Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
Related content
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Infomap Bioregions: Interactive Mapping of Biogeographical Regions from Species Distributions

Full text
Author(s):
Edler, Daniel ; Guedes, Thais ; Zizka, Alexander ; Rosvall, Martin ; Antonelli, Alexandre
Total Authors: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: Systematic Biology; v. 66, n. 2, SI, p. 197-204, MAR 2017.
Web of Science Citations: 31
Abstract

Biogeographical regions (bioregions) reveal how different sets of species are spatially grouped and therefore are important units for conservation, historical biogeography, ecology, and evolution. Several methods have been developed to identify bioregions based on species distribution data rather than expert opinion. One approach successfully applies network theory to simplify and highlight the underlying structure in species distributions. However, this method lacks tools for simple and efficient analysis. Here, we present Infomap Bioregions, an interactive web application that inputs species distribution data and generates bioregion maps. Species distributions may be provided as georeferenced point occurrences or range maps, and can be of local, regional, or global scale. The application uses a novel adaptive resolution method to make best use of often incomplete species distribution data. The results can be downloaded as vector graphics, shapefiles, or in table format. We validate the tool by processing large data sets of publicly available species distribution data of the world's amphibians using species ranges, and mammals using point occurrences. We then calculate the fit between the inferred bioregions and WWF ecoregions. As examples of applications, researchers can reconstruct ancestral ranges in historical biogeography or identify indicator species for targeted conservation. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/18837-7 - Unveiling the hidden limits of species clusters: a cross-methodological approach to identify bioregions of neotropical snakes
Grantee:Thaís Barreto Guedes da Costa
Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
FAPESP's process: 13/04170-8 - Historical biogeography of the snakes from open landscapes in South America
Grantee:Thaís Barreto Guedes da Costa
Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate