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Elsevier
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Submit abstract

The deadline for submission of abstracts has now passed.

For revisions or queries regarding papers already submitted:

If you do not receive acknowledgement for your abstract submission or you wish to make any essential revisions to an abstract already submitted, please DO NOT RESUBMIT your abstract, as this may lead to duplication. Please contact us(opens in new tab/window) (Please do not email credit card information under any circumstances) with details of any revisions or queries. Please quote your reference number if you have one.

Conference topics

  • Dynamic ecosystem models

  • Uncertainty analysis

  • Ensemble modelling

  • Data assimilation and optimization techniques

  • Machine learning and (big) data

  • Model integration, metamodels

  • Individual-based modelling

  • Software and tools

  • Bioenergetics: Dynamic energy budget models

  • Network modelling

  • Models of socio-ecological systems

  • Models of global, climate and land-use change

  • Sustainability and resilience

  • Ecosystem services

  • Biodiversity and conservation

  • Community models

  • Marine ecology and fisheries

  • Forests

  • Freshwaters (lakes and rivers)

  • Models of epidemics

Symposiums

1. Applications of a SWAT model to evaluate the contribution of the Tafna catchment (north-west Africa) to the nitrate load entering the Mediterranean Sea

2. Prototype of a predictive Pyrodinium bahamense monitoring system for Eastern Visayas Philippines

3. Zoning criteria of Samar Island Natural Park (SINP): a GIS-aided protected area zoning

4. Assessment of the factors affecting the existence of wetlands: The case of Cheleleka wetlands, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

5. Modelling approaches for the biomonitoring and assessment of environmental stress

6. Review of prediction models application in surface water quality

7. Measuring the resilience of exploitation systems from agricultural water based on good governance principles

8. Investigating the effects of urban expansion on the conservation of coastal vegetation environments: Case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

9. Novelty predictors for shrub (and climbers) ecological niche modelling, based on their succession stage

10. Future of process-based ecological models for lakes

11. Ecological and environmental impacts modeling in renewable energy utilization

12. Networks: A symposium on (socio-)ecological connectivity

14. Model of socio-ecological system including questions of poverty, inequality, ethics and justice in the societies of low income countries

15. Climate change effects on shrimp’s distribution of commercial importance in the Gulf of California

16. Population invasion, dispersal and assessment under stressful environmental conditions

17. Emergence and stability of mutualistic interactions

18. Machine learning for wildlife ecological conservation

19. Dynamic biogeographic models– forecasting the effects of global changes for biodiversity conservation and environmental management

20. Watershed ecosystems services modeling for assessment, management, and economic valuation

21. Formalize description of regional sustainable development – theoretical basis

22. Multispecies models informing management of aquatic systems

23. Modelling and forecasting the impacts of climate change on host-parasite dynamics and disease

24. Determination and comparison of urban heat islands with landsat data analysis and urban cooling model, case study of Edirne District

26. Modelling approaches to support social-ecological system interactions in a changing environment

28. Model of coastal social-ecological system governance

29. Bayesian modelling and uncertainty analysis in ecology

30. Environmental modelling and adaptive management implementation in the Great Lakes and elsewhere

31. Strengthening the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystem through land use planning

32. Future perspectives of ecological modelling in the Great Lakes

33. Systems biological modeling of ecological interactions

35. Integrated coastal wetland models: Scientific tools for restoration and management

37. Reclaimed water for landscape water replenishment: Thresholds of nitrogen and phosphorus

38. Modeling wildlife under climate change and human disturbance

39. Modelling coastal ecosystems – environmental change and resource use

40. Old-growth forests through the lenses of the complex system theory

41. Advances in water quality modeling & their management implications

43.  Using Machine Learning Models (MLM) in freshwater snail biomonitoring: An application to a polluted urban streams-system in Douala-Cameroon

