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opencc-by-4.0Jan 2020View details →

Modelling Avian Habitat Suitability in Boreal Forest using Structural and Spectral Remote Sensing Data

Data used in research regarding avian habitat suitability models in Harry's River Watershed in Newfoundland, Canada

opencc-zeroJul 2020View details →

Data from: Mapping Tasmania's cultural landscapes: using habitat suitability modelling of archaeological sites as a landscape history tool

Aim: Understanding past distributions of people across the landscape is key to understanding how people used, affected and related to the natural environment. Here we use habitat suitability modelling to represent the landscape distribution of Tasmanian Aboriginal archaeological sites and assess the implications for patterns of past human activity. Location: Tasmania, Australia Methods: We developed a RandomForest 'habitat suitability' model of site records in the Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage Register. We applied a best-effort bias correction, considered 31 predictor variables relating to climate, topography and resource proximity, and used a variable selection procedure to optimise the final model. Model uncertainty was assessed via bootstrapping and we ran an analogous MAXENT model as a cross-validation exercise. Results: The results from the RandomForest and MAXENT models are highly congruent. The strongest environmental predictors of site occurrence include distance to coast, elevation, soil clay content, topographic roughness and distance to inland water. The highest habitat suitability scores are distributed across a wide range of environments in central, northern and eastern Tasmania, including coastal areas, inland water body margins, and forests and savannas in the drier parts of Tasmania. With the exception of coastal areas much of western Tasmania has low habitat suitability scores, consistent with theories of low-density Holocene Tasmanian Aboriginal settlement in this region. Main conclusions: Our modelling suggests Tasmanian Aboriginal people occupied a heterogeneity of habitats but targeted coastal areas around the whole island, and drier, less steep, and/or open forest and savanna environments in the central lowlands. The western interior was identified as being rarely used by Aboriginal people in the Holocene, with the exception of isolated pockets of habitat; yet whether this is a true reflection of Aboriginal resource use demands increased archaeological surveys, particularly in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

opencc-zeroSep 2020View details →

Support for a relationship between demography and modeled habitat suitability is scale dependent for the Purple Martin, Progne subis

1. Species distribution models (SDMs) estimate habitat suitability for species in geographic space. They are extensively used in conservation under the assumption that there is a positive relationship between habitat suitability and species success and stability. 2. Given the difficulties in obtaining demographic data across a species' range, this assumption is rarely tested. Here we provide a range-wide test of this relationship for the eastern subspecies of purple martin (Progne subis subis). 3. We build a well-supported SDM for the breeding range of the purple martin, and pair it with an unparalleled demographic dataset of nest success and local and regional abundance data for the species to test the proposed link between habitat suitability and fecundity and demography. 4. We find a positive relationship between regional abundance and habitat suitability but no relationship between local abundance or fecundity and habitat suitability. 5. Our data suggest that local success is driven largely by biotic and stochastic factors and raise the possibility that purple martins are experiencing a time lag in their distribution. More broadly our results call for caution in how we interpret SDMs and do not support the assumption that areas of high habitat suitability are the best areas for species persistence.

opencc-zeroMay 2021View details →

Data from: Combining US and Canadian forest inventories to assess habitat suitability and migration potential of 25 tree species under climate change

Aim: To evaluate current and future dynamics of 25 tree species spanning USA and Canada. Location: USA and Canada Methods: We combine, for the first time, the species compositions from relative importance derived from the USA's Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) with gridded estimates based on Canada's National Forest Inventory (NFI-kNN) ) based photo plot data to evaluate future habitats and colonization potentials for 25 tree species. Using 21 climatic variables under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, we model climatic habitat suitability (HQ) within a consensus based multi-model ensemble regression approach. A migration model is used to assess colonization likelihoods (CL) for ~100 years and combined with HQ to evaluate the various combinations of HQ+CL outcomes for the 25 species. Results: At a continental scale, many species in the conterminous USA lose suitable climatic habitat (especially under RCP 8.5) while Canada and USA's Alaska gain climate habitat. For most species, even under optimistic migration rates, only a small portion of overall future suitable habitat is projected to be naturally colonized in ~ 100 years, although considerable variation exists among species. Main conclusions: For the species examined here, habitat losses were primarily experienced along southern range limits, while habitat gains were associated with northern range limits (especially under RCP 8.5). However, for many species, southern range limits are projected to remain relatively intact, albeit with reduced habitat quality. Our models predict that only a small portion of the climatic habitat generated by climate change will be colonized naturally by the end of the current century - even with optimistic tree migration rates. However, considerable variation among species points to the need for significant management efforts, including assisted migration, for economic or ecological reasons. Our work highlights the need to employ range-wide data, evaluate colonization potentials, and enhance cross-border collaborations.

opencc-zeroJan 2021View details →

Remotely sensed forest understory density and nest predator occurrence interact to predict suitable breeding habitat and the occurrence of a resident boreal bird species

Habitat suitability models (HSM) based on remotely sensed data are useful tools in conservation work. However, they typically use species occurrence data rather than robust demographic variables, and their predictive power is rarely evaluated. These shortcomings can result in misleading guidance for conservation. Here, we develop and evaluate a HSM based on correlates of long term breeding success of an open nest building boreal forest bird, the Siberian jay. In our study site in northern Sweden, nest failure of this permanent resident species is driven mainly by visually hunting corvids that are associated with human settlements. Parents rely on understory nesting cover as protection against these predators. Accordingly, our HSM includes a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based metric of understory density around the nest and the distance of the nest to the closest settlement to predict breeding success. It reveals that a high understory density 15-80 m around nests is associated with increased breeding success in territories close to settlements (<1.5 km). Farther away from human settlements breeding success is highest at nest sites with a more open understory providing a favourable warmer microclimate. We validated this HSM by comparing the predicted breeding success with landscape-wide census data on Siberian jay occurrence. The correlation between breeding success and occurrence was strong up to 40 km around the study site. However, the HSM appears to overestimate breeding success in regions with a milder climate, and therefore higher corvid numbers. Our findings suggest that maintaining patches of small diameter trees may provide a cost-effective way to restore the breeding habitat for Siberian jays up to 1.5 km from human settlements. This distance is expected to increase in the warmer, southern, and coastal range of the Siberian jay where the presence of other corvids is to a lesser extent restricted to settlements.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Genetic assignment with isotopes and habitat suitability (GAIAH), a migratory bird case study

1. Identifying migratory connections across the annual cycle is important for studies of migrant ecology, evolution, and conservation. While recent studies have demonstrated the utility of high-resolution SNP-based genetic markers for identifying population-specific migratory patterns, the accuracy of this approach relative to other intrinsic tagging techniques has not yet been assessed. 2. Here, using a straightforward application of Bayes' Rule, we develop a method for combining inferences from high-resolution genetic markers, stable isotopes, and habitat suitability models, to spatially infer the breeding origin of migrants captured anywhere along their migratory pathway. Using leave-one-out cross validation, we compare the accuracy of this combined approach with the accuracy attained using each source of data independently. 3. Our results indicate that when each method is considered in isolation, the accuracy of genetic assignments far exceeded that of assignments based on stable isotopes or habitat suitability models. However, our joint assignment method consistently resulted in small, but informative increases in accuracy and did help to correct misassignments based on genetic data alone. We demonstrate the utility of the combined method by identifying previously undetectable patterns in the timing of migration in a North American migratory songbird, the Wilson's warbler. 4. Overall, our results support the idea that while genetic data provides the most accurate method for tracking animals using intrinsic markers when each method is considered independently, there is value in combining all three methods. The resulting methods are provided as part of a new computationally-efficient R-package, GAIAH, allowing broad application of our statistical framework to other migratory animal systems.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Habitat suitability and the constraints of migration in New World warblers

