The Contribution of Species Distribution Modelling to Conservation Prioritization

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides information on species distribution models (SDMs) and their use in conservation prioritization. In it we aim to give readers an understanding of the breadth of methods and applications of SDM, and to equip them to identify and resolve key decisions in creating a robust model. Our primary objectives are to describe the main methodological steps required to fit and evaluate an SDM, and to summarize the most common problems with SDMs in the context of spatial prioritization, pointing to methods for dealing with these problems or alternative approaches that might be more suitable. Note that in terms of scope, we ignore the wider use of SDMs to make i..