44.  Application of Hydraulic and Water Quality Models in Support for Ecosystem Management and Restoration

45.  Bird-habitat relationships in riparian forests of Medjerda River, North-eastern Algeria: a synecological model for conservation management

46. Integrated Large Lake/Coastal Ocean-Watershed Water Quality Modelling:  Present State, Emerging Trends and Future Directions

48.  Predictive Models of Invasive plant species Population Growth in Natural and Established Forest Ecosystem

49.  Hybrid SWMM and particle swarm optimization model for urban runoff water quality control by using green infrastructures (LID-BMPs)

50.  Individual Bioenergetics in Ecological Modelling

51.  A sufficiency approach between producers and consumers: A configurational analysis

52.  Positive tipping points in socio-ecological modelling for reduced conflict, environmental and migration fragility

53.  Advances in forest modeling utilizing new frontiers in data technology

54.  Making lemonade out of lemons: Overcoming ecological data limitations through predictive modelling

You can submit as many abstracts to the conference for review as you would like. If, after the review by the committee, you have more than one paper accepted for the conference, you will need to register to attend, and pay an additional paper fee for each additional paper (i.e., for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th papers – not the 1st). Please note this is for papers that you are the presenting author of, not papers that you are co-author of.

Field trips

Two exciting field trips have been organized for Saturday 6 May, 2023.

Niagara Falls day tour – Saturday 6 May, 08:00-18:00

Niagara Falls is home to one of the most stunning Natural wonders, however, there is so much more to see and experience in Niagara. This Toronto to Niagara Falls Day Tour will take you from the Falls to the stunning views of the Falls. You will then travel back in time to the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This quaint town still retains its 19th century charm from the Victorian era as well as its stunning architecture.

Price: US$159 per person

The price includes: return bus transportation from the official conference hotels, Voyage to the Falls boat tour, free time for self-exploration, unlimited free bottled water, Niagara-on-the Lake tour.

Lunch is NOT included.

Brunch Cruise in Toronto Harbour – Saturday 6 May, 11:00-16:00

The Signature Brunch Cruise in Toronto Harbour aboard the Northern Spirit is an unforgettable way to experience the city from the water. Spend your afternoon on Toronto Harbour with a market fresh buffet, picturesque views and the sights and sounds of the city's waterfront. While onboard, you’ll enjoy our chef-prepared brunch buffet, a fully stocked bar, and incredible views of Toronto’s iconic skyline, famous landmarks, and historic waterways from our interior and open-air rooftop/outdoor decks.

Price: US$75 per person

The price includes: return bus transportation from the official conference hotels; 2-hour cruise aboard the Northern Spirit sailing along Toronto’s harbour, islands, and waterfront; Delicious sweet and savory brunch with freshly prepared breakfast and lunch selections plus desserts; Coffee and hot tea; The best views of Toronto’s iconic skyline and attractions, including the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Queen’s Quay Terminal, Harbourfront Centre, and HTO Park.

Tickets can be purchased via the online registration system(opens in new tab/window)

Pre-conference workshops

General information

Workshops will run on Tuesday 2nd May 2023.

The maximum capacity per workshop is 40 delegates. Places will be assigned on a first come-first served basis.

Registration for workshops running for a full day (workshops 1&2) costs US$65, including morning and afternoon refreshments, and lunch.

Registration for workshops running for a half-day (workshop 3) costs US$35, including mid-morning refreshments.

Places are limited so please book early via the online registration system(opens in new tab/window).

Workshop 1: Network Analysis Workshop, 09:00-17:00

Led and facilitated by: Brian Fath, Towson University, USA Stuart Borrett, University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA

Network analysis as a tool in systems research is an immensely growing field. Many of the analyses types are based on foundations accumulated over the past decades, and new approaches are continuously emerging in the different fields. We aim to provide course participants with several aspects and hands-on experience of network analyses as applied to ecosystems and socio-economic systems.

