This website introduces the new R-package of the eco-evolutionary modelling platform ‘RangeShifter’ Greta Bocedi et al. (2021). RangeShifter is an individual-based model that integrates complex population dynamics and dispersal behavior, includes plastic and evolutionary processes and simulates scenarios on spatially explicit landscapes. The software provides functionality for a wide variety of modelling applications ranging from applied questions, where it can be parameterized for real landscapes and species to compare alternative potential management interventions, to purely theoretical studies of species’ eco-evolutionary dynamics and responses to different environmental pressures.

Originally, RangeShifter was made available as Windows-GUI and also offered a batch mode. We here introduce the new RangeShiftR package, which makes RangeShifter 2.0 (Greta Bocedi et al. 2021) available from R (Malchow et al. 2021). This website provides tutorials to learn the different features of RangeShiftR. Three tutorials (1-2, and 4) are based on the examples presented in the companion paper (G. Bocedi et al. 2014). One tutorial (3) provides additional examples on how to simulate dynamic landscapes, a new feature of RangeShifter 2.0 Greta Bocedi et al. (2021). The tutorials will cover some of the main features of RangeShifter as well as useful functionalities of the R package for inspecting parameters and results, and will help becoming familiar with the software. Nevertheless, we encourage you to do more experimenting and to try different parameters and combinations of options to become familiar with the platform. More information on the tutorials and on RangeShifter basics are available in the user manual.

Should you experience any problems with the package, please browse the topics or add a topic to our Forum pages or contact us under RangeShiftR@uni-potsdam.de.

References

Bocedi, G., S. C. F. Palmer, G. Pe’er, R. K. Heikkinen, Y. G. Matsinos, K. Watts, and J. M. J. Travis. 2014. “RangeShifter: A Platform for Modelling Spatial Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics and Species’ Responses to Environmental Changes.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution 5 (4): 388–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12162.
Bocedi, Greta, Stephen C. F. Palmer, Anne-Kathleen Malchow, Damaris Zurell, Kevin Watts, and Justin M. J. Travis. 2021. “RangeShifter 2.0: An Extended and Enhanced Platform for Modelling Spatial Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics and Species’ Responses to Environmental Changes.” Ecography 44 (10): 1453–62. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05687.
Malchow, Anne-Kathleen, Greta Bocedi, Stephen C. F. Palmer, Justin M. J. Travis, and Damaris Zurell. 2021. “RangeShiftR: An r Package for Individual-Based Simulation of Spatial Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics and Species’ Responses to Environmental Changes.” Ecography 44 (10): 1443–52. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05689.