BIODIVERSITY OF REEFS: BIODIVERSITY OF REEFS: INFERRING FROM SPARSE INFERRING FROM SPARSE

DATADATA

Daphne G. FautinEcology & Evolutionary Biology

Natural History MuseumUniversity of Kansas

Photo by Mark Baine

to infer occurrence of members of a species to infer occurrence of members of a species in places where sampling has not been done in places where sampling has not been done at times in the past and futureat times in the past and future

inferences are based on inferences are based on knowledge of the habitat of the species knowledge of the habitat of the species determining where else those habitat parameters occurdetermining where else those habitat parameters occur

precision of such an inference depends on precision of such an inference depends on accurate and precise knowledge of the species’ habitataccurate and precise knowledge of the species’ habitatdetailed spatially-explicit environmental datadetailed spatially-explicit environmental datacomprehensive taxonomic and nomenclatural informationcomprehensive taxonomic and nomenclatural information

such inferences can be important insuch inferences can be important inunderstanding biogeographic consequences of climate changeunderstanding biogeographic consequences of climate changerecognizing invasive speciesrecognizing invasive speciespredicting where invasive species might persistpredicting where invasive species might persist

With gratitude for grants from NSF (DEB 99-78106, OCE 00-03970, EF-0531779, NBII, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and to individuals too numerous to mention other than Adorian Ardelean, Jeremy Bartley, Asif Iqbal, and Suman Kansakar

Distribution of the sea anemone Heteractis aurora

Fautin and Allen 1992

Photo by Mark Baine

Distribution of the sea anemone Heteractis aurora

Fautin and Allen 1992

OBIS: www.iobis.org

Distribution of the sea anemone Heteractis aurora

Fautin and Allen 1992

OBIS: www.iobis.org

Abstract; over-represents

Concrete; under-represents

Guinotte, J. M., J. D. Bartley, A. Iqbal, D. G. Fautin, & R. W.

Buddemeier. 2006. Modeling habitat distribution from

organism occurrences and environmental data: a

case study using anemonefishes and their

sea anemone hosts Marine Ecology Progress

Series 316: 269-283.

[open access http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v316]

ASSOCIATES ORGANISM OCCURRENCES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Calculates where habitat is similar and therefore where animals of this species could occur

Displays valuesof 52 environmentalparameters(mean, sd)

Based on 75 published occurrence records (red spots)And the environmental parameters

mean depth, mean and minimum surface seawater temperature, maximum and minimum monthly salinity

Distribution of habitat suitable for Heteractis aurora

POTENTIAL NATURAL RANGE – where to do field work

to infer occurrence of members of a species to infer occurrence of members of a species in places where sampling has not been donein places where sampling has not been done

to infer where the species might UNnaturally occur

predicting where species might invadepredicting where species might invade

allows investigation of ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS that control species distribution

temperature and salinity the same – no depth

precision of such an inference depends on accurate precision of such an inference depends on accurate and precise knowledge of the species’ habitatand precise knowledge of the species’ habitat

can be used to infer importance of habitat can be used to infer importance of habitat parameters – and possible future scenariosparameters – and possible future scenarios

Taxonomy and nomenclature are vital to consider in such analyses

using symbols of a different color for

each synonymous name. Can be used

for investigating whether a synonymy

is justified. And occurrences of homonymous

species are not mapped.

MAP RECORDSOCCURRENCES OF THAT SPECIES

KGSMapperallows editingpoints – so theremainder can be analyzed

For the species Heteractis aurora, regardless of nameused in the record

For records of Heteractis aurora that used the name Radianthus koseirensis

Inference of probable distribution benefits from knowledge of• natural history (what is relevant to the organism’s life)• biogeography (where the organism would be expected)• taxonomy and nomenclature (what other names might have been applied to it – and which have not)

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