scholarly journals Ecological niche modeling, niche overlap, and good old Rabinowitz’s rarities applied to the conservation of gymnosperms in a global biodiversity hotspot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Quiroga ◽  
Cintia Souto
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Global Biodiversity

Abstract ContextBiodiversity hotspots harbor 77% of endemic plant species. Patagonian Temperate Forest (PTF) is a biodiversity hotspot, but over the past centuries, has been over-exploited, fragmented and replaced with exotic species plantations, lately plus the threat of climate change. ObjectivesOur aim is to better understand patterns of habitat suitability and niche overlap of nine endemic gymnosperm species, key elements of the PTF, complementing traditional approaches of biodiversity conservation. MethodsUsing R packages and 3024 occurrence data, we deployed ecological niche models (ENM) in MaxEnt via KuENM, and classified species according to Rabinowitz’s types of rarity. We then overlapped their niches calculating Schoener's D index, and considered types of rarity in a spatial ecological context. Finally, we overlay high species’ suitability and protected areas and detect conservation priorities using GapAnalysis. ResultsWe generated simplified ENMs for nine Patagonian gymnosperms and found that most niches overlap, and only one species displayed a unique niche. Surprisingly, we found that three species have divergent suitability of habitats across the landscape. We showed that the rarer a species is the smaller niche volume tend to have, that six out of nine studied species have high conservation priority, and that there are conservation gaps in the PTF. ConclusionOur approach showed that there are unprotected suitable areas for native key species at high risk in Patagonian forests. Suggesting that integrating habitat-suitability models of multiple species, types of rarity, and niche overlap, can be a handy tool to identify potential conservation areas in global biodiversity hotspots.

scholarly journals Prediction of high CPT yielding ecotypes of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. in Western Ghats using Ecological Niche Modeling

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 2451-2458
Author(s):  
Cordilea Hannah ◽  
Joyce Sudandara Priya ◽  
Kasthuri Bhai N.
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Nothapodytes Nimmoniana ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
Chemical Content

Camptothecin (CPT) is one of anticancer drug that is widely used for treating various cancers. In India, the drug is primarily sourced from natural habitats of the red listed species Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Ecological niche models are potential tools to define and predict the “ecological niche” of a species that exhibit ecological variations. The predicted ecological niche of a species indicates their survival fitness against Bioclimatic variables. The habitat suitability was predicted using Maxent for different ecotypes of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham.) Mabb. In this study the synonymised populations of N. nimmoniana in the Western Ghats were cogitated as five different ecotypes. The predicted habitat suitability of different ecotypes were evaluated and correlated against CPT content using high performance thin layer chromatography. The study shows a significant positive correlation between the predicted habitat quality and chemical content. The ecotypes growing in sites predicted as highly suitable showed high content of camptothecin compared to those growing in poorly suitable sites. Thereby enabling precise identification of “chemical hot-spots” which will eventually establish a strong foot hold on monoculture of the species, an effort towards conservation.

scholarly journals Ecological niche differentiation between Acanthodactylus micropholis and A. khamirensis (Sauria: Lacertidae) in southern Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nastaran Heidari
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Species Differentiation ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Niche Models

Acanthodactylusmicropholis Heidari, Rastegar-Pouyani, Rastegar-Pouyani & Rajabizadeh, 2013 and A.khamirensis Blanford, 1874 are genetically and morphologically distinct, but their ecological differentiation has not previously been evaluated. The ecological niche models of these two sister species Acanthodactylus were reconstructed using climate and geographical data. Species distribution modeling for A.micropholis and A.khamirensis was used to make predictions and showed that most parts of southern and southeastern Iran are suitable for the distribution of both species. Habitat suitability was mostly dependent upon minimum temperature of the coldest month and seasonal precipitation for A.micropholis and A.khamirensis, respectively. Niche similarity tests (niche overlap and identity tests) were performed to evaluate species differentiation based on the ecological species criterion. Our results indicate that both species have different ecological niches and are significantly separated from each other. Therefore, our study corroborates previous analyses based on molecular and morphological evidences that suggested that A.micropholis and A.khamirensis were valid species.

Species’ Invasions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Native And Introduced Ranges ◽  
Niche Models

This chapter discusses the use of ecological niche modeling to study species invasions, and more specifically to identify and understand genuine exceptions to ecological niche equivalency between native and introduced ranges of species. In addition, it examines the degree to which the geographic course of species’ invasions can be anticipated based on scenopoetic variables and biotic interactions. The chapter also reviews practical considerations that must be taken into account when exploring the utility of ecological niche models in understanding species’ invasions, such as using niche conservatism to predict likely changes in the distributional potential of invasive species under scenarios of changing environmental conditions. Finally, it describes caveats and limitations of the approach and outlines future research directions and challenges involved in the application of niche modeling ideas in species invasions.

scholarly journals Ecological Niche Models of Four Hard Tick Genera (Ixodidae) in Mexico

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Clarke-Crespo ◽  
Claudia N. Moreno-Arzate ◽  
Carlos A. López-González
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Hard Tick ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Niche Models

