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Cited by 961

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 75 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Is my species distribution model fit for purpose? Matching data and models to applications

Open access
Guillera‐Arroita, Gurutzeta, Lahoz‐Monfort, José J., Elith, Jane, Gordon, Ascelin, Kujala, Heini, Lentini, Pia E., McCarthy, Michael A., Tingley, Reid, Wintle, Brendan A.·2015·Global Ecology and Biogeography

Abstract

Species distribution models (SDM s) are used to inform a range of ecological, biogeographical and conservation applications. However, users often underestimate the strong links between data type, model output and suitability for end‐use. We synthesize current knowledge and provide a simple framework that summarizes how interactions between data type and the sampling process (i.e. imperfect detection and sampling bias) determine the quantity that is estimated by a SDM. We then draw upon the published literature and simulations to illustrate and evaluate the information needs of the most common ecological, biogeographical and conservation applications of SDM outputs. We find that, while predictions of models fitted to the most commonly available observational data (presence records) suffice for some applications, others require estimates of occurrence probabilities, which are unattainable without reliable absence records. Our literature review and simulations reveal that, while converting continuous SDM outputs into categories of assumed presence or absence is common practice, it is seldom clearly justified by the application's objective and it usually degrades inference. Matching SDM s to the needs of particular applications is critical to avoid poor scientific inference and management outcomes. This paper aims to help modellers and users assess whether their intended SDM outputs are indeed fit for purpose.

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Metadata

Authors
Guillera‐Arroita, G., Lahoz‐Monfort, J. J., Elith, J., Gordon, A., Kujala, H., Lentini, P. E., McCarthy, M. A., Tingley, R., & Wintle, B. A.
Venue
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-01-08
Volume
24
Issue
3
Pages
276-292
ISSN
  • 1466-822X (ISSN-L)
  • 1466-8238
OpenAlex
W1909609512
Cited by
961
References
75
FWCI
34.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
bronze

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Is my species distribution model fit for purpose? Matching data and models to applications. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1111/geb.12268
The paper
Guillera‐Arroita, G., Lahoz‐Monfort, J. J., Elith, J., Gordon, A., Kujala, H., Lentini, P. E., McCarthy, M. A., Tingley, R., & Wintle, B. A. (2015). Is my species distribution model fit for purpose? Matching data and models to applications. Global Ecology and Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12268

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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).

Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.