Layout of course:

  1. Broad introduction to networks:

    1. Structural and functional aspects of systems

    2. Ecological network analysis (ENA) indicators of system structure and function

  2. Network construction  (Hands-on)

    1. Data requirements for networks

    2. Network construction methods

    3. Constructing plausible networks using Linear Inverse Modelling and R

  3. Network analyses in R (R package enaR) (Hands-on)

    1. Data formats of networks for enaR

    2. How to work enaR

    3. EcoNet (web application)

  4. Networks applied to socio-ecological systems.

    1. Invasive species

    2. Urban Metabolism

    3. Food energy water nexus

    4. Regenerative economics

Course participants are required to have some working knowledge of R. There will be hands-on assistance during the practical parts of the course.

Reading material providing a basic introduction to networks, and literature referred to during the course is provided here(opens in new tab/window).

Workshop 2: Getting started with Python and scikit-learn for data analysis and visualization of observational data from the TRY plant trait database, 09-00:17:00

Led and facilitated by: Gustavo Giudici & Felipe Cabrera, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

This workshop presents an overview of the Python programming language and the scikit-learn library for data analysis and visualization. Participants will be reminded on the basics of Python, including variables, data types, and control flow. They will also learn how to use scikit-learn for data modeling and creating visualizations of the models. The workshop also covers best practices for data preprocessing and model selection. Participants will gain hands-on experience by working through several examples using data from the "TRY plant trait database".

We will show how to do the following steps:

  1. Data Collection: Extract data from the TRY plant trait database.

  2. Data Cleaning: Clean the data by checking for errors and removing or replacing missing values or outliers.

  3. Exploratory Data Analysis: Use visualizations to explore the data and gain insights about the relationships between different variables.

  4. Model Building: Build a model to describe the relationship between the different variables and the target variable, such as a linear regression, lasso and ridge regression, random forests and others.

  5. Model Evaluation: Evaluate the models by testing them using cross validation methods.

  6. Model Refinement: Refine the models by adjusting their hyper parameters.

  7. Insights: Analyze the results to gain insights about the data and draw conclusions.

Workshop 3: Promoting Ecological Sustainability in Developing Cities: Strategies for Managing Urban Green Spaces, 09-00:13:00

Led and facilitated by: Arlinda Hajzeri, Polytechnic of Milan Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Italy

Urban green spaces, such as parks and gardens, play an important role in promoting the ecological and social well-being of cities. In developing countries, however, these spaces are often limited, and their ecological value is often undervalued. Urbanization and land-use change, combined with limited resources for conservation and management, have resulted in the loss of important green spaces in many developing cities. Despite these challenges, there is growing recognition of the importance of urban green spaces in developing countries, and efforts are being made to conserve and manage these spaces more effectively. Some of the strategies being used include the creation of green corridors, the restoration of degraded urban landscapes, and the promotion of community-based management of green spaces. These efforts are helping to increase the ecological and social benefits of urban green spaces in developing countries, and are also helping to improve the overall sustainability of urban areas.

Layout of course:

  1. Introduction

  2. Ecological Benefits of Urban Green Spaces:

    • Importance of urban green spaces in biodiversity conservation

    • Role of green spaces in mitigating climate change

    • Ecosystem services provided by green spaces

    • Social Benefits of Urban Green Space

  3. Role of green spaces in improving public health and well-being

    1. Contribution of green spaces to cultural and recreational activities

    2. Green spaces as a means of enhancing social cohesion and community development

    3. Challenges in Creating and Managing Urban Green Spaces in Developing Countries

  4. Urbanization and land-use change

    1. Limited resources for conservation and management

    2. Undervaluation of ecological value of green spaces

    3. Strategies for Overcoming Challenges

    4. Policy and Planning for Sustainable Urban Green Spaces

  5. Importance of incorporating green spaces into urban planning

    1. Policy measures to promote the creation and conservation of urban green spaces

    2. Best practices for sustainable management of green spaces