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Mora BB, Guisan A, Alexander JM. Uncovering Broad Macroecological Patterns by Comparing the Shape of Species' Distributions along Environmental Gradients. Am Nat 2024; 203:124-138. [PMID: 38207136 PMCID: PMC7616097 DOI: 10.1086/727518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractSpecies' distributions can take many different forms. For example, fat-tailed or skewed distributions are very common in nature, as these can naturally emerge as a result of individual variability and asymmetric environmental tolerances, respectively. Studying the basic shape of distributions can teach us a lot about the ways climatic processes and historical contingencies shape ecological communities. Yet we still lack a general understanding of how their shapes and properties compare to each other along gradients. Here, we use Bayesian nonlinear models to quantify range shape properties in empirical plant distributions. With this approach, we are able to distil the shape of plant distributions and compare them along gradients and across species. Studying the relationship between distribution properties, we revealed the existence of broad macroecological patterns along environmental gradients-such as those expected from Rapoport's rule and the abiotic stress limitation hypothesis. We also find that some aspects of the shape of observed ranges-such as kurtosis and skewness of the distributions-could be intrinsic properties of species or the result of their historical contexts. Overall, our modeling approach and results untangle the general shape of plant distributions and provide a mapping of how this changes along environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Ni M, Vellend M. Soil properties constrain predicted poleward migration of plants under climate change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:131-141. [PMID: 37525059 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Many plant species are predicted to migrate poleward in response to climate change. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely used to quantify future suitable habitats, but they often neglect soil properties, despite the importance of soil for plant fitness. As soil properties often change along latitudinal gradients, higher-latitude soils might be more or less suitable than average conditions within the current ranges of species, thereby accelerating or slowing potential poleward migration. In this study, we built three SDMs - one with only climate predictors, one with only soil predictors, and one with both - for each of 1870 plant species in Eastern North America, in order to investigate the relative importance of soil properties in determining plant distributions and poleward shifts under climate change. While climate variables were the most important predictors, soil properties also had a substantial influence on continental-scale plant distributions. Under future climate scenarios, models including soil predicted much smaller northward shifts in distributions than climate-only models (c. 40% reduction). Our findings strongly suggest that high-latitude soils are likely to impede ongoing plant migration, and they highlight the necessity of incorporating soil properties into models and predictions for plant distributions and migration under environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ni
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
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3
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Ahmadi K, Mahmoodi S, Pal SC, Saha A, Chowdhuri I, Nguyen TT, Jarvie S, Szostak M, Socha J, Thai VN. Improving species distribution models for dominant trees in climate data-poor forests using high-resolution remote sensing. Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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4
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Galappaththi HSSD, de Silva WAPP, Clavijo Mccormick A. A mini-review on the impact of common gorse in its introduced ranges. Trop Ecol 2023; 64:1-25. [PMID: 35531346 PMCID: PMC9059460 DOI: 10.1007/s42965-022-00239-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
It is indisputable that invasive plant species strongly impact the ecosystems they invade. Many of such impacts can be negative and threaten the local species through competition, environmental change, or habitat loss. However, introduced plants may also have positive roles in the ecosystems they invade. This review extracted information from reports on common gorse (Ulex europaeus), one of the top 100 invasive plants on the earth, including its detrimental effects and potential beneficial roles in invaded ecosystems. The reduction of native fauna and flora are the main harmful effects of common gorse identified by the literature review. Soil impoverishment and fire hazards are other negative impacts reported for common gorse that could affect agricultural systems and local economies. Despite the negative impacts, reports of positive ecological services provided by common gorse also exist, e.g., as a nursery plant or habitat for endangered native animals. We also reviewed the known human uses of this plant that could support management strategies through harvest and benefit the local communities, including its use as biofuel, raw matter for xylan extraction, medicine, and food. Finally, our review identified the gaps in the literature regarding the understanding of the beneficial role of common gorse on native ecosystems and potential human uses, especially in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea Clavijo Mccormick
- School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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5
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Zhi X, Du H, Zhang M, Long Z, Zhong L, Sun X. Mapping the habitat for the moose population in Northeast China by combining remote sensing products and random forests. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
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6
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Sanguet A, Wyler N, Petitpierre B, Honeck E, Poussin C, Martin P, Lehmann A. Beyond topo-climatic predictors: Does habitats distribution and remote sensing information improve predictions of species distribution models? Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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7
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Mapping Mediterranean maquis formations using Sentinel-2 time-series. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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8
