Global changes seem to drastically modify the dynamics and structure of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The international community (e.g. IPBES) has called for the better biodiversity models to improve the conservation of ecosystems and their services. Recently, a new generation of joint species distribution models has been proposed. These models can provide a better understanding and more accurate predictions of species distributions based on environmental variables while taking into account the effects of all other co-occurring species. However, as promising as these models are in predictive ecology, the extensive use of JSDMs is still hampered by several limitations. GAMBAS aims to overcome these limitations both on the ecological and statistical fronts. This will be accomplished with input from stakeholders and policy makers to ensure that the results from the theoretical research can realistically be implemented. 

GAMBAS gathers a collective comprised of quantitative ecologists and mathematicians with aspirations in ecology . An advisory committee composed of representatives of the French government and civil societies will support these investigators. Together, they have set the goal of expanding JSDMs and to promote their use in community ecology, biogeography, and conservation ecology.

Multiple datasets will contribute to fulfill the objectives of GAMBAS, including terrestrial (birds, temperate and tropical forests) and aquatic (freshwater functional diversity) biological communities.