One goal of this workshop is to facilitate the exchange of novel ideas and results in mathematical ecology and to showcase the importance of the field in the face of many challenges from invasive species to climate change. Another goal is to celebrate and honour the exceptional achievements in the area of mathematical ecology of Prof Mark Lewis (University of Alberta) on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

Global change is putting increasing pressure on ecosystems, from a warming climate with more extreme weather events to rising levels of direct human impact from land-use change and increased harvesting pressure. At the same time, humans are becoming increasingly aware of their reliance on intact ecosystems and are aiming for their protection. Mathematical models and methods are indispensable tools to gain insights into and understanding of the functioning of these complex systems, to make sense of data, and to consider the effect of potential mitigation strategies. New models that capture ecologically relevant scenarios often necessitate new mathematical techniques to analyze them, and vice versa, new results in dynamical systems theory, efficient simulation, and data analysis allow modellers to expand their reach and improve their techniques. This workshop will bring together researchers from all of these fields to exchange latest results and discuss new ideas.

Prof Mark Lewis continues to be an exceptional world leader in the field of mathematical ecology who has made significant contributions to many areas in ecology, including models for invasive species, animal movement, disease ecology, forest insect pests and aquatic ecological dynamics, and mathematics, including dynamical systems of finite and infinite dimensions, stochastic dynamics, and model-data fitting. In honour of his work, the themes in this workshop will reflect some of the fields to which he made lasting contributions. Mark Lewis also continues to be an inspiring teacher and supportive mentor whose students have embarked on highly successful careers on their own. The workshop will reflect Mark's commitment to training by giving many junior scientists an opportunity to present their work and to discuss their ideas with some of the most highly regarded researchers in the field.

The workshop will consist of four themes:

1. Invasive Species
2. Animal Movement
3. Disease Ecology
4. Dynamical Systems

The workshop will be structured by one of the four topics for each half-day and followed by a chaired discussion on emerging challenges in the respective area. There will be time and opportunities for informal interaction, including opportunities for junior researchers to meet some of the eminent figures in their fields. We expect that this workshop will generate exciting new research projects and collaborations to tackle the many challenges that we face, both in terms of modelling and understanding ecosystem dynamics and mathematical analysis of complex models and data.

Plenary Speakers

• Christina Cobbold, University of Glasgow
• Frank Hilker, Osnabrück University
• Jonathan Potts, University of Sheffield
• Ulrike Schlägel, University of Potsdam