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Ahmed N, Atzberger C, Zewdie W. The potential of modeling Prosopis Juliflora invasion using Sentinel-2 satellite data and environmental variables in the dryland ecosystem of Ethiopia. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Cerrejón C, Valeria O, Muñoz J, Fenton NJ. Small but visible: Predicting rare bryophyte distribution and richness patterns using remote sensing-based ensembles of small models. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260543. [PMID: 34990454 PMCID: PMC8735603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In Canadian boreal forests, bryophytes represent an essential component of biodiversity and play a significant role in ecosystem functioning. Despite their ecological importance and sensitivity to disturbances, bryophytes are overlooked in conservation strategies due to knowledge gaps on their distribution, which is known as the Wallacean shortfall. Rare species deserve priority attention in conservation as they are at a high risk of extinction. This study aims to elaborate predictive models of rare bryophyte species in Canadian boreal forests using remote sensing-derived predictors in an Ensemble of Small Models (ESMs) framework. We hypothesize that high ESMs-based prediction accuracy can be achieved for rare bryophyte species despite their low number of occurrences. We also assess if there is a spatial correspondence between rare and overall bryophyte richness patterns. The study area is located in western Quebec and covers 72,292 km2. We selected 52 bryophyte species with <30 occurrences from a presence-only database (214 species, 389 plots in total). ESMs were built from Random Forest and Maxent techniques using remote sensing-derived predictors related to topography and vegetation. Lee's L statistic was used to assess and map the spatial relationship between rare and overall bryophyte richness patterns. ESMs yielded poor to excellent prediction accuracy (AUC > 0.5) for 73% of the modeled species, with AUC values > 0.8 for 19 species, which confirmed our hypothesis. In fact, ESMs provided better predictions for the rarest bryophytes. Likewise, our study revealed a spatial concordance between rare and overall bryophyte richness patterns in different regions of the study area, which have important implications for conservation planning. This study demonstrates the potential of remote sensing for assessing and making predictions on inconspicuous and rare species across the landscape and lays the basis for the eventual inclusion of bryophytes into sustainable development planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cerrejón
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada
| | - Osvaldo Valeria
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada
- Hémera Centro de Observación de la Tierra, Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jesús Muñoz
- Real Jardín Botánico (RJB-CSIC), Madrid, España
| | - Nicole J. Fenton
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada
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10
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Schwager P, Berg C. Remote sensing variables improve species distribution models for alpine plant species. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Earth Observation and Biodiversity Big Data for Forest Habitat Types Classification and Mapping. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13071231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the light of the “Biological Diversity” concept, habitats are cardinal pieces for biodiversity quantitative estimation at a local and global scale. In Europe EUNIS (European Nature Information System) is a system tool for habitat identification and assessment. Earth Observation (EO) data, which are acquired by satellite sensors, offer new opportunities for environmental sciences and they are revolutionizing the methodologies applied. These are providing unprecedented insights for habitat monitoring and for evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. This paper shows the results of a novel approach for a spatially explicit habitat mapping in Italy at a national scale, using a supervised machine learning model (SMLM), through the combination of vegetation plot database (as response variable), and both spectral and environmental predictors. The procedure integrates forest habitat data in Italy from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA), with Sentinel-2 imagery processing (vegetation indices time series, spectral indices, and single bands spectral signals) and environmental data variables (i.e., climatic and topographic), to parameterize a Random Forests (RF) classifier. The obtained results classify 24 forest habitats according to the EUNIS III level: 12 broadleaved deciduous (T1), 4 broadleaved evergreen (T2) and eight needleleaved forest habitats (T3), and achieved an overall accuracy of 87% at the EUNIS II level classes (T1, T2, T3), and an overall accuracy of 76.14% at the EUNIS III level. The highest overall accuracy value was obtained for the broadleaved evergreen forest equal to 91%, followed by 76% and 68% for needleleaved and broadleaved deciduous habitat forests, respectively. The results of the proposed methodology open the way to increase the EUNIS habitat categories to be mapped together with their geographical extent, and to test different semi-supervised machine learning algorithms and ensemble modelling methods.
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12
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Cerrejón C, Valeria O, Marchand P, Caners RT, Fenton NJ. No place to hide: Rare plant detection through remote sensing. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cerrejón
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - Osvaldo Valeria
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - Philippe Marchand
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | | | - Nicole J. Fenton
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
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13
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Chauvier Y, Thuiller W, Brun P, Lavergne S, Descombes P, Karger DN, Renaud J, Zimmermann NE. Influence of climate, soil, and land cover on plant species distribution in the European Alps. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yohann Chauvier
- Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL) Birmensdorf8903Switzerland
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine CNRS LECA Université Grenoble AlpesUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc GrenobleF‐38000France
| | - Philipp Brun
- Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL) Birmensdorf8903Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine CNRS LECA Université Grenoble AlpesUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc GrenobleF‐38000France
| | | | - Dirk N. Karger
- Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL) Birmensdorf8903Switzerland
| | - Julien Renaud
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine CNRS LECA Université Grenoble AlpesUniversité Savoie Mont Blanc GrenobleF‐38000France
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14
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Synergistic Use of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 to Map Natural Forest and Acacia Plantation and Stand Ages in North-Central Vietnam. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13020185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many remote sensing studies do not distinguish between natural and planted forests. We combine C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (Sentinel-1, S-1) and optical satellite imagery (Sentinel-2, S-2) and examine Random Forest (RF) classification of acacia plantations and natural forest in North-Central Vietnam. We demonstrate an ability to distinguish plantation from natural forest, with overall classification accuracies of 87% for S-1, and 92.5% and 92.3% for S-2 and for S-1 and S-2 combined respectively. We found that the ratio of the Short-Wave Infrared Band to the Red Band proved most effective in distinguishing acacia from natural forest. We used RF on S-2 imagery to classify acacia plantations into 6 age classes with an overall accuracy of 70%, with young plantation consistently separated from older. However, accuracy was lower at distinguishing between the older age classes. For both distinguishing plantation and natural forest, and determining plantation age, a combination of radar and optical imagery did nothing to improve classification accuracy.
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15
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Sillero N, dos Santos R, Teodoro AC, Carretero MA. Ecological niche models improve home range estimations. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Sillero
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo‐Espaciais (CICGE) Vila Nova de Gaia Portugal
| | | | - A. C. Teodoro
- Instituto de Ciências da Terra (ICT) Porto Portugal
- Departamento de Geociências Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - M. A. Carretero
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources InBIO Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
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16
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Nic Lughadha E, Bachman SP, Leão TCC, Forest F, Halley JM, Moat J, Acedo C, Bacon KL, Brewer RFA, Gâteblé G, Gonçalves SC, Govaerts R, Hollingsworth PM, Krisai‐Greilhuber I, Lirio EJ, Moore PGP, Negrão R, Onana JM, Rajaovelona LR, Razanajatovo H, Reich PB, Richards SL, Rivers MC, Cooper A, Iganci J, Lewis GP, Smidt EC, Antonelli A, Mueller GM, Walker BE. Extinction risk and threats to plants and fungi. PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET 2020; 2:389-408. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven P. Bachman
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | | | - Félix Forest
- Analytical Methods Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | - John M. Halley
- Laboratory of Ecology Department of Biological Applications & Technology University of Ioannina Ioannina Greece
| | - Justin Moat
- Bioinformatics and Spatial Analysis Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | - Carmen Acedo
- Department of Biodiversity and Environment Management Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Campus of Vegazana University of León León Spain
| | - Karen L. Bacon
- Botany & Plant Sciences School of Natural Sciences National University of Ireland Galway Ireland
| | - Ryan F. A. Brewer
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | - Gildas Gâteblé
- Equipe ARBOREAL Institut Agronomique néo‐Calédonien Mont‐Dore New Caledonia
| | - Susana C. Gonçalves
- Centre for Functional Ecology Department of Life Sciences University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Rafaël Govaerts
- Bioinformatics and Spatial Analysis Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | | | - Irmgard Krisai‐Greilhuber
- Mycology Research Group Division of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Elton J. Lirio
- Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Raquel Negrão
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | - Jean Michel Onana
- Systematics, Biodiversity and Conservation of Plants Faculty of Science University of Yaoundé I & National Herbarium of Cameroon Yaoundé Cameroon
| | - Landy R. Rajaovelona
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
- Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Henintsoa Razanajatovo
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
- Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith NSW Australia
| | | | | | - Amanda Cooper
- Bioinformatics and Spatial Analysis Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
- Department of Biological Sciences Royal HollowayUniversity of London Egham UK
| | - João Iganci
- Instituto de Biologia Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pelotas Pelotas Brazil
- Instituto de Biociências Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Botânica Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Gwilym P. Lewis
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
| | - Eric C. Smidt
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Gregory M. Mueller
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action Chicago Botanic Garden Chicago IL USA
| | - Barnaby E. Walker
- Conservation Science Department Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
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Adepoju K, Adelabu S, Mokubung C. Mapping Seriphium plumosum encroachment and interaction with wildfire and environmental factors in a protected mountainous grassland. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:328. [PMID: 32372345 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08253-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Accurate information on the distribution of invasive native species could provide important and effective procedures for managing savannah environment, especially in sensitive mountainous grasslands. The study detected and mapped Seriphium plumosum within a mountainous landscape and linked the georeferenced occurrence data with the corresponding site-specific environmental factors to predict the locations of unknown populations using a MaxEnt niche model. We also explored the relative contribution in terms of species interaction with its surrounding biophysical environment. The AUC value of 0.876 estimated for the species distribution is an indication of a good model fit. Our findings indicated that Seriphium plumosum preferred areas with higher temperature associated with recurrence fire events and limited soil moisture. It was concluded that the projected conditions of increasing temperature and fire events could promote widespread gain of niche space for Seriphium plumosum while at the same time altering community structure and composition, hydrological properties, and other vital ecosystem services in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayode Adepoju
- Department of Geography, University of The Free State, QwaQwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa.
| | - Samuel Adelabu
- Department of Geography, University of The Free State, QwaQwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
| | - Cynthia Mokubung
- Department of Geography, University of The Free State, QwaQwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
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Raymond CV, McCune JL, Rosner‐Katz H, Chadès I, Schuster R, Gilbert B, Bennett JR. Combining species distribution models and value of information analysis for spatial allocation of conservation resources. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Iadine Chadès
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Ecosciences Precinct Dutton Park Qld Australia
| | | | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
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Direct, ECOC, ND and END Frameworks—Which One Is the Best? An Empirical Study of Sentinel-2A MSIL1C Image Classification for Arid-Land Vegetation Mapping in the Ili River Delta, Kazakhstan. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11161953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To facilitate the advances in Sentinel-2A products for land cover from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat imagery, Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument Level-1C (MSIL1C) images are investigated for large-scale vegetation mapping in an arid land environment that is located in the Ili River delta, Kazakhstan. For accurate classification purposes, multi-resolution segmentation (MRS) based extended object-guided morphological profiles (EOMPs) are proposed and then compared with conventional morphological profiles (MPs), MPs with partial reconstruction (MPPR), object-guided MPs (OMPs), OMPs with mean values (OMPsM), and object-oriented (OO)-based image classification techniques. Popular classifiers, such as C4.5, an extremely randomized decision tree (ERDT), random forest (RaF), rotation forest (RoF), classification via random forest regression (CVRFR), ExtraTrees, and radial basis function (RBF) kernel-based support vector machines (SVMs) are adopted to answer the question of whether nested dichotomies (ND) and ensembles of ND (END) are truly superior to direct and error-correcting output code (ECOC) multiclass classification frameworks. Finally, based on the results, the following conclusions are drawn: 1) the superior performance of OO-based techniques over MPs, MPPR, OMPs, and OMPsM is clear for Sentinel-2A MSIL1C image classification, while the best results are achieved by the proposed EOMPs; 2) the superior performance of ND, ND with class balancing (NDCB), ND with data balancing (NDDB), ND with random-pair selection (NDRPS), and ND with further centroid (NDFC) over direct and ECOC frameworks is not confirmed, especially in the cases of using weak classifiers for low-dimensional datasets; 3) from computationally efficient, high accuracy, redundant to data dimensionality and easy of implementations points of view, END, ENDCB, ENDDB, and ENDRPS are alternative choices to direct and ECOC frameworks; 4) surprisingly, because in the ensemble learning (EL) theorem, “weaker” classifiers (ERDT here) always have a better chance of reaching the trade-off between diversity and accuracy than “stronger” classifies (RaF, ExtraTrees, and SVM here), END with ERDT (END-ERDT) achieves the best performance with less than a 0.5% difference in the overall accuracy (OA) values, but is 100 to 10000 times faster than END with RaF and ExtraTrees, and ECOC with SVM while using different datasets with various dimensions; and, 5) Sentinel-2A MSIL1C is better choice than the land cover products from MODIS and Landsat imagery for vegetation species mapping in an arid land environment, where the vegetation species are critically important, but sparsely distributed.
