Distribution and spatial modelling of a soft coral habitat in the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park: implications for management

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davina E. Poulos ◽  
Christopher Gallen ◽  
Tom Davis ◽  
David J. Booth ◽  
David Harasti
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Spatial Modelling ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
Environmental Requirements ◽  
Port Stephens

Habitat mapping is a useful method for understanding the complex spatial relationships that exist in the marine environment, and is used to evaluate the effectiveness of management strategies, particularly in regards to marine protected areas. This study explored the observed and predicted distribution of an uncommon soft coral species, Dendronephthya australis within the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park. Dendronephthya australis was mapped by video operated by a SCUBA diver towing a time synchronised GPS. A species distribution model was created to explore the possible occurrence of D. australis outside of the mapped area, using four environmental parameters: bathymetry, slope of seabed, velocity of tidal currents, and distance from estuary mouth. Dendronephthya australis colonies occurred along the southern shoreline in the Port Stephens estuary between Fly Point and Corlette Point, but no colonies were found within sanctuary (no-take) zones within the marine park. The model illustrated limited habitat suitability for D. australis within a larger section of the estuary, suggesting this species has specific environmental requirements survival. Owing to its current threats (anchor damage and fishing line entanglement), implications from these findings will assist future management and protection decisions, particularly in regard to its protection within a marine park.

Modeling Habitat Suitability and Management Options for Maintaining Round Whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) in Adirondack Ponds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Kathleen Conley ◽  
Matthew D. Schlesinger ◽  
James G. Daley ◽  
Lisa K. Holst ◽  
Timothy G. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Nonnative Species ◽  
Simulated Population ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The Past ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Reintroduction Success ◽  
Maximum Air Temperature

Habitat loss, acid precipitation, and nonnative species have drastically reduced the number of Adirondack waterbodies occupied by round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum). The goal of this study was to 1) increase the probability of reintroduction success by modeling the suitability of ponds for reintroduction and 2) better understand the effects of different rates of pond reclamation. We created a species distribution model that identified 70 waterbodies that were physically similar to occupied ponds. The most influential variables for describing round whitefish habitat included trophic, temperature, and alkalinity classes; waterbody maximum depth; maximum air temperature; and surrounding soil texture and impervious surface. Next, we simulated population dynamics under a variety of treatment scenarios and compared the probability of complete extirpation using a modified Markov model. Under almost all management strategies, and under pressure from nonnative competitors like that observed in the past 30 years, the number of occupied ponds will decline over the next 100 years. However, restoring one pond every 3 years would result in a 99% chance of round whitefish persistence after 100 years.

scholarly journals Community Confounding In Joint Species Distribution Models

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin J. Van Ee ◽  
Jacob S. Ivan ◽  
Mevin B. Hooten
Keyword(s):  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Community Effects ◽  
Distribution Models

Abstract Joint species distribution models have become ubiquitous for studying species-habitat relationships and dependence among species. Accounting for community structure often improves predictive power, but can also alter inference on species-habitat relationships. Modulated species-habitat relationships are indicative of community confounding: The situation in which interspecies dependence and habitat effects compete to explain species distributions. We discuss community confounding in a case study of mammalian responses to the Colorado bark beetle epidemic in the subalpine forest by comparing the inference from independent single species distribution models and a joint species distribution model. We present a method for measuring community confounding and develop a restricted version of our hierarchical model that orthogonalizes the habitat and species random effects. Our results indicate that variables associated with the severity and duration of the bark beetle epidemic suffer from community confounding. This implies that mammalian responses to the bark beetle epidemic are governed by interconnected habitat and community effects. Disentangling habitat and community effects can improve our understanding of the ecological system and possible management strategies. We evaluate restricted regression as a method for alleviating community confounding and distinguish it from other inferential methods for confounded models.

Responses of vulnerable fishes to environmental stressors in the Canadian Great Lakes basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco A. Rodríguez ◽  
Geoffrey Marselli ◽  
Nicholas E. Mandrak
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Vulnerable Species ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Species Classification ◽  
Species Vulnerability

Quantifying the responses of rare vulnerable species to environmental stressors poses special challenges. This study aimed to understand the responses of vulnerable fishes listed under the Species at Risk Act to environmental stressors in lakes, streams, and wetlands of the Canadian Great Lakes basin. We used a joint species distribution model (JSDM) to improve the estimates of responses of vulnerable species to environmental stressors, and the effects of functional traits on those responses, by ‟borrowing information” from abundant species having higher information content. We measured abundance, functional traits, and taxonomic relationships for 115 freshwater fish species, including 12 vulnerable species, and environmental features, at 1972 sites. The JSDM yielded more precise estimates of responses than single-species models fitted to each vulnerable species. Habitat associations inferred from the JSDM showed substantial overlap with those provided in COSEWIC status reports. Model-derived responses to environmental stressors can provide a management-friendly basis for species classification in terms of species’ tolerances to various forms of environmental change, and supplement the qualitative criteria for habitat requirements currently used in assessments of species vulnerability.

Climate change in the Missouri central hardwood region : consequences for forest landscapes, and management strategies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeffrey Eric Schneiderman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
The Impact

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Climate change may result in a change in the tree species present within forests. The Missouri Central Hardwood Region represents one area where these changes may occur. Due to the natural diversity of species and economic value of this area, it is beneficial to understand how climate change might affect trees currently present. Computer models (a human creation to help understand real world systems in a simplified manner) can be used to study the impact of climate change on forests. My objectives were to 1) understand how different forest impact models studying climate change compared to each other, 2) determine whether climate change or current timber harvest practices was more likely to change the characteristics of the forest, and 3) analyze land management alternatives to determine which was best at creating beneficial qualities for forests under climate change. For my first objective, I used a species distribution model and a process model, two models that use different analysis approaches, to assess climate change impacts on tree species, and compared the results. On a broad level, both models agreed, but when looking at the study area at smaller resolution, the models did not agree as well. For my second objective, I coupled a process model and forest landscape model. Although results showed there was variation based on species regarding whether climate or harvest had the greater impact, both usually had significant impacts on tree species. Results for my third objective indicated that multiple management approaches are necessary to manage future forests in a beneficial manner. My results have implications for future forest sustainability. Uncertainty exists regarding climate change's full impact, but with proper forest management and research these challenges can be reduced.

scholarly journals Do priority effects outweigh environmental filtering in a guild of dominant freshwater macroinvertebrates?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea J. Little ◽  
Florian Altermatt
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Priority Effects ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Amphipod Species ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽  
Field Evidence ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Environmental Requirements

AbstractAbiotic conditions have long been considered essential in structuring freshwater macroinvertebrate communities. Ecological drift, dispersal, and biotic interactions also structure communities, and although these mechanisms are more difficult to detect, they may be of equal importance in natural communities. Here, we conducted repeated surveys of locally-dominant amphipod species across ten naturally replicated stream catchments. We then used a hierarchical joint species distribution model to assess the influence of different drivers on species co-occurrences. The species had unique environmental requirements, but a distinct spatial structure in their distributions was unrelated to habitat. Species co-occurred much less frequently than predicted by their niches, which was surprising because laboratory and field evidence suggests they are capable of coexisting in equal densities. We suggest that niche preemption may limit their distribution and that a blocking effect determines which species colonizes and dominates a given stream catchment, thus resolving a long-standing conundrum in freshwater ecology.

Spatial patterns of ascidian assemblages on subtidal rocky reefs in the Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park, New South Wales

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Newton ◽  
Bob Creese ◽  
David Raftos
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Rocky Reefs ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Subtidal Rocky Reefs ◽  
Port Stephens

Spatial and temporal patterns of variability in ascidian assemblages were investigated on horizontal subtidal rocky reefs at Port Stephens, New South Wales (NSW). The study was designed to provide a baseline dataset on ascidian diversity and distribution patterns for an area destined to become a marine park (the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park: PSGLMP). Differences in ascidian assemblages between exposed oceanic island reefs and sheltered reefs within Port Stephens, and between two depth zones within each subtidal reef, were quantified using non-parametric multivariate techniques coupled with analysis of variance (ANOVA). Ascidian assemblages were highly variable between reef sites, reef exposures and particularly between depth zones within each reef surveyed. However, temporal variation was only observed for a few ascidian species. These highly variable spatial patterns in diversity indicate that numerous subtidal reefs may need to be protected within PSGLMP if the aim of the marine park is to adequately represent the entire array of marine biodiversity in the area.

scholarly journals Mapping landscape friction to locate isolated tsetse populations that are candidates for elimination

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (47) ◽  
pp. 14575-14580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémy Bouyer ◽  
Ahmadou H. Dicko ◽  
Giuliano Cecchi ◽  
Sophie Ravel ◽  
Laure Guerrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Tsetse Flies ◽  
Landscape Resistance ◽  
Least Cost Path

Tsetse flies are the cyclical vectors of deadly human and animal trypanosomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Tsetse control is a key component for the integrated management of both plagues, but local eradication successes have been limited to less than 2% of the infested area. This is attributed to either resurgence of residual populations that were omitted from the eradication campaign or reinvasion from neighboring infested areas. Here we focused on Glossina palpalis gambiensis, a riverine tsetse species representing the main vector of trypanosomoses in West Africa. We mapped landscape resistance to tsetse genetic flow, hereafter referred to as friction, to identify natural barriers that isolate tsetse populations. For this purpose, we fitted a statistical model of the genetic distance between 37 tsetse populations sampled in the region, using a set of remotely sensed environmental data as predictors. The least-cost path between these populations was then estimated using the predicted friction map. The method enabled us to avoid the subjectivity inherent in the expert-based weighting of environmental parameters. Finally, we identified potentially isolated clusters of G. p. gambiensis habitat based on a species distribution model and ranked them according to their predicted genetic distance to the main tsetse population. The methodology presented here will inform the choice on the most appropriate intervention strategies to be implemented against tsetse flies in different parts of Africa. It can also be used to control other pests and to support conservation of endangered species.

scholarly journals A Robust Prediction Model for Species Distribution Using Bagging Ensembles with Deep Neural Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1495
Author(s):  
Jehyeok Rew ◽  
Yongjang Cho ◽  
Eenjun Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Deep Neural Networks ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Robust Prediction

Species distribution models have been used for various purposes, such as conserving species, discovering potential habitats, and obtaining evolutionary insights by predicting species occurrence. Many statistical and machine-learning-based approaches have been proposed to construct effective species distribution models, but with limited success due to spatial biases in presences and imbalanced presence-absences. We propose a novel species distribution model to address these problems based on bootstrap aggregating (bagging) ensembles of deep neural networks (DNNs). We first generate bootstraps considering presence-absence data on spatial balance to alleviate the bias problem. Then we construct DNNs using environmental data from presence and absence locations, and finally combine these into an ensemble model using three voting methods to improve prediction accuracy. Extensive experiments verified the proposed model’s effectiveness for species in South Korea using crowdsourced observations that have spatial biases. The proposed model achieved more accurate and robust prediction results than the current best practice models.

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