Standards for distribution models in biodiversity assessments

Authors

Miguel B. Araújo, Spanish National Research Council
Robert P. Anderson, CUNY City CollegeFollow
A. Márcia Barbosa, University of Evora
Colin M. Beale, University of York
Carsten F. Dormann, University of Freiburg
Regan Early, University of Exeter
Raquel A. Garcia, University of Copenhagen
Antoine Guisan, University of Lausanne
Luigi Maiorano, Sapienza University of Rome
Babak Naimi, Copenhagen University
Robert B. O'Hara, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Swiss Federal Research Institute
Carsten Rahbek, Copenhagen University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-16-2019

Abstract

Demand for models in biodiversity assessments is rising, but which models are adequate for the task? We propose a set of best-practice standards and detailed guidelines enabling scoring of studies based on species distribution models for use in biodiversity assessments. We reviewed and scored 400 modeling studies over the past 20 years using the proposed standards and guidelines. We detected low model adequacy overall, but with a marked tendency of improvement over time in model building and, to a lesser degree, in biological data and model evaluation. We argue that implementation of agreed-upon standards for models in biodiversity assessments would promote transparency and repeatability, eventually leading to higher quality of the models and the inferences used in assessments. We encourage broad community participation toward the expansion and ongoing development of the proposed standards and guidelines.

Comments

This article was originally published in Science Advances, available at DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat4858.

This work was distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).