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Urban Tree Species Classification Using a WorldView-2/3 and LiDAR Data Fusion Approach and Deep Learning. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19061284. [PMID: 30875732 PMCID: PMC6471063 DOI: 10.3390/s19061284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Urban areas feature complex and heterogeneous land covers which create challenging issues for tree species classification. The increased availability of high spatial resolution multispectral satellite imagery and LiDAR datasets combined with the recent evolution of deep learning within remote sensing for object detection and scene classification, provide promising opportunities to map individual tree species with greater accuracy and resolution. However, there are knowledge gaps that are related to the contribution of Worldview-3 SWIR bands, very high resolution PAN band and LiDAR data in detailed tree species mapping. Additionally, contemporary deep learning methods are hampered by lack of training samples and difficulties of preparing training data. The objective of this study was to examine the potential of a novel deep learning method, Dense Convolutional Network (DenseNet), to identify dominant individual tree species in a complex urban environment within a fused image of WorldView-2 VNIR, Worldview-3 SWIR and LiDAR datasets. DenseNet results were compared against two popular machine classifiers in remote sensing image analysis, Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Our results demonstrated that: (1) utilizing a data fusion approach beginning with VNIR and adding SWIR, LiDAR, and panchromatic (PAN) bands increased the overall accuracy of the DenseNet classifier from 75.9% to 76.8%, 81.1% and 82.6%, respectively. (2) DenseNet significantly outperformed RF and SVM for the classification of eight dominant tree species with an overall accuracy of 82.6%, compared to 51.8% and 52% for SVM and RF classifiers, respectively. (3) DenseNet maintained superior performance over RF and SVM classifiers under restricted training sample quantities which is a major limiting factor for deep learning techniques. Overall, the study reveals that DenseNet is more effective for urban tree species classification as it outperforms the popular RF and SVM techniques when working with highly complex image scenes regardless of training sample size.
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Regos A, Gagne L, Alcaraz-Segura D, Honrado JP, Domínguez J. Effects of species traits and environmental predictors on performance and transferability of ecological niche models. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4221. [PMID: 30862919 PMCID: PMC6414724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40766-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of ecological niche models (ENMs) to produce robust predictions for different time frames (i.e. temporal transferability) may be hindered by a lack of ecologically relevant predictors. Model performance may also be affected by species traits, which may reflect different responses to processes controlling species distribution. In this study, we tested four primary hypotheses involving the role of species traits and environmental predictors in ENM performance and transferability. We compared the predictive accuracy of ENMs based upon (1) climate, (2) land-use/cover (LULC) and (3) ecosystem functional attributes (EFAs), and (4) the combination of these factors for 27 bird species within and beyond the time frame of model calibration. The combination of these factors significantly increased both model performance and transferability, highlighting the need to integrate climate, LULC and EFAs to improve biodiversity projections. However, the overall model transferability was low (being only acceptable for less than 25% of species), even under a hierarchical modelling approach, which calls for great caution in the use of ENMs to predict bird distributions under global change scenarios. Our findings also indicate that positive effects of species traits on predictive accuracy within model calibration are not necessarily translated into higher temporal transferability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Regos
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Laura Gagne
- Universitè de Niza Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
| | - Domingo Alcaraz-Segura
- Department of Botany and Inter-Universitary Institute for Earth System Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Andalusian Center for the Assessment and Monitoring of Global Change (CAESCG), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - João P Honrado
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jesús Domínguez
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Senay SD, Worner SP. Multi-Scenario Species Distribution Modeling. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10030065. [PMID: 30832259 PMCID: PMC6468778 DOI: 10.3390/insects10030065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Correlative species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly being used to predict suitable insect habitats. There is also much criticism of prediction discrepancies among different SDMs for the same species and the lack of effective communication about SDM prediction uncertainty. In this paper, we undertook a factorial study to investigate the effects of various modeling components (species-training-datasets, predictor variables, dimension-reduction methods, and model types) on the accuracy of SDM predictions, with the aim of identifying sources of discrepancy and uncertainty. We found that model type was the major factor causing variation in species-distribution predictions among the various modeling components tested. We also found that different combinations of modeling components could significantly increase or decrease the performance of a model. This result indicated the importance of keeping modeling components constant for comparing a given SDM result. With all modeling components, constant, machine-learning models seem to outperform other model types. We also found that, on average, the Hierarchical Non-Linear Principal Components Analysis dimension-reduction method improved model performance more than other methods tested. We also found that the widely used confusion-matrix-based model-performance indices such as the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and Kappa do not necessarily help select the best model from a set of models if variation in performance is not large. To conclude, model result discrepancies do not necessarily suggest lack of robustness in correlative modeling as they can also occur due to inappropriate selection of modeling components. In addition, more research on model performance evaluation is required for developing robust and sensitive model evaluation methods. Undertaking multi-scenario species-distribution modeling, where possible, is likely to mitigate errors arising from inappropriate modeling components selection, and provide end users with better information on the resulting model prediction uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senait D Senay
- GEMS™-A CFANS & MSI initiative, University of Minnesota, 305 Cargill Building, 1500 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, 495 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| | - Susan P Worner
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7674, New Zealand.
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Scherrer D, Guisan A. Ecological indicator values reveal missing predictors of species distributions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3061. [PMID: 30816150 PMCID: PMC6395803 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39133-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The questions of how much abiotic environment contributes to explain species distributions, and which abiotic factors are the most influential, are key when projecting species realized niches in space and time. Here, we show that answers to these questions can be obtained by using species' ecological indicator values (EIVs). By calculating community averages of plant EIVs (397 plant species and 3988 vegetation plots), we found that substituting mapped environmental predictors with site EIVs led to a doubling of explained variation (22.5% to 44%). EIVs representing light and soil showed the highest model improvement, while EIVs representing temperature did not explain additional variance, suggesting that current temperature maps are already fairly accurate. Therefore, although temperature is frequently reported as having a dominant effect on species distributions over other factors, our results suggest that this might primarily result from limitations in our capacity to map other key environmental factors, such as light and soil properties, over large areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Scherrer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Identifying European Old-Growth Forests using Remote Sensing: A Study in the Ukrainian Carpathians. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Old-growth forests are an important, rare and endangered habitat in Europe. The ability to identify old-growth forests through remote sensing would be helpful for both conservation and forest management. We used data on beech, Norway spruce and mountain pine old-growth forests in the Ukrainian Carpathians to test whether Sentinel-2 satellite images could be used to correctly identify these forests. We used summer and autumn 2017 Sentinel-2 satellite images comprising 10 and 20 m resolution bands to create 6 vegetation indices and 9 textural features. We used a Random Forest classification model to discriminate between dominant tree species within old-growth forests and between old-growth and other forest types. Beech and Norway spruce were identified with an overall accuracy of around 90%, with a lower performance for mountain pine (70%) and mixed forest (40%). Old-growth forests were identified with an overall classification accuracy of 85%. Adding textural features, band standard deviations and elevation data improved accuracies by 3.3%, 2.1% and 1.8% respectively, while using combined summer and autumn images increased accuracy by 1.2%. We conclude that Random Forest classification combined with Sentinel-2 images can provide an effective option for identifying old-growth forests in Europe.