Identifying the factors that influence geographic range limits can illustrate the various ecological, physiological, and evolutionary constraints imposed on a species. The range limits of migratory birds are particularly challenging to study as they occur in disjunct regions at different times of the year, which can impose different constraints. Travel between breeding and wintering regions poses a significant energetic and navigational challenge to birds, although it is not clear how these movements influence breeding dispersal and range expansion. Here I ask whether the possible costs of migration limit the breeding ranges of wood warblers, a group of birds with an extensive history of ecological and evolutionary studies. I used occurrence records for multiple wood warbler species, breeding primarily in the boreal forest of North America, to generate environmental niche models. I tested for over-prediction of habitat suitability into the western boreal forest, where most these species do not have occurrence records but where there is presumably suitable habitat. I found that these vagile taxa, primarily found east of the Rocky Mountains, also have predicted habitat suitability that extends into the north and west, where they have little to no occurrence records. I discuss several possible explanations for this discordance. In particular, the patterns are consistent with the costs of a long-distance migration limiting the benefits of range expansion, as migration may become too onerous as the distance between breeding and wintering areas increases. These results speak to the process of niche filling more generally and call attention to an under-appreciated explanation for why migratory species may not fully occupy their fundamental niche.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Development and validation of an expert-based habitat suitability model to support boreal caribou conservation

The long-term persistence of boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is threatened by the negative impacts of human activities, including industrial development. The vast geographical distribution and behavioural variability of caribou warranted the development and validation of an appropriate conservation tool for managers in eastern Canada. We developed a habitat suitability model for boreal caribou in Québec by integrating expert knowledge into a hierarchical analysis. We elicited responses from 14 experts on caribou ecology to determine the best spatiotemporal scales of application, the relative importance of habitat variables, the zone of influence of human infrastructure, and the parameterization of the model. Based on this input, we built the model using 8 habitat categories and 3 human infrastructure variables. Experts identified mature conifer-dominated forests and open lichen woodlands as the most important vegetation categories for boreal caribou, whereas density of and proximity to paved roads, forest roads, and mines decreased habitat quality. We mapped the resulting model over the entire province of Québec (up to the northern forest allocation limit), and validated it using independent GPS telemetry datasets acquired in 3 distinct regions. Our model predicted that habitat suitability was highest in the northeastern part of our study area, where timber harvest activities and roads were virtually absent. Conversely, southern parts of Québec were generally unsuitable for boreal caribou. Our habitat suitability model is among the first tools for boreal caribou conservation available to wildlife and land managers in Québec.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Combining human acceptance and habitat suitability in a unified socio-ecological suitability model: a case study of the wolf in Switzerland

Habitat suitability models (HSMs) are commonly used in conservation practise to assess the potential of an area to be occupied and colonised. A major limitation of these models, however, is the omission of spatially explicit understanding of human acceptance towards the focal species. As wildlife is more and more subject to human-dominated landscapes, ignoring the sociological component will result in misrepresentation of the observed processes and inappropriate management. We distributed 10 000 questionnaires across Switzerland and identified key socio-demographical factors correlated with human acceptance of the wolf. We then created a spatially explicit acceptance model based on geo-referenced socio-demographical, social and geographical information. Finally, we combined our acceptance model with a HSM to obtain a unified socio-ecological suitability model, which included human and ecological components. We showed that the key factors associated with human acceptance were perception of how harmful the wolf is, interest in wolf-related issues, need for livestock protection, and fear of the wolf. Perceived harmfulness was in turn correlated with direct and indirect experience with the wolf, and level of education. Our acceptance map predicted decreasing acceptance with increasing altitude of residency and proximity to locations of confirmed wolf presence. This resulted in the overall opposition to the wolf for the Alpine region, albeit substantial regional differences. We found little spatial overlap (6% of Switzerland) between areas where the wolf was accepted and areas of suitable habitat. These areas of socio-ecological suitability were concentrated in the Jura Mountains and in the eastern and southern Alps, and were absent in the western and central Alps. Particularly in the Jura region, which is yet to be colonised, management of human acceptance will be a crucial conservation target. Synthesis and applications. We developed an integrative, socio-ecological approach that allowed us to accurately reproduce recent wolf recolonisation. We anticipate our framework to be a powerful tool to reliably evaluate overall suitable habitats and predict short to medium-term range expansion for species whose distribution is also dependent on human attitudes. Because our approach is sensitive to both the ecological and human component, it is ideally suited to identify key regions where proactive and targeted socio-ecological management plans are needed.

