Subjective uncertainties in habitat suitability maps

Abstract

Habitat suitability maps are very useful for planning management and conservation priorities. Epistemic uncertainty usually is an intrinsic part of the mapping process and yet, subjective uncertainties have rarely been addressed. Subjective uncertainty arises from subjective judgments, generally by experts, on how to interpret data and translate them into a model. This study examines how to encapsulate subjective uncertainty in a pair of 'bounding' habitat suitability maps. These maps represent extremes of the range of plausible maps obtained from alternative ways to model habitat suitability. Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) was used to illustrate the process within the spatial context of the ..