Learning goals and tools used in the Module

Learning goals

The content begins with an introduction to phenology (with a special emphasis on dormancy) as well as an overview of climate change. It then focuses heavily on the practical application of the chillR package for R. This tool has been continuously developed since 2013 by Prof. Dr. Eike Lüdeling, head of the HortiBonn research group at the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) at the University of Bonn, to support this type of analysis.

This course will offer the following skills and experiences:

• Knowledge about phenology
• Knowledge about tree dormancy
• Understanding of climate change impact projection methods
• Appreciation for the importance of risks and uncertainty in climate change projection
• Understanding of how to use some staple tools of R code development
• Ability to use chillR functions for climate change impact projection
• Ability to use chillR functions for tree phenology analysis
• Understanding and ability to use the PhenoFlex dormancy analysis framework

Tools

This course is designed to provide knowledge about tree phenology, climate change, and related topics, along with hands-on exercises to demonstrate the functionalities of the chillR package. It is recommended to document everything learned in a learning logbook. To engage in these practical components effectively, various tools are required. Since chillR is an R package, using R, preferably through the RStudio interface, will be necessary.

Although it is possible to run RStudio on a local computer and save files directly on the hard drive, this approach differs from the methods commonly used by professional programmers. To align with standard programming practices, familiarity with certain code development tools is essential. This course will therefore cover the basics of using Git and GitHub, which are valuable tools for organizing, securing, and sharing code. Additionally, proper documentation techniques in R will be introduced, focusing on creating well-structured, professional reports using RMarkdown. While these tools may seem complex at first, their usefulness is likely to become clearer as they are used throughout the module.

Dr. Cory Whitney, a researcher at HortiBonn, has volunteered to create tutorial videos to provide an introduction to these tools.

R and RStudio

The first video Using R and RStudio demonstrates how to install and run R and RStudio:

Git and Github

The next video Using Git and Github explores the programming version control environment Git and the interface GitHub, which is used to access these features:

Rmarkdown

In the last video Using R Mardown, R Markdown will be examined, a powerful tool that enables the creation of sophisticated reports, websites, and more from R code: