Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data
From 23 Nov 2026 until 27 Nov 2026
Biological communities are inherently multivariate, with patterns of species occurrence and abundance reflecting multiple and interacting environmental gradients. Multivariate analysis provides a powerful set of tools to explore these patterns, investigate species–environment relationships and address ecological questions at the community level.
This advanced course combines an introduction to the conceptual foundations of multivariate analysis with real-life ecological case studies and hands-on analyses in R. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how ecological questions, data structure and study design guide the choice of analytical approach, and on the interpretation and communication of multivariate results.
Following an introductory day, participants will be presented case studies illustrating the application of multivariate methods to real ecological questions. During the final two mornings, participants will apply these approaches to their own ecological datasets. Participants without suitable datasets will be provided with datasets and research questions to work on.
Examples will draw primarily on vegetation and community ecology, although the approaches presented are broadly applicable across disciplines.
PROGRAM
DAY 1: Monday
Introduction to multivariate analysis in ecology
09:30–11:00 | From ecological questions to multivariate analyses
Why multivariate analysis?
Community data and ecological gradients
Species responses along environmental gradients
Unconstrained versus constrained ordination
Choosing an appropriate analytical approach
11:30–13:00 | Ordination methods and interpretation
Principal Components Analysis (PCA)
Correspondence Analysis (CA)
Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA)
Redundancy Analysis (RDA)
Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)
Partial ordination and variation partitioning
Reading and interpreting ordination diagrams
DAY 2: Tuesday
Multivariate analysis in practice – Case studies I
09:30–11:00 | Case study 1 – Exploring ecological gradients in community data
From the ecological question and sampling design to unconstrained ordination and interpretation of community patterns.
11:30–13:00 | Case study 2 – Linking community composition to environmental drivers
Using constrained ordination to investigate species-environment relationships and disentangle the effects of multiple environmental factors.
DAY 3: Wednesday
Multivariate analysis in practice – Case studies II
09:30–11:00 | Case study 3 – Partitioning ecological variation
Using partial ordination and variation partitioning to distinguish the contributions of different environmental and spatial drivers.
11:30–13:00 | Case study 4 – From multivariate analysis to ecological interpretation
Integrating multivariate analyses within a real research workflow: analytical choices, graphical representation, interpretation and reporting of results.
DAY 4: Thursday
Hands-on workshop – Participants' datasets I
09:30–13:00 | Guided analysis of ecological datasets
Participants will work individually or in small groups using their own datasets or datasets provided by the instructors. The session will focus on defining the ecological question, selecting an appropriate multivariate approach, implementing the analysis in R and interpreting the results.
DAY 5: Friday
Hands-on workshop – Participants' datasets II
09:30–13:00 | Analysis, interpretation and presentation
Continuation of the analyses initiated on Thursday, including refinement of analytical approaches, graphical representation of results and discussion of ecological interpretation. The session will conclude with short presentations and joint discussion of participants' analyses.
Afternoon | Research Seminar
Invited seminar by an international researcher working in community ecology and multivariate analysis, followed by discussion.
PREREQUISITES
Participants should have basic experience with R. Completion of the BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO Introduction to R course, or equivalent experience, is required.
CALENDAR
5 days - 30 hours
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Coordination
Coordination
Joana Marques | BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO
SELECTION CRITERIA
The course will be open to a maximum number of 25 participants.
75% of available student slots are reserved for BIODIV students.
Priority will be given to:
• 1st year and other PhD students attending the BIODIV Doctoral Program;
• PhD students attending other courses;
• Other post-graduate students and researchers.
(A minimum number of participants is required for the course to take place)
APPLICATION
Deadline: 20 October, 2026
To apply fill the FORM
A copy of your submitted form will be sent to the email address you provided. This email is your confirmation that the application was successfully submitted.
If you don't receive this email, your application was not successfully submitted.
We will email you the results within 10 working days after the application deadline.
REGISTRATION
95€ (students) | 200€ (other participants).
BIOPOLIS/ CIBIO members will have an additional discount of 20%.
Participation is free of charge for BIODIV Students (M BGE & PhD) & CIBIO's TwinLabs members.
(If applicable, payment will be made to Associação BIOPOLIS - VAT No. 516033727. Information on the payment amount and the payment deadline will be sent together with the results notification, and a proforma invoice may be issued in due time).
MORE INFORMATION
Registration fees do not include accommodation or meals.
No ECTS credits are awarded for attending the course. Participants receive a certificate of attendance without quantitative evaluation.
CONTACT
Education & Training Unit (Post graduation office)
+351 252 660 425