Biodiversity studies rely heavily on estimates of species' distributions often obtained through ecological niche modelling. Numerous software packages exist that allow users to model ecological niches using machine learning and statistical methods. However, no existing package with a graphical user interface allows users to perform model calibration and selection based on convex forms such as ellipsoids, which may match fundamental ecological niche shapes better, incorporating tools for exploring, modelling, and evaluating niches and distributions that are intuitive for both novice and proficient users. Here we describe an The method is explained in detail and tested via modelling the threatened feline species Using
Anticipating and preparing for the effect of environmental changes on biodiversity requires to understand and predict both the ecological and evolutionary responses of populations. Tools and methods to efficiently integrate these complex processes are lacking. We present the genetically and spatially explicit individual‐based simulation software Modelling complex life histories, spatial distribution and evolutionary processes unravel possible eco‐evolutionary mechanisms that have been previously overlooked when populations endure rapid environmental changes. The interface of
- PAR ID:
- 10456438
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Methods in Ecology and Evolution
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 2041-210X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 1227-1236
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Summary Species occurrences have multiple ecological states that may strongly influence community analysis and inference. This may be especially true in freshwater systems where many animals have complex life cycles with adult dispersal and juvenile resident stages.
The effects of ecological state variation on standard empirical approaches are largely unknown. Here, we analysed the effects of natal resident versus non‐natal immigrant species occurrence on community‐level environmental gradient modelling and spatial–environmental hypothesis testing using adult dragonflies and damselflies as model taxa.
Resident and total (resident + immigrant) occurrences of these taxa responded to different sets of environmental variables and resident occurrences reduced model selection uncertainty in 75% of test cases.
Effects of environmental gradients, spatial gradients or both were observed in residents but not immigrants, and supported predictions of dispersal limitation and niche‐based species sorting often implicated for structuring freshwater communities.
These results indicate that resident‐only analysis of the dispersal stage should improve multi‐model inference and detection of spatial–environmental effects in freshwater community ecology. The species resident–immigrant dichotomy neglects population dynamics and individual variation yet apparently marks an ecologically significant boundary that scales up to influence community‐level occurrence patterns.
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Abstract Earth's biosphere is undergoing drastic reorganization due to the sixth mass extinction brought on by the Anthropocene. Impacts of local and regional extirpation of species have been demonstrated to propagate through the complex interaction networks they are part of, leading to secondary extinctions and exacerbating biodiversity loss. Contemporary ecological theory has developed several measures to analyse the structure and robustness of ecological networks under biodiversity loss. However, a toolbox for directly simulating and quantifying extinction cascades and creating novel interactions (i.e. rewiring) remains absent.
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