Ticks are vectors of a large number of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, and in recent years, they have participated in the rise of multiple infectious outbreaks around the world. Studies have proposed that temperature and precipitation are the main variables that limit the geographical distribution of ticks. The analysis of environmental constraints with ecological niche modeling (ENM) techniques can improve our ability to identify suitable areas for emergence events. Algorithms used in this study showed different distributional patterns for each tick genera; the environmental suitability for Amblyomma includes warm and humid localities below 1000 m above the sea level, while Ixodes is mainly associated with ecosystems with high vegetation cover. Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus genus presented wider distribution patterns; the first includes species that are well adapted to resist desiccation, whereas the latter includes generalist species that are mostly associated with domestic hosts in Mexico. Ecological niche models have proven to be useful in estimating the geographic distribution of many taxa of ticks. Despite our limited knowledge of tick’s diversity, ENM can improve our understanding of the dynamics of vector-borne diseases and can assist public health decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Conservation Priorities in a Biodiversity Hotspot: Analysis of Narrow Endemic Plant Species in New Caledonia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e73371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien S. Wulff ◽  
Peter M. Hollingsworth ◽  
Antje Ahrends ◽  
Tanguy Jaffré ◽  
Jean-Marie Veillon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Hotspot Analysis ◽  
Narrow Endemic ◽  
Endemic Plant Species

scholarly journals Novel insights into the historical biogeography of the streak-breasted scimitar babbler complex (Aves: Timaliidae: Pomatorhinus ruficollis complex)

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 910-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushma Reddy ◽  
Árpád S. Nyári
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Central China ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
History Of

Abstract The Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers of the Pomatorhinus ruficollis species complex are found in most of the forested habitats across southern and eastern Asia. The diversification history of this group is obscured by high plumage variation across populations and conflicting genetic signal across loci. We combined genetic and geographic data from several recent studies to investigate how these species diversified across China using both phylogenetic and ecological niche modeling analyses. These two lines of evidence are consistent in showing that two well-sampled species, P. reconditus and P. nigrostellatus, in central and southern China respectively, likely experienced a history of isolation and expansion as suitable habitat contracted during the last interglacial and expanded in patchy extent during the glacial maximum. The genetic analysis showed that populations of P. nigrostellatus on Hainan Island are very similar to the ones in nearby mainland southern China. We recovered two well-supported clades within P. reconditus that were not geographically structured with both containing individuals from the same localities across central China. This phylogenetic result corresponded to the ecological niche models that showed expansion from refugia since the last interglacial. This study illustrates the value of using an integrative approach and detailed geographic sampling to help understand the recent diversification of birds in China.

scholarly journals Assessing Habitat Suitability for the Common Pochard, Aythya Ferina (Anseriformes, Anatidae) at different Spatial Scales in Orel’ River Valley, Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-162
Author(s):  
Olexander Ponomarenko ◽  
Myhaylo Banik ◽  
Olexander Zhukov
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Coastal Vegetation ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
The Common ◽  
Landscape Level ◽  
Common Pochard

Abstract The habitat suitability for the Common Pochard, a duck species in decline, was studied in the middle reaches of the Orel’ River, Central Ukraine, in 2015–2017. The ducks were counted on their breeding grounds with the use of the ground survey technique. The positions of individual birds were estimated by GPS and plotted on the Google Earth map. The Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) was applied to assess the habitat suitability. Sentinel-2 image was used to extract 13 ecogeographical variables and to get two measures of the ecological niche (marginality and specialization). The ENFA procedure was applied twice at landscape and sub-landscape levels to describe the habitat selection across sequential spatial scales. Both the axes of marginality and specialization of the ecological niche of the species proved to be significantly different from the random alternatives. At landscape level, the distribution may be predicted with the use of Aerosol/Coastal, Vegetation and Hydrothermal Composite indices (marginality) and Modified Normalized Difference Water (MNDW) Index along with several vegetation indices (specialization). At sub-landscape level, MNDW played a crucial role. The importance of MNDW is mediated by the preference for the wetlands with the stretches of open water which are used by the ducks to initiate flight safely and to optimize diving possibilities. The ENFA is a reliable tool for the assessment of the habitat suitability and for setting the conservation priorities for the Common Pochard.

scholarly journals Geographic shifts in Aedes aegypti habitat suitability in Ecuador using larval surveillance data and ecological niche modeling: Implications of climate change for public health vector control

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e0007322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Lippi ◽  
Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra ◽  
M. E. Franklin Bajaña Loor ◽  
Jose E. Dueñas Zambrano ◽  
Nelson A. Espinoza Lopez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Surveillance Data

Environmental Data

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Potential Utility ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Ancillary Data ◽  
Niche Models

This chapter focuses on the conceptual and applied aspects of environmental data in the context of building and interpreting ecological niche models. It first examines how different suites of environmental factors may affect species distributions across a range of spatial scales before discussing which and how many variables are needed for ecological niche modeling. It then reviews the diverse sources of environmental datasets that are of potential utility in ecological niche modeling and concludes by considering a number of challenges involved in designing and choosing environmental data for ecological niche modeling. These challenges include data preparation, data quality, spatial extent, resolution in space and time, types of environmental data, and ancillary data.

scholarly journals Using Ecological Niche Modeling for Biodiversity Conservation Guidance in the Western Podillya (Ukraine): Reptiles

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 551-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Tytar ◽  
L. Sobolenko ◽  
O. Nekrasova ◽  
S. Mezhzherin
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Human Footprint ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temperature Seasonality

Abstract Using Ecological Niche Modeling for Biodiversity Conservation Guidance in the Western Podillya (Ukraine): Reptiles. Tytar, V., Sobolenko, L., Nekrasova, O. Mezhzherin, S. - Maximum entropy niche modeling was employed as a tool to assess potential habitat suitability for 10 reptile species and to map their potential distribution in the Western Podillya (Ukraine). We used climate, topography and human impact (assessed by the Human Footprint) as predictor variables. “Isothermality”, “temperature seasonality” and the “mean temperature of coldest month” were three most important factors in predicting habitat suitability and distribution. A profound contribution to the modeling has been displayed by the Human Footprint, meaning that human infrastructure may benefit reptile species. Areas have been distinguished that in the first place should be of interest to biodiversity conservationists targeting reptiles and maps summarizing predicted habitat suitability and species richness were produced for guiding conservation efforts.

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