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Leitão PJ, Santos MJ. Improving Models of Species Ecological Niches: A Remote Sensing Overview. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Importance of Remotely-Sensed Vegetation Variables for Predicting the Spatial Distribution of African Citrus Triozid (Trioza erytreae) in Kenya. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi7110429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Citrus is considered one of the most important fruit crops globally due to its contribution to food and nutritional security. However, the production of citrus has recently been in decline due to many biological, environmental, and socio-economic constraints. Amongst the biological ones, pests and diseases play a major role in threatening citrus quantity and quality. The most damaging disease in Kenya, is the African citrus greening disease (ACGD) or Huanglongbing (HLB) which is transmitted by the African citrus triozid (ACT), Trioza erytreae. HLB in Kenya is reported to have had the greatest impact on citrus production in the highlands, causing yield losses of 25% to 100%. This study aimed at predicting the occurrence of ACT using an ecological habitat suitability modeling approach. Specifically, we tested the contribution of vegetation phenological variables derived from remotely-sensed (RS) data combined with bio-climatic and topographical variables (BCL) to accurately predict the distribution of ACT in citrus-growing areas in Kenya. A MaxEnt (maximum entropy) suitability modeling approach was used on ACT presence-only data. Forty-seven (47) ACT observations were collected while 23 BCL and 12 RS covariates were used as predictor variables in the MaxEnt modeling. The BCL variables were extracted from the WorldClim data set, while the RS variables were predicted from vegetation phenological time-series data (spanning the years 2014–2016) and annually-summed land surface temperature (LST) metrics (2014–2016). We developed two MaxEnt models; one including both the BCL and the RS variables (BCL-RS) and another with only the BCL variables. Further, we tested the relationship between ACT habitat suitability and the surrounding land use/land cover (LULC) proportions using a random forest regression model. The results showed that the combined BCL-RS model predicted the distribution and habitat suitability for ACT better than the BCL-only model. The overall accuracy for the BCL-RS model result was 92% (true skills statistic: TSS = 0.83), whereas the BCL-only model had an accuracy of 85% (TSS = 0.57). Also, the results revealed that the proportion of shrub cover surrounding citrus orchards positively influenced the suitability probability of the ACT. These results provide a resourceful tool for precise, timely, and site-specific implementation of ACGD control strategies.
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Ruiz Daniels R, Taylor RS, Serra-Varela MJ, Vendramin GG, González-Martínez SC, Grivet D. Inferring selection in instances of long-range colonization: The Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) in the Mediterranean Basin. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3331-3345. [PMID: 29972881 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Teasing apart the effects of natural selection and demography on current allele frequencies is challenging, due to both processes leaving a similar molecular footprint. In particular, when attempting to identify selection in species that have undergone a recent range expansion, the increase in genetic drift at the edges of range expansions ("allele surfing") can be a confounding factor. To address this potential issue, we first assess the long-range colonization history of the Aleppo pine across the Mediterranean Basin, using molecular markers. We then look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in local adaptation using: (a) environmental correlation methods (bayenv2), focusing on bioclimatic variables important for the species' adaptation (i.e., temperature, precipitation and water availability); and (b) FST -related methods (pcadapt). To assess the rate of false positives caused by the allele surfing effect, these results are compared with results from simulated SNP data that mimics the species' past range expansions and the effect of genetic drift, but with no selection. We find that the Aleppo pine shows a previously unsuspected complex genetic structure across its range, as well as evidence of selection acting on SNPs involved with the response to bioclimatic variables such as drought. This study uses an original approach to disentangle the confounding effects of drift and selection in range margin populations. It also contributes to the increased evidence that plant populations are able to adapt to new environments despite the expected accumulation of deleterious mutations that takes place during long-range colonizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Ruiz Daniels
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María Jesús Serra-Varela
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, INIA, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Plant Production and Forest Resources, University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, INIA, University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain
| | - Giovanni G Vendramin
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Santiago C González-Martínez
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, INIA, University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain
- BIOGECO, INRA, University of Bordeaux, Cestas, France
| | - Delphine Grivet
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, INIA, Madrid, Spain
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, INIA, University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain
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Application of Thermal and Phenological Land Surface Parameters for Improving Ecological Niche Models of Betula utilis in the Himalayan Region. REMOTE SENSING 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/rs10060814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Johnston MR, Elmore AJ, Mokany K, Lisk M, Fitzpatrick MC. Field-measured variables outperform derived alternatives in Maryland stream biodiversity models. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam R. Johnston
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Lab; Frostburg MD USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; Cambridge MA USA
| | - Andrew J. Elmore
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Lab; Frostburg MD USA
| | | | - Matthew Lisk
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Lab; Frostburg MD USA
| | - Matthew C. Fitzpatrick
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Lab; Frostburg MD USA
