Introduction ✨

This guide explains how to run EcoCommons notebooks on the Virtual CoESRA Desktop, including steps for accessing the desktop, downloading notebooks, and running them with RStudio for Species Distribution Models (SDMs) using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with cool visualizations. 


Step 1: Log In to the Virtual CoESRA Desktop 

  1. Open Analysis Hub and click on CoESRA tile https://analysis-tools.app.ecocommons.org.au/.                                OR Open your web browser and go to the Virtual COESRA Desktop URL: https://coesra.tern.org.au/

  2. Click Sign In and enter your TERN credentials.

  3. Once logged in, navigate to the Applications tab.

  4. Launch the Virtual COESRA Desktop.


For detailed information check Introduction to CoESRA Article and Tern User Support Documentation.


Step 2: Open Firefox Browser 

  1. After the virtual desktop loads, find Firefox on the desktop. 

  2. Double-click the icon to open the browser.



Step 3: Access EcoCommons Notebook Repository 

  1. In Firefox, search for the EcoCommons Notebooks GitHub repository : https://github.com/EcoCommonsAustralia/notebooks/blob/main/notebooks/ or go directly to this link URL.


  1. Locate the desired notebook file (e.g., EC_GLM.qmd).

  2. Download the .qmd (Quarto) file to the Downloads folder. ⬇️

Step 4: Open RStudio and Run the Notebook 

  1. Go to Applications and open RStudio. 

  2. In RStudio, click File > Open File.

  3. Navigate to the Downloads folder and select the downloaded .qmd file.

  4. Once the file is open, review the content. ✨



Step 5: Render the Notebook ⚙️

  1. In the RStudio toolbar, click Render. 

  2. The notebook will run, applying the GLM for the SDM.

  3. Visualizations and results will appear in the Viewer pane. From the list of results you can find the HTML file, if it does not open automatically. Open it manually by clicking on the "Places"> Home Folder> downloads> the downloaded file "EC_GLM.qmd" Double click to open the HTML file, you should see html notebook rendered neatly.



Step 6: Explore the Results

  • Analyze species distribution predictions. 

  • Interact with plots to understand model performance.


Tips and Troubleshooting 

  • Rendering Error: Ensure required R packages (e.g., quarto, raster, ggplot2) are installed. ⚙️

  • Slow Performance: Close unnecessary applications. 


Enjoy exploring ecological patterns with EcoCommons notebooks on COESRA!