Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests

• Other Authors: Brunialti, Giorgio (Editor), Frati, Luisa (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2021
• Subjects: Research & information: general; Biology, life sciences; Ecological science, the Biosphere; Dominant species; Relative groups; Phylogenetic distance; Quantitative distribution; Phylogenetic relationships; Permutation test; climate change; Euscaphis japonica; forest management; GARP; Maxent; potential suitable habitat; old-growth; quadrat counts; tree diameters; tree distribution patterns; species count data; mixed forests; Charcoal; Ecological Niche Model; Forest History; Last Glacial Maximum; Paleoecology; Pinus nigra; Pinus mugo/uncinata; Pinus sylvestris; Quercus pubescens; endangered; species geographic distribution modeling; conservation; protected areas; biodiversity; ecological sustainability; fine-filter approach; geographical information systems; habitat restoration; habitat suitability model; indicator species; pressure-state-response model; stand structure; ecological modelling; Mediterranean area; future spatial projection; silviculture; Eucalyptus; biomod2; species distribution models; habitat; climatic change; biodiversity conservation; chlorophyll fluorescence; epiphytic macrolichens; growth rates; humid forest; habitat quality; soil moisture; aridization; Carabidae; species distribution; spatial modeling; forest formation; association group; ecological-phytocoenotic classification; MaxEnt; SDMtoolbox; Moscow Region; Landsat; amphibian; dispersal; beta diversity; ephemeral wetland; zooplankton; macroinvertebrate; variation partitioning; forested wetland; sexual reproduction; vegetative propagules; functional traits; n/a
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Understanding the patterns of biodiversity and their relationship with environmental gradients is a key issue in ecological research and conservation in forests. Several environmental factors can influence species distributions in these complex ecosystems. It is therefore important to distinguish the effects of natural factors from the anthropogenic ones (e.g., environmental pollution, climate change, and forest management) by adopting reliable models able to predict future scenarios of species distribution. In the last 20 years, the use of statistical tools, such as Species Distribution Models (SDM) or Ecological Niche Models (ENM), allowed researchers to make great strides in the subject, with hundreds of scientific research works in this field. This book collects several research articles where these methodological approaches are the starting point to deepen the knowledge in many timely and emerging topics in forest ecosystems around the world, from Eurasia to America.