Computational modeling techniques for species geographic distribution are critical to support the task of identifying areas with high risk of loss of Biodiversity. These tools can assist in the conservation of Biodiversity, in planning the use of non-inhabited regions, in estimating the risk of invasive species, in the proposed reintroduction programs for species and even in planning the protecting endangered species. Furthermore, such techniques can help to understand the effects of climate change and other changes in the geographical distribution of species. This chapter presents concepts related to the species distribution modeling and algorithms based on Neural Networks and Maximum Entropy as alternatives for modeling of species distribution. The algorithms were integrated into the open source tool called openModeller used by biologists and other researchers in this area. A case study of modeling the distribution of babaçu (Orbignya phalerata) in the Piauí State – Brazil is presented, evaluating the potential distribution of this species used to produce bioenergy. Fifty models were generated and merged the ten models with best accuracy for each algorithm. The results show that the models obtained by both are consistent. The models obtained with Maximum Entropy seem to reflect best the reality, considering the occurrence pattern of babaçu as a secondary species.
Combining connectivity and species distribution modeling to define conservation and restoration priorities for multiple species: A case study in the eastern Amazon