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Wall-to-Wall Tree Type Mapping from Countrywide Airborne Remote Sensing Surveys. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9080766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Truong TTA, Hardy GESJ, Andrew ME. Contemporary Remotely Sensed Data Products Refine Invasive Plants Risk Mapping in Data Poor Regions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:770. [PMID: 28555147 PMCID: PMC5430062 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Invasive weeds are a serious problem worldwide, threatening biodiversity and damaging economies. Modeling potential distributions of invasive weeds can prioritize locations for monitoring and control efforts, increasing management efficiency. Forecasts of invasion risk at regional to continental scales are enabled by readily available downscaled climate surfaces together with an increasing number of digitized and georeferenced species occurrence records and species distribution modeling techniques. However, predictions at a finer scale and in landscapes with less topographic variation may require predictors that capture biotic processes and local abiotic conditions. Contemporary remote sensing (RS) data can enhance predictions by providing a range of spatial environmental data products at fine scale beyond climatic variables only. In this study, we used the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and empirical maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models to model the potential distributions of 14 invasive plant species across Southeast Asia (SEA), selected from regional and Vietnam's lists of priority weeds. Spatial environmental variables used to map invasion risk included bioclimatic layers and recent representations of global land cover, vegetation productivity (GPP), and soil properties developed from Earth observation data. Results showed that combining climate and RS data reduced predicted areas of suitable habitat compared with models using climate or RS data only, with no loss in model accuracy. However, contributions of RS variables were relatively limited, in part due to uncertainties in the land cover data. We strongly encourage greater adoption of quantitative remotely sensed estimates of ecosystem structure and function for habitat suitability modeling. Through comprehensive maps of overall predicted area and diversity of invasive species, we found that among lifeforms (herb, shrub, and vine), shrub species have higher potential invasion risk in SEA. Native invasive species, which are often overlooked in weed risk assessment, may be as serious a problem as non-native invasive species. Awareness of invasive weeds and their environmental impacts is still nascent in SEA and information is scarce. Freely available global spatial datasets, not least those provided by Earth observation programs, and the results of studies such as this one provide critical information that enables strategic management of environmental threats such as invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuyet T. A. Truong
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, PerthWA, Australia
- Faculty of Environment, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and ForestryThai Nguyen, Vietnam
| | - Giles E. St. J. Hardy
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, PerthWA, Australia
| | - Margaret E. Andrew
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, PerthWA, Australia
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Somodi I, Lepesi N, Botta-Dukát Z. Prevalence dependence in model goodness measures with special emphasis on true skill statistics. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:863-872. [PMID: 28168023 PMCID: PMC5288248 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been a concern that performance measures of species distribution models react to attributes of the modeled entity arising from the input data structure rather than to model performance. Thus, the study of Allouche et al. (Journal of Applied Ecology, 43, 1223, 2006) identifying the true skill statistics (TSS) as being independent of prevalence had a great impact. However, empirical experience questioned the validity of the statement. We searched for technical reasons behind these observations. We explored possible sources of prevalence dependence in TSS including sampling constraints and species characteristics, which influence the calculation of TSS. We also examined whether the widespread solution of using the maximum of TSS for comparison among species introduces a prevalence effect. We found that the design of Allouche et al. (Journal of Applied Ecology, 43, 1223, 2006) was flawed, but TSS is indeed independent of prevalence if model predictions are binary and under the strict set of assumptions methodological studies usually apply. However, if we take realistic sources of prevalence dependence, effects appear even in binary calculations. Furthermore, in the widespread approach of using maximum TSS for continuous predictions, the use of the maximum alone induces prevalence dependence for small, but realistic samples. Thus, prevalence differences need to be taken into account when model comparisons are carried out based on discrimination capacity. The sources we identified can serve as a checklist to safely control comparisons, so that true discrimination capacity is compared as opposed to artefacts arising from data structure, species characteristics, or the calculation of the comparison measure (here TSS).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nikolett Lepesi
- Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary; National Adaptation Centre Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary Budapest Hungary
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Casazza G, Boucher FC, Minuto L, Randin CF, Conti E. Do floral and niche shifts favour the establishment and persistence of newly arisen polyploids? A case study in an Alpine primrose. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:81-93. [PMID: 28025287 PMCID: PMC5218380 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Polyploidization plays a key role in plant evolution. Despite the generally accepted 'minority-cytotype exclusion' theory, the specific mechanisms leading to successful establishment and persistence of new polyploids remain controversial. The majority of newly formed polyploids do not become established, because they are less common, have fewer potential mates or may not be able to compete successfully with co-occurring progenitors at lower ploidy levels. Changes in floral traits and ecological niches have been proposed as important mechanisms to overcome this initial frequency-dependent disadvantage. The aim of this study was to determine whether dodecaploids of the heterostylous P. marginata differ from their hexaploid progenitors in P. marginata and P. allionii for selected floral traits and ecological preferences that might be involved in establishment and persistence, providing a possible explanation for the origin of polyploidized populations. METHODS Floral morphological traits and ecological niche preferences among dodecaploids and their hexaploid progenitors in P. marginata and P. allionii ,: all restricted to the south-western Alps, were quantified and compared KEY RESULTS: Differences in floral traits were detected between dodecaploids and their closest relatives, but such differences might be too weak to counter the strength of minority cytotype disadvantage and are unlikely to enable the coexistence of different cytotypes. Furthermore, the results suggest the preservation of full distyly and no transition to selfing in dodecaploids. Finally, dodecaploids occur almost exclusively in environments that are predicted to be suitable also for their closest hexaploid relatives. CONCLUSIONS In light of the results, P. marginata dodecaploids have probably been able to establish and persist by occupying geographical areas not yet filled by their closest relatives without significant evolution in their climatic and pollination niches. Dispersal limitation and minority-cytotype exclusion probably maintain their current range disjunct from those of its close relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Casazza