opencc-zeroJun 2019View details →

Data from: Fallow management increases habitat suitability for endangered steppe bird species through changes in vegetation structure

In the face of the dramatic worldwide decline of farmland bird populations, the preservation of fallow fields is a conservation measure encouraged through subsidies (e.g. agri‐environmental schemes, AES). Beyond the general benefits of increasing fallow availability for endangered steppe bird populations, there is a lack of knowledge on how fallow management can contribute to meeting species‐specific habitat requirements. We used occurrence data from three steppe bird species protected at the EU level (Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax, and Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra), framed in a quasi‐experimental approach covering an unprecedented spatio‐temporal scale that included 612 fallow fields over a three‐year study period in an agricultural Mediterranean landscape (Spain). We used path analysis to explore the mechanisms by which common agricultural practices affected species‐specific occurrence. We examined partial effects of agricultural practices on vegetation structure and food availability, and the partial effect of these variables on bird occurrence compared to control fields (no agricultural practices applied). Agricultural practices had a significant effect on the presence of the three studied species. Through changes in the vegetation structure, Shredding + Herbicide and Tillage increased the occurrence of the Stone Curlew and Shredding increased the occurrence of the Little Bustard. The occurrence of Calandra Lark was mostly affected by landscape variables. Synthesis and applications. Our study highlights that, in addition to the acknowledged positive role of fallow availability, applying a limited number of specific agricultural practices before the breeding season can further increase bird occurrence by changing the vegetation structure. Using path analysis, we explored the mechanisms driving the occurrence of three steppe bird species under different agricultural practices. Such information is key to providing specific recommendations for future conservation management of endangered species within agri‐environmental schemes.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Predicting the Habitat Suitability of Ilex verticillata in China with Field-Test Validations

The cut branches of Ilex verticillata are highly ornamental and have high economic value. Since its introduction to China, it has received widespread attention. In the context of climate change today, ensuring its promotion and sustainable production in China is of great significance. In this study, the MaxEnt (maximum entropy) model was used, combined with climate and soil variables, to assess the impact of climate change on its potential suitable habitat. We used 5430 I. verticillata occurrence data and validated the model prediction using extensive field testing (12 test sites located in areas from 23.19° N to 42.91° N and 76.17° E to 125.14° E). The habitat suitability model (AUC = 0.854) performed excellently. Among them, three precipitation variables and one temperature variable were the main factors determining the distribution of I. verticillata in China. Field trial tests and model predictions of the suitability of I. verticillata were consistent, indicating that our model predictions are biologically meaningful and economically valuable. Under the representative concentration pathway shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) climate change scenarios, the high and medium suitable habitats for this species will be reduced in the future climate. This study helps to better understand the impact of climate change on I. verticillata and provides suggestions for the introduction and cultivation areas and protection of this species in China.

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

Data for habitat suitability of the Persian leopard along the Iran-Iraq border

Habitat fragmentation has major negative impacts on wildlife populations and the connectivity could reduce these negative impacts. This study was conducted to assess habitat suitability and structural connectivity of the Persian leopard along the Iran-Iraq border (i.e., the Zagros Mountains) and compare the situation of identified core habitats and connectivity with existing conservation areas (CAs). An ensemble modeling approach resulting from five models was used to predict habitat suitability. To identify core habitats and corridors along the Iran-Iraq border, factorial least-cost path analyses were applied. The results revealed that topographic roughness, distance to conservation areas, annual precipitation, vegetation/cropland density and distance to rivers were the most influential variables for predicting the occurrence of the Persian leopard in the study area. By an estimated dispersal distance of 82 km (suggested by previous studies), three core habitats were identified (two cores in Iran and one core in Iraq). The largest cores were located in the south and the center of the study area, which had the highest connectivity priorities. The connectivity from these cores was maintained to the core within the Iraqi side. Only about one-fifth of detected core habitats and relative corridors were protected by CAs in the study area. Detected core habitats and connectivity areas in this study could be an appropriate road map to accomplish the CAs network along the Iran-Iraq border regarding Persian leopard conservation. Establishing transboundary CAs, particularly in the core habitat located in the center of the study area, is strongly recommended to conserve existing large carnivores, including the Persian leopard.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Predicting habitat suitability for wild deer in relation to threatened ecological communities in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia

Context. High density deer populations can cause ecological damage, yet their distribution and impacts are poorly known across much of Australia. As a result, land managers rely on anecdotal reports to make decisions about management and control measures. Aims. We aimed to model habitat suitability for deer in the South Coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to be used as a baseline for future management and identify which threatened ecological communities (TECs) in the region are at greatest current risk of being occupied by deer. Methods. We compiled 678 presence-only records of wild deer from online databases, observations made by National Parks and Wildlife Service field staff and field-based surveys. We combined these observations with eight environmental variables to model and map habitat suitability for deer across our study area using maximum entropy. Three spatial models of habitat suitability across our study area were produced: one for all deer species; and two species-specific models for fallow and sambar deer. Key results. Our models indicate that suitable habitat for deer exists throughout much of the South Coast of NSW. Of the TECs examined, Coastal Saltmarsh, Themeda Grassland, and Swamp Sclerophyll Forest had the highest proportion of area likely to be extremely suitable for deer and thus should be prioritised for protection within our study area. Conclusions. Further systematic field-based surveys are needed to improve the quality of models in this region. Implications. We recommend that areas having high habitat suitability but are not yet occupied by deer be identified as sites where deer occupancy could be prevented.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Worldclim 2.1 versus Worldclim 1.4: climatic niche and grid resolution affect between-version mismatches in habitat suitability models predictions across Europe

The influence of climate on the distribution of taxa has been extensively investigated in the last two decades through Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs). In this context, the Worldclim database represents an invaluable data source as it provides worldwide climate surfaces for both historical and future time horizons. Thousands of HSMs-based papers have been published taking advantage of Worldclim 1.4, the first online version of this repository. In 2017, Worldclim 2.1 was released. Here, we evaluated spatially explicit prediction mismatch at continental scale, focusing on Europe, between HSMs fitted using climate surfaces from the two Worldclim versions (between-version differences). To this aim, we simulated occurrence probability and presence-absence across Europe of four virtual species (VS) with differing climate-occurrence relationships. For each VS, we fitted HSMs upon uncorrelated bioclimatic variables derived from each Worldclim version at three grid resolutions. For each factor combination, HSMs attaining sufficient discrimination performance on spatially independent test data were projected across Europe under current conditions and various future scenarios, and importance scores of the single variables were computed. HSMs failed in accurately retrieving the simulated climate-occurrence relationships for the climate-tolerant VS and the one occurring under a narrow combination of climatic conditions. Under current climate, noticeable between-version prediction mismatch emerged across most of Europe for these two VSs, whose simulated suitability mainly depended upon diurnal or yearly variability in temperature; differently, between-version differences were more clustered toward areas showing extreme values, like mountainous massifs or southern regions, for VSs responding to average temperature and precipitation trends. Under future climate, the chosen emission scenarios and Global Climate Models did not evidently influence between-version prediction discrepancies, while grid resolution synergistically interacted with VSs' niche characteristics in determining extent of such differences. Our findings could help in re-evaluating previous biodiversity-related works relying on geographical predictions from Worldclim-based HSMs.

opencc-by-nc-nd-4.0Apr 2022View details →

Bird observation data for: Better together? Assessing different remote sensing products for predicting habitat suitability of wetland birds

