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.)

Sampling bias and the use of ecological niche modeling in conservation planning: a field evaluation in a biodiversity hotspot

Full text
Author(s):
Costa, Gabriel C. [1] ; Nogueira, Cristiano [2] ; Machado, Ricardo B. [2] ; Colli, Guarino R. [2]
Total Authors: 4
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Ctr Biociencias, Dept Bot Ecol & Zool, BR-59072970 Natal, RN - Brazil
[2] Univ Brasilia, Dept Zool, BR-70910900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION; v. 19, n. 3, p. 883-899, MAR 2010.
Web of Science Citations: 97
Abstract

Ecological niche modeling (ENM) has become an important tool in conservation biology. Despite its recent success, several basic issues related to algorithm performance are still being debated. We assess the ability of two of the most popular algorithms, GARP and Maxent, to predict distributions when sampling is geographically biased. We use an extensive data set collected in the Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot in South America. We found that both algorithms give richness predictions that are very similar to other traditionally used richness estimators. Also, both algorithms correctly predicted the presence of most species collected during fieldwork, and failed to predict species collected only in very few cases (usually species with very few known localities, i.e., < 5). We also found that Maxent tends to be more sensitive to sampling bias than GARP. However, Maxent performs better when sampling is poor (e.g., low number of data points). Our results indicates that ENM, even when provided with limited and geographically biased localities, is a very useful technique to estimate richness and composition of unsampled areas. We conclude that data generated by ENM maximize the utility of existing biodiversity data, providing a very useful first evaluation. However, for reliable conservation decisions ENM data must be followed by well-designed field inventories, especially for the detection of restricted range, rare species. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 02/00015-3 - Diversity and distribution patterns of Cerrado lizard fauna
Grantee:Cristiano de Campos Nogueira
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate