Using species distribution models for conservation planning and ecological forecasting

Abstract

Conservation practitioners and resource managers must often work with limited data to answer critical, time-sensitive questions. In many regions of the world, even the most basic information about the distribution of species is lacking. Knowing the geographic extent of a given species or ecological system is the first step in planning for its management or conservation. The sustainable management of fish stocks, timber, waterfowl populations, and biodiversity in general requires high quality spatial data on species distributions. Selecting preserves or easements to protect plants and wildlife, for instance, requires detailed knowledge of where different species are on the landscape. Such information is the foundation of science-based management and is necessary for assessing the risks of land-use actions, management scenarios, or other human activities to plant and wildlife populations (Huettmann et al. 2005). © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.