Roundtables discussion, open to all, will be held at lunchtime. You are welcome to join in the discussion! A range of topics will be covered, with details below:
1. Developing pipelines for integrated distribution models
Lead: Bob O’Hara (Department of Mathematics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
The roundtable will discuss developing a common set of tools for pipelines for integrated distribution models. This will cover issues such as data types, obtaining covariate data, formatting to a common spatial resolution, and how far we can go in automating the whole process.
2. What are the key statistical methods and concepts that all [undergraduate] ecologists should learn?
Lead: Will Kay (School of Biosciences, Cardiff University)
This question is essential to address to standardise the teaching of statistics to ecologists to promote reproducibility in science conducted. We intend for this discussion to focus on what statistics should be taught to undergraduate ecologists studying a “typical” degree in ecology or a very closely related discipline (i.e. zoology, biological sciences with zoology specialism, marine biology).
Which general (i.e., non-discipline-specific) statistical methods are essential to teach undergraduate ecologists? Which ecology-specific statistical methods are essential to teach undergraduate ecologists? At what stages of a typical 3-year undergraduate degree should these be taught? Which methods/concepts could or should be reserved for postgraduate study?