Predicting the range of a regionally threatened, benthic fish using species distribution models and field surveys

Abstract

Understanding a species' historical and current distribution is critical when making conservation and management decisions. Recent observations in headwater streams of northern Illinois, USA, where no previous records of Iowa Darters Etheostoma exile occurred, revealed the need to re‐evaluate its state‐wide distribution. We conducted a series of species distribution modelling procedures coupled with targeted field surveys to generate historical and contemporary distribution models. The historical distribution model indicated E. exile distributions were concentrated across extreme northern Illinois. Both contemporary models included results of the historical model as a model variable. Based on the initial contemporary model, 30 potential Iowa Darter sites, 10 each of three groups representing low, medium and high model scores, were sampled during the summer of 2016. Field surveys provided nine new E. exile localities and presence–absence data from field surveys were then applied to revise the contemporary model. The revised contemporary model suggests a decrease in certain areas of its historic Illinois range, as well as areas where it has potentially expanded its range.

Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China

“…A variety of SDMs are available to predict potentially suitable habitat for a species, such as maximum entropy (Maxent), generalized linear model (GLM), generalized additive model (GAM) and boosted regression tree (BRT). These models have been employed to predict the distribution of many types of organisms, such as herbs [21], shrubs [22], trees [23], insects [24], fish [25], reptiles [26], birds and mammals [27]. More importantly, SDMs can be used to predict the change of species distribution under different scenarios of climate change and human impact [26,28].…”

Using a multi‐model ensemble approach to determine biodiversity hotspots with limited occurrence data in understudied areas: An example using freshwater mussels in México

“…SDMs are an important component of conservation and natural resource management for the game and non‐game species (Elith & Leathwick, 2009 ; Randklev et al, 2015 ; Sherwood et al, 2018 ). In the United States, the U.S.…”

Split it up and see: using proxies to highlight divergent inter-populational performances in aquaculture standardised conditions

“…[ 57 ]) do not cover the whole studied sampling area. This led us to use terrestrial data in order to extrapolate aquatic environment characteristics (see similar strategy in [ 58 , 59 ]), although it could potentially blur studied lake specificities. Optimally, analyses should be performed using data specific to lakes (e.g.…”