The Effects of the Spatial Extent on Modelling Giant Panda Distributions Using Ecological Niche Models

Climate change and biodiversity loss have become increasingly prominent in recent years. To evaluate these two issues, prediction models have been developed on the basis of ecological-niche (or climate-envelope) models. However, the spatial scale and extent of the underlying environmental data are known to affect results. To verify whether the difference in the modelled spatial extent will affect model results, this study uses the MaxEnt model to predict the suitability range of giant pandas in the Min Mountain System (MMS) area through modelling performed (1) at a nationwide scale and (2) at a restricted MMS extent. The results show that, firstly, both models performed well in terms of accuracy. Secondly, extending the modelling extent does help improve the modelling results when the distribution data is incomplete. Thirdly, when environmental information is insufficient, the qualitative analysis should be combined with quantitative analysis to ensure the accuracy and practicality of the research. Finally, when predicting a suitability distribution of giant pandas, the modelling results under different spatial extents can provide management agencies at the various administrative levels with more targeted giant panda protective measures.

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A checklist for maximizing reproducibility of ecological niche models

Nature Ecology & Evolution ◽

10.1038/s41559-019-0972-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (10) ◽

pp. 1382-1395 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Xiao Feng ◽

Daniel S. Park ◽

Cassondra Walker ◽

A. Townsend Peterson ◽

Cory Merow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Niche ◽

Statistical Modelling ◽

Species Distribution Modelling ◽

Ecological Niche Modelling ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

Niche Modelling ◽

Future Work

Abstract Reporting specific modelling methods and metadata is essential to the reproducibility of ecological studies, yet guidelines rarely exist regarding what information should be noted. Here, we address this issue for ecological niche modelling or species distribution modelling, a rapidly developing toolset in ecology used across many aspects of biodiversity science. Our quantitative review of the recent literature reveals a general lack of sufficient information to fully reproduce the work. Over two-thirds of the examined studies neglected to report the version or access date of the underlying data, and only half reported model parameters. To address this problem, we propose adopting a checklist to guide studies in reporting at least the minimum information necessary for ecological niche modelling reproducibility, offering a straightforward way to balance efficiency and accuracy. We encourage the ecological niche modelling community, as well as journal reviewers and editors, to utilize and further develop this framework to facilitate and improve the reproducibility of future work. The proposed checklist framework is generalizable to other areas of ecology, especially those utilizing biodiversity data, environmental data and statistical modelling, and could also be adopted by a broader array of disciplines.

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Environmental Data

Ecological Niches and Geographic Distributions (MPB-49) ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691136868.003.0006 ◽

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.

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Effects of climate change on the distributional potential of three range-restricted West African bird species

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duz012 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 121 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Benedictus Freeman ◽

Julia Sunnarborg ◽

A Townsend Peterson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Global Climate ◽

West African ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Individual Species ◽

Tropical Species ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

Niche Models

Abstract A detailed understanding of species’ responses to global climate change provides an informative baseline for designing conservation strategies to optimize protection of biodiversity. However, such information is either limited or not available for many tropical species, making it difficult to incorporate climate change into conservation planning for most tropical species. Here, we used correlative ecological niche models to assess potential distributional responses of 3 range-restricted West African birds, Timneh Parrot (Pscittacus erithracus timneh), Ballman’s Malimbe (Malimbus ballmanni), and White-necked Rockfowl (Picathartes gymnocephalus), to global climate change. We used primary biodiversity occurrence records for each species obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, eBird, and VertNet; for environmental data, we used climatic variables for the present and future, the latter characterized by 2 IPCC representative concentration pathways (4.5, 8.5) future emissions scenarios and 27 general circulation models for a 2050 time horizon. We found broad present-day potential distributions with respect to climate for all 3 species. Future potential distributions for Ballman’s Malimbe and White-necked Rockfowl tended to be stable and closely similar to their present-day distributions; by contrast, we found marked climate change–driven potential range loss across the range of Timneh Parrot. Our results suggest that impacts of climate change on the present distributions of West African birds will in some cases be minimal, but that individual species may respond differently to future conditions. Thus, to optimize conservation of these species, and of bird diversity in general, we recommend that regional-to-national species conservation action plans incorporate climate change adaptation strategies for individual species; ecological niche models could provide an informative baseline information for this planning and prioritization.

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Estimating circumpolar distributions of lanternfish using 2D and 3D ecological niche models

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps13384 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 647 ◽

pp. 179-193

Author(s):

JJ Freer ◽

GA Tarling ◽

MA Collins ◽

JC Partridge ◽

MJ Genner

Keyword(s):

Ecological Niche ◽

3D Models ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Data Availability ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Depth Information ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Environmental Predictors ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

Niche Models

Ecological niche models (ENMs) can be a practical approach for investigating distributions and habitat characteristics of pelagic species. In principle, to reflect the ecological niche of a species well, ENMs should incorporate environmental predictors that consider its full vertical habitat, yet examples of such models are rare. Here we present the first application of ‘3D’ ENMs to 10 Southern Ocean lanternfish species. This 3D approach incorporates depth-specific environmental predictor data to identify the distribution of suitable habitat across multiple depth levels. Results were compared to those from the more common ‘2D’ approach, which uses only environmental data from the sea surface. Measures of model discriminatory ability and overfitting indicated that 2D models often outperform 3D methods, even when accounting for reduced available sample size in the 3D models. Nevertheless, models for species with a known affinity for deeper habitat benefitted from the 3D approach, and our results suggest that species can track their ecological niche in latitude and depth leading to equatorward or poleward range extensions beyond that expected from incorporating only surface data. However, since 3D models require comprehensive depth-specific data, both data availability and the need for depth-specific model outputs must be considered when choosing the appropriate modelling approach. We advocate increased effort to include depth-resolved environmental parameters within marine ENMs. This will require collection of mesopelagic species occurrence data using appropriate temporal and depth-stratified methods, and inclusion of accurate depth information when occurrence records are submitted to global biodiversity databases.

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Ecological niche complexity of invasive and native cryptic species of the Bemisia tabaci species complex in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-342457/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yantao Xue ◽

Congtian Lin ◽

Yaozhuo Wang ◽

Yibo Zhang ◽

Liqiang Ji

Keyword(s):

Cryptic Species ◽

Bemisia Tabaci ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Species Complex ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Niche Overlap ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Ecological Niche Models

Abstract Bemisia tabaci is an important pest of agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide and comprises a complex of cryptic species. In China, the introduction of the two invasive cryptic species, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED), has considerably affected the ecological niche of the native cryptic species. Based on occurrence records obtained through field surveys and high-resolution environmental data, ecological niche models were established to predict the distribution of invasive and native cryptic species of B. tabaci in China using the MaxEnt model. The models showed that the suitable range, the important environmental variables affecting the distribution of the cryptic species, and the adaptation range of the main environmental variables related to them were different. The findings of this study showed that the B. tabaci species complex possesses a complex ecological niche. The distribution range and niche breadth of the invasive cryptic species exceeds that of the native cryptic species in the order of MED > MEAM1 > China1 > Asia1. There are different degrees of niche overlap and range overlap among the different cryptic species. This study, therefore, revealed the differences in the distribution and ecological niche of the invasive and native cryptic species of B. tabaci in China. The findings of this study contribute to the ecological knowledge of B. tabaci, which will be useful in the development of prevention and control strategies for this pest in China.

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Islands in the desert: environmental distribution modelling of endemic flora reveals the extent of Pleistocene tropical relict vegetation in southern Arabia

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mcz085 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 124 (3) ◽

pp. 411-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

James S Borrell ◽

Ghudaina Al Issaey ◽

Darach A Lupton ◽

Thomas Starnes ◽

Abdulrahman Al Hinai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Variables ◽

Narrow Range ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Endemic Plants ◽

Environmental Niche ◽

Environmental Distribution ◽

Southern Arabia ◽

Endemic Flora

AbstractBackground and AimsSouthern Arabia is a global biodiversity hotspot with a high proportion of endemic desert-adapted plants. Here we examine evidence for a Pleistocene climate refugium in the southern Central Desert of Oman, and its role in driving biogeographical patterns of endemism.MethodsDistribution data for seven narrow-range endemic plants were collected systematically across 195 quadrats, together with incidental and historic records. Important environmental variables relevant to arid coastal areas, including night-time fog and cloud cover, were developed for the study area. Environmental niche models using presence/absence data were built and tuned for each species, and spatial overlap was examined.Key ResultsA region of the Jiddat Al Arkad reported independent high model suitability for all species. Examination of environmental data across southern Oman indicates that the Jiddat Al Arkad displays a regionally unique climate with higher intra-annual stability, due in part to the influence of the southern monsoon. Despite this, the relative importance of environmental variables was highly differentiated among species, suggesting that characteristic variables such as coastal fog are not major cross-species predictors at this scale.ConclusionsThe co-occurrence of a high number of endemic study species within a narrow monsoon-influenced region is indicative of a refugium with low climate change velocity. Combined with climate analysis, our findings provide strong evidence for a southern Arabian Pleistocene refugium in Oman’s Central Desert. We suggest that this refugium has acted as an isolated temperate and mesic island in the desert, resulting in the evolution of these narrow-range endemic flora. Based on the composition of species, this system may represent the northernmost remnant of a continuous belt of mesic vegetation formerly ranging from Africa to Asia, with close links to the flora of East Africa. This has significant implications for future conservation of endemic plants in an arid biodiversity hotspot.

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The status of the anomalepidid snake Liotyphlops albirostris and the revalidation of three taxa based on morphology and ecological niche models

The Anatomical Record ◽

10.1002/ar.24730 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 304 (10) ◽

pp. 2264-2278

Author(s):

Camilo A. Linares‐Vargas ◽

Wilmar Bolívar‐García ◽

Alexandra Herrera‐Martínez ◽

Daniel Osorio‐Domínguez ◽

Oscar E. Ospina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Niche ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

The Status ◽

Niche Models

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Mosquitoes of the Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85442-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mattia Calzolari ◽

Rosanna Desiato ◽

Alessandro Albieri ◽

Veronica Bellavia ◽

Michela Bertola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Abundant Species ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Correct Identification ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

Breeding Sites ◽

Anopheles Atroparvus ◽

Species Inquirenda ◽

Maculipennis Complex

AbstractThe correct identification of mosquito vectors is often hampered by the presence of morphologically indiscernible sibling species. The Maculipennis complex is one of these groups that include both malaria vectors of primary importance and species of low/negligible epidemiological relevance, of which distribution data in Italy are outdated. Our study was aimed at providing an updated distribution of Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy through the sampling and morphological/molecular identification of specimens from five regions. The most abundant species was Anopheles messeae (2032), followed by Anopheles maculipennis s.s. (418), Anopheles atroparvus (28) and Anopheles melanoon (13). Taking advantage of ITS2 barcoding, we were able to finely characterize tested mosquitoes, classifying all the Anopheles messeae specimens as Anopheles daciae, a taxon with debated rank to which we referred as species inquirenda (sp. inq.). The distribution of species was characterized by Ecological Niche Models (ENMs), fed by recorded points of presence. ENMs provided clues on the ecological preferences of the detected species, with An. daciae sp. inq. linked to stable breeding sites and An. maculipennis s.s. more associated to ephemeral breeding sites. We demonstrate that historical Anopheles malaria vectors are still present in Northern Italy.

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