are applying for this funding. South African applicants are not eligible to apply for PAGES funding.
Participants should arrive in time for a 9am start on the 16th, so arriving on the 15th is advisable.
