Mapping Species Distributions Spatial Inference and Prediction [Paperback]

A comprehensive summary of species distribution modeling methods integrating ecological and statistical models with spatial data, and a framework for implementation.A comprehensive summary of species distribution modeling, the methods used for spatial prediction of species distributions, along with a framework for mapping species distributions using ecological theory, statistical models of distribution and spatial data. Providing practical guidelines to students, researchers and practitioners in a broad range of environmental sciences.A comprehensive summary of species distribution modeling, the methods used for spatial prediction of species distributions, along with a framework for mapping species distributions using ecological theory, statistical models of distribution and spatial data. Providing practical guidelines to students, researchers and practitioners in a broad range of environmental sciences.Maps of species' distributions or habitat suitability are required for many aspects of environmental research, resource management and conservation planning. These include biodiversity assessment, reserve design, habitat management and restoration, species and habitat conservation plans and predicting the effects of environmental change on species and ecosystems. The proliferation of methods and uncertainty regarding their effectiveness can be daunting to researchers, resource managers and conservation planners alike. Franklin summarises the methods used in species distribution modeling (also called niche modeling) and presents a framework for spatial prediction of species distributions based on the attributes (space, time, scale) of the data and questions being asked. The framework links theoretical ecological models of species distributions to spatial data on species and environment, and statistical models used for spatial prediction. Providing practical guidelines to students, researchers and practitioners in a broad range of environmental sciences including ecolol#+