scholarly journals Building essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) of species distribution and abundance at a global scale

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 600-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Daniel Kissling ◽  
Jorge A. Ahumada ◽  
Anne Bowser ◽  
Miguel Fernandez ◽  
Néstor Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Essential Biodiversity Variables

scholarly journals Practical Considerations for Implementing Species Distribution Essential Biodiversity Variables

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Boyd ◽  
Nick Isaac ◽  
Robert Cooke ◽  
Francesca Mancini ◽  
Tom August ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Occupancy Detection ◽  
Essential Biodiversity Variables ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Species Occupancy ◽  
Very High ◽  
The Ideal

Species Distribution Essential Biodiversity Variables (SD EBVs; Pereira et al. 2013, Kissling et al. 2017, Jetz et al. 2019) are defined as measurements or estimates of species’ occupancy along the axes of space, time and taxonomy. In the “ideal” case, additional stipulations have been proposed: occupancy should be characterized contiguously along each axis at grain sizes relevant to policy and process (i.e., fine scale); and the SD EBV should be global in extent, or at least span the entirety of the focal taxa’s geographical range (Jetz et al. 2019). These stipulations set the bar very high and, unsurprisingly, most operational SD EBVs fall short of these ideal criteria. In this presentation, I will discuss the major challenges associated with developing the idealized SD EBV. I will demonstrate these challenges using an operational SD EBV spanning ~6000 species in the United Kingdom (UK) over the period 1970 to 2019 as a case study (Outhwaite et al. 2019). In short, this data product comprises annual estimates of occupancy for each species in all sampled 1 km cells across the UK; these are derived from opportunistically-collected species occurrence data using occupancy-detection models (Kéry et al. 2010). Having discussed which of the “ideal” criteria the case study satisfies, I will then touch on what are, in my view, two underappreciated challenges when constructing SD EBVs: dealing with sampling biases in the underlying data and the difficulty in evaluating the extent to which they bias the final product. These challenges should be addressed as a matter of urgency, as SD EBVs are increasingly applied in important settings such as underpinning national and international biodiversity indicators (see e.g., https://geobon.org/ebvs/indicators/).

scholarly journals Examining floristic boundaries between garden types at the global scale

2014 ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josep Padullés Cubino ◽  
Josep Vila Subirós ◽  
Carles Barriocanal Lozano
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Plant Composition ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Primary Driver ◽  
Future Income ◽  
Garden Plant

Gardens represent important sources of goods and services for their owners. This functionality translates directly into the types of plants cultivated in a given garden, and terminology has been developed to distinguish each category of garden according to its purpose. The factors explaining the differentiation and distribution of gardens have not previously been explored at the global scale. In this study, the plant lists for 44 sets of gardens from around the world were analyzed to explore their taxonomic similarities and the factors shaping each garden. Several biophysical and socioeconomic variables were examined at the appropriate scale for their roles in garden species distribution. Physical and climatic factors (temperature, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration and distance between settlements) were found to be significantly related with species makeup; all of these factors were less important than GDP per person, a proxy for household income, which was determined to be the primary driver of garden composition. All of the studied socioeconomic factors, such as language similarity among settlements and population density, were significant drivers of species distribution. However, the present analysis omits a number of variables due to data unavailability, such as garden size and owner gender, which have been previously recognized as influences on garden plant composition. The genera cultivated in different gardens were found to be very different from each other, and the definitions of each type are hard to establish from these data alone. Finally, the implications of likely future income variations, such those caused by severe economic crisis, and global climate change on bio-cultural diversity and food security are discussed.

scholarly journals Phytogeographical Affinities of Tree Species of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-362
Author(s):  
Sudam Charan SAHU ◽  
Manas R. MOHANTA ◽  
Anil K. BISWAL
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Strong Affinity ◽  
Similipal Biosphere Reserve

The phytogeography of Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Odisha, India, reveals very interesting information on distribution of tree species.  Phytogeographical affinities of tree species of SBR has been analysed by obtaining the information about the species distribution at local and global scale. A total of 240 tree species were recorded and their phytogeographical affinities were compiled with different countries of the globe. An analysis of the affinities revealed that SBR has strong affinity with Sri-Lanka (46.66%) and Myanmar (45.83%) followed by China, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and Africa. SBR has also affinity with Himalayan vegetation possessing several trees and orchids find distribution in both the areas. The phytogeographical affinity of SBR supports the migration, establishment and naturalization of flora from/to SBR. This hypothesis needs further study for biogeographical mapping of Indian sub-continent.

scholarly journals The Laegeren Site: An Augmented Forest Laboratory

2020 ◽  
pp. 83-104
Author(s):  
Felix Morsdorf ◽  
Fabian D. Schneider ◽  
Carla Gullien ◽  
Daniel Kükenbrink ◽  
Reik Leiterer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Imaging Spectroscopy ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Essential Biodiversity Variables ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Leaf Level ◽  
Airborne Imaging

AbstractGiven the increased pressure on forests and their diversity in the context of global change, new ways of monitoring diversity are needed. Remote sensing has the potential to inform essential biodiversity variables on the global scale, but validation of data and products, particularly in remote areas, is difficult. We show how radiative transfer (RT) models, parameterized with a detailed 3-D forest reconstruction based on laser scanning, can be used to upscale leaf-level information to canopy scale. The simulation approach is compared with actual remote sensing data, showing very good agreement in both the spectral and spatial domains. In addition, we compute a set of physiological and morphological traits from airborne imaging spectroscopy and laser scanning data and show how these traits can be used to estimate the functional richness of a forest at regional scale. The presented RT modeling framework has the potential to prototype and validate future spaceborne observation concepts aimed at informing variables of biodiversity, while the trait-based mapping of diversity could augment in situ networks of diversity, providing effective spatiotemporal gap filling for a comprehensive assessment of changes to diversity.

scholarly journals BIODIVERSITY MAPPING VIA NATURA 2000 CONSERVATION STATUS AND EBV ASSESSMENT USING AIRBORNE LASER SCANNING IN ALKALI GRASSLANDS

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B8 ◽  
pp. 1293-1299
Author(s):  
A. Zlinszky ◽  
B. Deák ◽  
A. Kania ◽  
A. Schroiff ◽  
N. Pfeifer
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Data Products ◽  
Essential Biodiversity Variables

Biodiversity is an ecological concept, which essentially involves a complex sum of several indicators. One widely accepted such set of indicators is prescribed for habitat conservation status assessment within Natura 2000, a continental-scale conservation programme of the European Union. Essential Biodiversity Variables are a set of indicators designed to be relevant for biodiversity and suitable for global-scale operational monitoring. Here we revisit a study of Natura 2000 conservation status mapping via airbone LIDAR that develops individual remote sensing-derived proxies for every parameter required by the Natura 2000 manual, from the perspective of developing regional-scale Essential Biodiversity Variables. Based on leaf-on and leaf-off point clouds (10 pt/m2) collected in an alkali grassland area, a set of data products were calculated at 0.5 ×0.5 m resolution. These represent various aspects of radiometric and geometric texture. A Random Forest machine learning classifier was developed to create fuzzy vegetation maps of classes of interest based on these data products. In the next step, either classification results or LIDAR data products were selected as proxies for individual Natura 2000 conservation status variables, and fine-tuned based on field references. These proxies showed adequate performance and were summarized to deliver Natura 2000 conservation status with 80% overall accuracy compared to field references. This study draws attention to the potential of LIDAR for regional-scale Essential Biodiversity variables, and also holds implications for global-scale mapping. These are (i) the use of sensor data products together with habitat-level classification, (ii) the utility of seasonal data, including for non-seasonal variables such as grassland canopy structure, and (iii) the potential of fuzzy mapping-derived class probabilities as proxies for species presence and absence.

scholarly journals Contributions of Distribution Modelling to the Ecological Study of Psittaciformes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 611
Author(s):  
José R. Ferrer-Paris ◽  
Ada Sánchez-Mercado
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Parrot Species ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Research Action

We provide an overview of the use of species distribution modeling to address research questions related to parrot ecology and conservation at a global scale. We conducted a literature search and applied filters to select the 82 most relevant studies to discuss. The study of parrot species distribution has increased steadily in the past 30 years, with methods and computing development maturing and facilitating their application for a wide range of research and applied questions. Conservation topics was the most popular topic (37%), followed by ecology (34%) and invasion ecology (20%). The role of abiotic factors explaining parrot distribution is the most frequent ecological application. The high prevalence of studies supporting on-ground conservation problems is a remarkable example of reduction in the research–action gap. Prediction of invasion risk and assessment of invasion effect were more prevalent than examples evaluating the environmental or economic impact of these invasions. The integration of species distribution models with other tools in the decision-making process and other data (e.g., landscape metrics, genetic, behavior) could even further expand the range of applications and provide a more nuanced understanding of how parrot species are responding to their even more changing landscape and threats.

scholarly journals Trait Data Integration from the Perspective of a Data Aggregator

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hammock ◽  
Katja Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Biodiversity Knowledge ◽  
Data Products ◽  
Essential Biodiversity Variables

The Encyclopedia of Life currently hosts ~8M attribute records for ~400k taxa (March 2019, not including geographic categories, Fig. 1). Our aggregation priorities include Essential Biodiversity Variables (Kissling et al. 2018) and other global scale research data priorities. Our primary strategy remains partnership with specialist open data aggregators; we are also developing tools for the deployment of evolutionarily conserved attribute values that scale quickly for global taxonomic coverage, for instance: tissue mineralization type (aragonite, calcite, silica...); trophic guild in certain clades; sensory modalities. To support the aggregation and integration of trait information, data sets should be well structured, properly annotated and free of licensing or contractual restrictions so that they are ‘findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable’ for both humans and machines (FAIR principles; Wilkinson et al. 2016). To this end, we are improving the documentation of protocols for the transformation, curation, and analysis of EOL data, and associated scripts and software are made available to ensure reproducibility. Proper acknowledgement of contributors and tracking of credit through derived data products promote both open data sharing and the use of aggregated resources. By exposing unique identifiers for data products, people, and institutions, data providers and aggregators can stimulate the development of automated solutions for the creation of contribution metrics. Since different aspects of provenance will be significant depending on the intended data use, better standardization of contributor roles (e.g., author, compiler, publisher, funder) is needed, as well as more detailed attribution guidance for data users. Global scale biodiversity data resources should resolve into a graph, linking taxa, specimens, occurrences, attributes, localities, and ecological interactions, as well as human agents, publications and institutions. Two key data categories for ensuring rich connectivity in the graph will be taxonomic and trait data. This graph can be supported by existing data hubs, if they share identifiers and/or create mappings between them, using standards and sharing practices developed by the biodiversity data community. Versioned archives of the combined graph could be published at intervals to appropriate open data repositories, and open source tools and training provided for researchers to access the combined graph of biodiversity knowledge from all sources. To achieve this, good communication among data hubs will be needed. We will need to share information about preferred vocabularies and identifier management practices, and collaborate on identifier mappings.

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