Introduction

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Geographic Distributions ◽  
Complex Relationships

This book deals with ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, two emerging fields that address the ecological, geographic, and evolutionary dimensions of geographic distributions of species. It provides a conceptual overview of the complex relationships between ecological niches and geographic distributions of species, both across space and (perhaps to a lesser degree) through time. The emphasis is on how that conceptual framework relates to ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, which the book argues are complementary and are most broadly applicable to diverse questions regarding the ecology and geography of biodiversity phenomena. Part I of the book introduces the conceptual framework for thinking about and discussing the distributional ecology of species, Part II is concerned with the data and tools that have been used in the early development of the field, and Part III focuses on real-world situations to which these tools have been applied.

The crucial role of the accessible area in ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling

2011 ◽  
Vol 222 (11) ◽  
pp. 1810-1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narayani Barve ◽  
Vijay Barve ◽  
Alberto Jiménez-Valverde ◽  
Andrés Lira-Noriega ◽  
Sean P. Maher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Accessible Area

Concepts of Niches

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Niche Concept ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter proposes a formal and operational definition of a particular niche concept, introduces approaches for characterizing and measuring it, and uses it as a conceptual and terminological basis for describing and understanding much of the related practices of ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling. It begins with a discussion of the themes that are most important in understanding niche concepts, focusing on three interrelated points: the meaning of “exist indefinitely”; what kinds of variables constitute the hypervolume; and the nature of feedback loops between a species and the variables composing the hypervolume. The chapter then considers the Grinnellian and Eltonian niches as well as the practicalities of estimating Grinnellian niches. It also considers two important interpretations of the niche concept, one of which is concerned with geographic and environmental spaces, and the other emphasizes the Eltonian niche.

scholarly journals ENVIREM: An expanded set of bioclimatic and topographic variables increases flexibility and improves performance of ecological niche modeling

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal O Title ◽  
Jordan B Bemmels
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
R Package ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

AbstractSpecies distribution modeling is a valuable tool with many applications across ecology and evolutionary biology. The selection of biologically meaningful environmental variables that determine relative habitat suitability is a crucial aspect of the modeling pipeline. The 19 bioclimatic variables from WorldClim are frequently employed, primarily because they are easily accessible and available globally for past, present and future climate scenarios. Yet, the availability of relatively few other comparable environmental datasets potentially limits our ability to select appropriate variables that will most successfully characterize a species’ distribution. We identified a set of 16 climatic and two topographic variables in the literature, which we call the envirem dataset, many of which are likely to have direct relevance to ecological or physiological processes determining species distributions. We generated this set of variables at the same resolutions as WorldClim, for the present, mid-Holocene, and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). For 20 North American vertebrate species, we then assessed whether including the envirem variables led to improved species distribution models compared to models using only the existing WorldClim variables. We found that including the ENVIREM dataset in the pool of variables to select from led to substantial improvements in niche modeling performance in 17 out of 20 species. We also show that, when comparing models constructed with different environmental variables, differences in projected distributions were often greater in the LGM than in the present. These variables are worth consideration in species distribution modeling applications, especially as many of the variables have direct links to processes important for species ecology. We provide these variables for download at multiple resolutions and for several time periods at envirem.github.io. Furthermore, we have written the ‘envirem’ R package to facilitate the generation of these variables from other input datasets.

scholarly journals Redescription, geographic distribution and ecological niche modeling of Elapomorphus wuchereri (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Machado Entiauspe-Neto ◽  
Márcia Ferret Renner ◽  
Conrado Mario-da-Rosa ◽  
Arthur Diesel Abegg ◽  
Daniel Loebmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Taxonomic History ◽  
History Of

The original description of Elapomorphus wuchereri Günther, 1861 included a drawing and brief comments about the morphology of three specimens; two of the latter belong to another species and the holotype is lost. Based on the discovery of new specimens, we redescribe Elapomorphus wuchereri and designate a neotype. We discuss the variation and the taxonomic history of the species, and based on the results of a species distribution model analysis (SDM), we describe the distribution, extent of occurrence, and conservation status.

Niches and Distributions in Practice: Overview

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Process Error ◽  
Error Check ◽  
Niche Models

This chapter considers the practice of modeling ecological niches and estimating geographic distributions. It first introduces the general principles and definitions underlying ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, focusing on model calibration and evaluation, before discussing the principal steps to be followed in building niche models. The first task in building a niche model is to collate, process, error-check, and format the data that are necessary as input. Two types of data are required: primary occurrence data documenting known presences (and sometimes absences) of the species, and environmental predictors in the form of raster-format GIS layers summarizing scenopoetic variables that may (or may not) be involved in delineating the ecological requirements of the species. The next step is to use a modeling algorithm to characterize the species’ ecological niche as a function of the environmental variables, followed by model projection and evaluation and finally, model transferability.

Ecological Niche Modeling of the Main Forest-Forming Species in the Caucasus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pshegusov ◽  
F. Tembotova ◽  
V. Chadaeva ◽  
Y. Sablirova ◽  
M. Mollaeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Dispersal Capability ◽  
Birch Forests

Abstract Background: Ecological niche modeling of the main forest-forming species within the same geographic range contributes significantly to understanding the coexistence of species and the regularities of formation of their current spatial distribution. The main abiotic and biotic environmental variables, as well as species dispersal capability, affecting the spatial distribution of the main forest-forming species in the Caucasus, have not been sufficiently studied.Methods: We conducted studies within the physiographic boundaries of the Caucasus, including Russian Federation, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Our studies focused on ecological niche modeling of pure fir, spruce, pine, beech, hornbeam, and birch forests through species distribution modeling and the concept of the BAM (Biotic-Abiotic-Movement) diagram. We selected 648 geographic records of pure forests occurrence. ENVIREM and SoilGrids databases, statistical tools in R, Maxent were used to assess the influence of abiotic, biotic, and movement factors on the spatial distribution of the forest-forming species.Results: Geographic expression of fundamental ecological niches of the main forest-forming species depended mainly on topographic conditions and water regime. Competitor influence reduced the potential ranges of the studied species by 1.2–1.7 times to the geographic expression of their realized ecological niches. Movement factor significantly limited the areas suitable for pure forests (by 1.2–1.8 times compared with geographic expression of realized ecological niches), except for birch forests.Conclusion: Distribution maps, modeled by abiotic, biotic variables and movement factor, were the closest to the real distribution of the forest-forming species in the Caucasus. Biotic and movement factors should be considered in modeling studies of forest ecosystems if models are to have biological meaning and reality.

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