This data repository contains the bird observation data used in Koma, Z., Seijmonsbergen, A.C., Grootes, M.W., Nattino, F., Groot, J., Sierdsema, H., Foppen, R. & Kissling, W.D. (2022): Better together? Assessing different remote sensing products for predicting habitat suitability of wetland birds. Diversity and Distributions 28: 685–699. The content of this directory is shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). For accessing the bird occurrence data for further use then reproducing this article you can contact with Henk Sierdsema (Henk.Sierdsema@sovon.nl) and Ruud Foppen (Ruud.Foppen@sovon.nl) for further information.

opennotspecifiedJun 2015View details →

Distribution. SW Western Australia, restricted to coast from S of Bunbury to Waychinicup National Park (near Albany) and in suitable habitat inland, most notably at Perup Nature Reserve and surrounding state forest near Manjimup; recently found near the Harvey River and Collie (NE Bunbury). in Pseudocheiridae

Distribution. SW Western Australia, restricted to coast from S of Bunbury to Waychinicup National Park (near Albany) and in suitable habitat inland, most notably at Perup Nature Reserve and surrounding state forest near Manjimup; recently found near the Harvey River and Collie (NE Bunbury).

Fig. 5. Termite SDM predictions for species located within Southern Australia for A in Utilization of Community Science Data to Explore Habitat Suitability of Basal Termite Genera

Fig. 5. Termite SDM predictions for species located within Southern Australia for A. Porotermes adamsoni (Stolotermitidae)(left) and B. Stolotermes victoriensis (right), and C. Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae). Final model predictions were generated using our thinned occurrence dataset and final set of uncorrelated environmental variables for each species, with 10 bootstrap replicates with 'cloglog' outputs in which raw values are converted to a range of 0 - 1 to approximate a probability of occurrence (Cobos et al. 2018). Brighter colors indicate areas of higher suitability (higher probability of occurrence), while darker colors indicate areas of lower suitability (lower probability of occurrence)..

Fig. 4. Termite SDM predictions for species located within Eastern United States and Canada for A in Utilization of Community Science Data to Explore Habitat Suitability of Basal Termite Genera

Fig. 4. Termite SDM predictions for species located within Eastern United States and Canada for A. Zootermopsis nevadensis (Stolotermitidae)(left) B. Zootermopsis angusticollis (right), and C. Zootermopsis laticeps (bottom). Final model predictions were generated using our thinned occurrence dataset and final set of uncorrelated environmental variables for each species, with 10 bootstrap replicates with 'cloglog' outputs in which raw values are converted to a range of 0 - 1 to approximate a probability of occurrence (Cobos et al. 2019). Brighter colors indicate areas of higher suitability (higher probability of occurrence), while darker colors indicate areas of lower suitability (lower probability of occurrence).

Fig. 3 in Utilization of Community Science Data to Explore Habitat Suitability of Basal Termite Genera

Fig. 3. Termite SDM predictions for species located within Argentina and Chile (top left), New Zealand (top right), and Tazmania (bottom) for A. Porotermes quadricollis (Stolotermitidae) and B. Stolotermes ruficeps, and C. Stolotermes brunneicornis. Final model predictions were generated using our thinned occurrence dataset and final set of uncorrelated environmental variables for each species, with 10 bootstrap replicates with 'cloglog' outputs in which raw values are converted to a range of 0–1 to approximate a probability of occurrence (Cobos et al. 2019). Brighter colors indicate areas of higher suitability (higher probability of occurrence), while darker colors indicate areas of lower suitability (lower probability of occurrence).

Fig. 2 in Utilization of Community Science Data to Explore Habitat Suitability of Basal Termite Genera

Fig. 2. Termite SDM predictions for species located within South Africa (top and bottom), and Argentina (right) for A. Porotermes planiceps (Stolotermitidae) B. Microhodotermes viator (Hodotermitidae), and C. Porotermes quadricollis. Final model predictions were generated using our thinned occurrence dataset and final set of uncorrelated environmental variables for each species, with 10 bootstrap replicates with 'cloglog' outputs in which raw values are converted to a range of 0–1 to approximate a probability of occurrence (Cobos et al. 2019). Brighter shades indicate areas of higher suitability (higher probability of occurrence), while darker shades indicate areas of lower suitability (lower probability of occurrence).