Ecological niche modelling (ENM) is proving to be a very valuable tool for decision-making in many fields: from predicting impacts of global climate change on biodiversity, assessing the geographic potential of alien invasive species, tracking the spread of diseases and risk of disease transmission, identifying suitable places for protected areas, and assessing the likelihood of finding rare/endemic species, etc.

ENM uses primary species occurrence data, such as that served by the GBIF Data Portal, and relates it to ecological and environmental data.

This Fourth GBIF workshop on ENM is jointly organized by GBIF together with Kansas University (Biodiversity Research Center), UNAM University (Mexico) and the University of Warsaw.

This training workshop is available to individuals (but limited to 20 persons) who have academic degrees in a biodiversity-relevant subject, are familiar with GIS tools, and are nominated by the Head of Delegation of a GBIF Participant.

The syllabus for the 3-day workshop, as well as requirements for nominees and other details, are included in the Call for Nominations.

Interested persons should fill out the appropriate portions of pages 5 - 6 of the Call for Nominations, and forward these pages to the Head the of GBIF Delegation of the appropriate country or organisation (find contact information as directed in the Call for Nominations document).

This should be done in plenty of time for the Head of Delegation to forward the nomination (if endorsed) to the GBIF Secretariat by the firm deadline of 14 September 2007, 18:00 GMT+2.