Aim To introduce Gaussian mixture distributions and sequential maximum a posteriori image segmentation (GM-SMAP) as a model that predicts species ranges from mapped climatic variables, and to compare its predictive capacity with two commonly used bioclimatic models: regression tree analysis (RTA) and smoothed response surfaces (SRS). Location North-west North America. Methods We compared models...

Species distribution models (SDMs) are an effective way of predicting the potential distribution of species and their response to environmental change. Most SDMs apply presence data to a relatively generic set of predictive variables such as climate. However, this weakens the modelling process by overlooking the responses to more cryptic predictive variables. In this paper we demonstrate a mean...

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to examine the effects four different bioclimatic predictors (current, 2050, 2070, and 2090 under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP2-4.5) non-bioclimatic variables (soil, habitat heterogeneity index, land use, slope, aspect) on suitability niche dimensions critically endangered plant species Commiphora wightii in India. We also evaluate how modelling...

Bioclimate-driven regression analysis is a widely used approach for modelling ecological niches and zonation. Although the bioclimatic complexity of the European continent is high, a particular combination of 12 climatic and topographic covariates was recently found able to reliably reproduce the ecological zoning of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for forest r...

richness and composition in the four river valleys of Central Nepal i.e. two from Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA) and two from Sagarmatha region. Topographical, bioclimatic and measured variables were used to analyze their effects on the vascular plant diversity along elevation and land use gradients. Altogether, 148 plots were established at five elevation levels between 2,200 m and 3,800 m ab...

Predicting species potential and future distribution has become a relevant tool in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. In this data article we present the suitability map of a virtual species generated based on two bioclimatic variables, and a dataset containing more than 700,000 random observations at the extent of Europe. The dataset includes spatial attributes such as: distance to road...

Ecoregion classification systems are increasingly used for policy and management decisions, particularly among conservation and natural resource managers. A number of ecoregion classification systems are currently available, with each system defining ecoregions using different classification methods and different types of data. As a result, each classification system describes a unique set of e...

ANUCLIM (Xu and Hutchinson, 2011) is a software package used to support the spatial modelling of environmental and natural resources. It enables users to readily obtain estimates, in point and grid form, of monthly, seasonal and annual mean climate variables from supplied elevation dependent monthly mean climate surfaces and an underlying digital elevation model. The climate surfaces are derive...