- DISTAV, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Florian C Boucher
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Botanic Garden, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Luigi Minuto
- DISTAV, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Christophe F Randin
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elena Conti
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Botanic Garden, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
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Chala D, Brochmann C, Psomas A, Ehrich D, Gizaw A, Masao CA, Bakkestuen V, Zimmermann NE. Good-bye to tropical alpine plant giants under warmer climates? Loss of range and genetic diversity in Lobelia rhynchopetalum. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8931-8941. [PMID: 28035281 PMCID: PMC5192889 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to address consequences of climate warming on loss of habitat and genetic diversity in the enigmatic tropical alpine giant rosette plants using the Ethiopian endemic Lobelia rhynchopetalum as a model. We modeled the habitat suitability of L. rhynchopetalum and assessed how its range is affected under two climate models and four emission scenarios. We used three statistical algorithms calibrated to represent two different complexity levels of the response. We analyzed genetic diversity using amplified fragment length polymorphisms and assessed the impact of the projected range loss. Under all model and scenario combinations and consistent across algorithms and complexity levels, this afro-alpine flagship species faces massive range reduction. Only 3.4% of its habitat seems to remain suitable on average by 2,080, resulting in loss of 82% (CI 75%-87%) of its genetic diversity. The remaining suitable habitat is projected to be fragmented among and reduced to four mountain peaks, further deteriorating the probability of long-term sustainability of viable populations. Because of the similar morphological and physiological traits developed through convergent evolution by tropical alpine giant rosette plants in response to diurnal freeze-thaw cycles, they most likely respond to climate change in a similar way as our study species. We conclude that specialized high-alpine giant rosette plants, such as L. rhynchopetalum, are likely to face very high risk of extinction following climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UiT - The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Abel Gizaw
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Catherine A Masao
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo Oslo Norway; Institute of Resource Assessment University of Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Vegar Bakkestuen
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo Oslo Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Oslo Norway
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Martini F, Cunliffe R, Farcomeni A, De Sanctis M, D'Ammando G, Attorre F. Classification and mapping of the woody vegetation of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. KOEDOE: AFRICAN PROTECTED AREA CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v58i1.1388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Within the framework of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), the purpose of this study was to produce a classification of the woody vegetation of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, and a map of its potential distribution. Cover-abundance data of woody species were collected in 330 georeferenced relevés across the Park. These data were used to produce two matrices: the first one using the cover-abundance values as collected in five height layers and the second one based on merging the layers into a single cover value for each species. Automatic classifications were produced for both matrices to determine the optimal number of vegetation types. The two classification approaches both produced 14 types belonging to three macro-groups: mopane, miombo and alluvial woodlands. The results of the two classifications were compared looking at the constant, dominant and diagnostic species of each type. The classification based on separate layers was considered more effective and retained. A high-resolution map of the potential distribution of vegetation types for the whole study area was produced using Random Forest. In the model, the relationship between bioclimatic and topographic variables, known to be correlated to vegetation types, and the classified relevés was used. Identified vegetation types were compared with those of other national parks within the GLTFCA, and an evaluation of the main threats and pressures was conducted.Conservation implications: Vegetation classification and mapping are useful tools for multiple purposes including: surveying and monitoring plant and animal populations, communities and their habitats, and development of management and conservation strategies. Filling the knowledge gap for the Gonarezhou National Park provides a basis for standardised and homogeneous vegetation classification and mapping for the entire Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
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Airborne and Grain Dust Fungal Community Compositions Are Shaped Regionally by Plant Genotypes and Farming Practices. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:2121-2131. [PMID: 26826229 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03336-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic exposure to airborne fungi has been associated with different respiratory symptoms and pathologies in occupational populations, such as grain workers. However, the homogeneity in the fungal species composition of these bioaerosols on a large geographical scale and the different drivers that shape these fungal communities remain unclear. In this study, the diversity of fungi in grain dust and in the aerosols released during harvesting was determined across 96 sites at a geographical scale of 560 km(2) along an elevation gradient of 500 m by tag-encoded 454 pyrosequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Associations between the structure of fungal communities in the grain dust and different abiotic (farming system, soil characteristics, and geographic and climatic parameters) and biotic (wheat cultivar and previous crop culture) factors were explored. These analyses revealed a strong relationship between the airborne and grain dust fungal communities and showed the presence of allergenic and mycotoxigenic species in most samples, which highlights the potential contribution of these fungal species to work-related respiratory symptoms of grain workers. The farming system was the major driver of the alpha and beta phylogenetic diversity values of fungal communities. In addition, elevation and soil CaCO3 concentrations shaped the alpha diversity, whereas wheat cultivar, cropping history, and the number of freezing days per year shaped the taxonomic beta diversity of these communities.
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Chalmandrier L, Münkemüller T, Lavergne S, Thuiller W. Effects of species' similarity and dominance on the functional and phylogenetic structure of a plant meta‐community. Ecology 2015; 96:143-53. [DOI: 10.1890/13-2153.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Chalmandrier
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - T. Münkemüller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - S. Lavergne
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - W. Thuiller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000 Grenoble, France
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Carlson BZ, Georges D, Rabatel A, Randin CF, Renaud J, Delestrade A, Zimmermann NE, Choler P, Thuiller W. Accounting for tree line shift, glacier retreat and primary succession in mountain plant distribution models. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Z. Carlson
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
| | - Damien Georges
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
| | - Antoine Rabatel
- Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement; UMR CNRS-UJF 5183; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 96, 38402 Grenoble France
| | - Christophe F. Randin
- Botanisches Institut der Universität Basel; Schönbeinstrasse 6 4056 Basel Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Zürcherstr. 111 HL-E22, 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Julien Renaud
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
| | - Anne Delestrade
- Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes d'Altitude; 67, lacets de Belvédère 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc France
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University de Savoie; 73376 Le Bourget du Lac France
| | - Niklaus E. Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Zürcherstr. 111 HL-E22, 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Philippe Choler
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
- Station Alpine J. Fourier; UMS CNRS-UJF 3370; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS-UJF 5553; University Grenoble Alpes; BP 53, 38041 Grenoble France
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Mittanck CM, Rogers PC, Ramsey RD, Bartos DL, Ryel RJ. Exploring succession within aspen communities using a habitat-based modeling approach. Ecol Modell 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Jarnevich CS, Esaias WE, Ma PLA, Morisette JT, Nickeson JE, Stohlgren TJ, Holcombe TR, Nightingale JM, Wolfe RE, Tan B. Regional distribution models with lack of proximate predictors: Africanized honeybees expanding north. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine S. Jarnevich
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Ave Bldg. C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | | | - Peter L. A. Ma
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Sigma Space; Greenbelt MD USA
| | - Jeffery T. Morisette
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Ave Bldg. C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | | | - Thomas J. Stohlgren
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Ave Bldg. C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - Tracy R. Holcombe
- U.S. Geological Survey; Fort Collins Science Center; 2150 Centre Ave Bldg. C Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | | | | | - Bin Tan
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt MD USA
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Integrating life stages into ecological niche models: a case study on tiger beetles. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70038. [PMID: 23894582 PMCID: PMC3720956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed understanding of a species' natural history and environmental needs across spatial scales is a primary requisite for effective conservation planning, particularly for species with complex life cycles in which different life stages occupy different niches and respond to the environment at different scales. However, niche models applied to conservation often neglect early life stages and are mostly performed at broad spatial scales. Using the endangered heath tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica) as a model species, we relate presence/absence and abundance data of locally dispersing adults and sedentary larvae to abiotic and biotic variables measured in a multiscale approach within the geographic extent relevant to active conservation management. At the scale of hundreds of meters, fine-grained abiotic conditions (i.e., vegetation structure) are fundamental determinants of the occurrence of both life stages, whereas the effect of biotic factors is mostly contained in the abiotic signature. The combination of dense heath vegetation and bare ground areas is thus the first requirement for the species' preservation, provided that accessibility to the suitable habitat is ensured. At a smaller scale (centimetres), the influence of abiotic factors on larval occurrence becomes negligible, suggesting the existence of important additional variables acting within larval proximity. Sustained significant correlations between neighbouring larvae in the models provide an indication of the potential impact of neighbourhood crowding on the larval niche within a few centimetres. Since the species spends the majority of its life cycle in the larval stage, it is essential to consider the hierarchical abiotic and biotic processes affecting the larvae when designing practical conservation guidelines for the species. This underlines the necessity for a more critical evaluation of the consequences of disregarding niche variation between life stages when estimating niches and addressing effective conservation measures for species with complex life cycles.
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Shirley SM, Yang Z, Hutchinson RA, Alexander JD, McGarigal K, Betts MG. Species distribution modelling for the people: unclassified landsat TM imagery predicts bird occurrence at fine resolutions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Shirley
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; 321 Richardson Hall; Corvallis; OR; 97331; USA
| | - Z. Yang
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; 321 Richardson Hall; Corvallis; OR; 97331; USA
| | - R. A. Hutchinson
- School of EECS; Oregon State University; Corvallis; OR; 97331; USA
| | - J. D. Alexander
- Klamath Bird Observatory; P.O. Box 758; Ashland; OR; 97520; USA
| | - K. McGarigal
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts; 160 Holdsworth Way; Amherst; MA; 01003-9285; USA
| | - M. G. Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; 321 Richardson Hall; Corvallis; OR; 97331; USA
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Brummer TJ, Maxwell BD, Higgs MD, Rew LJ. Implementing and interpreting local-scale invasive species distribution models. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Brummer
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department; Montana State University; Bozeman; MT; 59717; USA
| | - Bruce D. Maxwell
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department; Montana State University; Bozeman; MT; 59717; USA
| | - Megan D. Higgs
- Department of Mathematical Sciences; Montana State University; Bozeman; MT; 59717; USA
| | - Lisa J. Rew
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department; Montana State University; Bozeman; MT; 59717; USA
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Bradley BA, Olsson AD, Wang O, Dickson BG, Pelech L, Sesnie SE, Zachmann LJ. Species detection vs. habitat suitability: Are we biasing habitat suitability models with remotely sensed data? Ecol Modell 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Challenges in predicting invasive reservoir hosts of emerging pathogens: mapping Rhododendron ponticum as a foliar host for Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in the UK. Biol Invasions 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-012-0305-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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47
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Modeling Species Distribution Using Niche-Based Proxies Derived from Composite Bioclimatic Variables and MODIS NDVI. REMOTE SENSING 2012. [DOI: 10.3390/rs4072057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Morán-Ordóñez A, Suárez-Seoane S, Elith J, Calvo L, de Luis E. Satellite surface reflectance improves habitat distribution mapping: a case study on heath and shrub formations in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). DIVERS DISTRIB 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00855.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Stanton JC, Pearson RG, Horning N, Ersts P, Reşit Akçakaya H. Combining static and dynamic variables in species distribution models under climate change. Methods Ecol Evol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00157.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Bolliger J, Edwards TC, Eggenberg S, Ismail S, Seidl I, Kienast F. Balancing forest-regeneration probabilities and maintenance costs in dry grasslands of high conservation priority. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2011; 25:567-576. [PMID: 21175843 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01630.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Abandonment of agricultural land has resulted in forest regeneration in species-rich dry grasslands across European mountain regions and threatens conservation efforts in this vegetation type. To support national conservation strategies, we used a site-selection algorithm (MARXAN) to find optimum sets of floristic regions (reporting units) that contain grasslands of high conservation priority. We sought optimum sets that would accommodate 136 important dry-grassland species and that would minimize forest regeneration and costs of management needed to forestall predicted forest regeneration. We did not consider other conservation elements of dry grasslands, such as animal species richness, cultural heritage, and changes due to climate change. Optimal sets that included 95-100% of the dry grassland species encompassed an average of 56-59 floristic regions (standard deviation, SD 5). This is about 15% of approximately 400 floristic regions that contain dry-grassland sites and translates to 4800-5300 ha of dry grassland out of a total of approximately 23,000 ha for the entire study area. Projected costs to manage the grasslands in these optimum sets ranged from CHF (Swiss francs) 5.2 to 6.0 million/year. This is only 15-20% of the current total estimated cost of approximately CHF30-45 million/year required if all dry grasslands were to be protected. The grasslands of the optimal sets may be viewed as core sites in a national conservation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Bolliger
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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