Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

From Spatial Distribution to Ecological Niche: Modeling Issues within the Correlation Approach

  • ECOLOGICAL MODELING
  • Published:
Biology Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract—One of the most important tasks in the modern theory of ecology is the formalization of the ecological niche. Advances in spatial analysis techniques and the availability of global databases on biodiversity and environmental parameters provide an unprecedented opportunity to integrate ecological niche components within a correlational modeling approach. Methods for formalizing biotic, spatial (environmental accessibility), and anthropogenic restrictions on the distribution of biological objects (components of an ecological niche) when constructing SDM (species distribution modeling) and ENM (ecological niche modeling) models are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.

REFERENCES

  1. Ahmadi, M., Farhadinia, M.S., Cushman, S.A., Hemami, M.-R., Nezami Balouchi, B., Jowkar, H., and Macdonald, D.W., Species and space: a combined gap analysis to guide management planning of conservation areas, Landscape Ecol., 2020, vol. 35, pp. 1505–1517. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01033-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ashrafzadeh, M.R., Naghipour, A.A., Haidarian, M., and Khorozyan, I., Modeling the response of an endangered flagship predator to climate change in Iran, Mamm. Res., 2018, vol. 64, pp. 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-018-0384-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Banerjee, A.K., Mukherjee, A., Guo, W., Ng, W.L., and Huang, Y., Combining ecological niche modeling with genetic lineage information to predict potential distribution of Mikania micrantha Kunth in South and Southeast Asia under predicted climate change, GECCO, 2019, vol. 20, p. e00800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Barve, N., Barve, V., Jiménez-Valverde, A., Lira-Noriega, A., Maher, S.P., Peterson, A.T., Soberón, J., and Villalobos, F., The crucial role of the accessible area in ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, Ecol. Model., 2011, vol. 222, pp. 1810–1819.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Battini, N., Farías, N., Giachetti, C., Schwindt, E., and Bortolus, A., Staying ahead of invaders: using species distribution modeling to predict alien species’ potential niche shifts, Mar. Ecol.: Proc. Ser., 2019, vol. 612, pp. 127–140. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12878

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bowen, A.K.M. and Stevens, M.H.H., Temperature, topography, soil characteristics, and NDVI drive habitat preferences of a shade-tolerant invasive grass, Ecol. Evol., 2020, vol. 10, pp. 10785–10797. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6735

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Carvalho, M.C., Gomide, L.R., dos Santos, R.M., Scolforo, J.R.S., de Carvalho, L.M.T., and de Mello, J.M., Modeling ecological niche of tree species in brazilian tropical area, CERNE, 2017, vol. 23, pp. 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1590/01047760201723022308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Duarte, A., Whitlock, S.L., and Peterson, J.T., Species distribution modeling, in Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Levin, S., Ed., Oxford: Academic, 2013, 2nd ed., pp. 189–198.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ebeling, S.K., Welk, E., Auge, H., and Bruelheide, H., Predicting the spread of an invasive plant: combining experiments and ecological niche model, Ecography, 2008, vol. 31, pp. 709–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2008.05470.x

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ebrahimi, A., Farashi, A., and Rashki, A., Habitat suitability of Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Iran in future, Environ. Earth Sci., 2017, vol. 76, no. 20, pp. 697–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7040-8

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Elith, J. and Franklin, J., Species distribution modeling, in Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Levin, S., Ed., Oxford: Academic, 2013, 2nd ed., pp. 692–705.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Elith, J. and Leathwick, J.R., Species distribution models: ecological explanation and prediction across space and time, Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 2009, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 677–697. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.110308.120159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Elith, J., Graham, C.H., Anderson, R.P., Dudík, M., Ferrier, S., Guisan, A., Hijmans, R.J., Huettmann, F., Leathwick, J.R., Lehmann, A., Li, J., Lohman, L.G., Loiselle, B.A., Manion, G., Moritz, C., Nakamura, M., Nakazawa, Y., Overton, J.McC.M., Townsend Peterson, A., and Phillips, S.J., Novel methods improve prediction of species’ distributions from occurrence data, Ecography, 2006, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2006.0906-7590.04596.x

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Erfanian, B., Mirkarimi, S.H., Mahini, A.S., and Rezaei, H.R., A presence-only habitat suitability model for Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in Golestan National Park, Iran, Wildl. Biol., 2013, vol. 19, pp. 170–178. https://doi.org/10.2981/12-045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Farhadinia, M.S., McClintock, B.T., Johnson, P.J., Behnoud, P., Hobeali, K., Moghadas, P., Hunter, L.T.B., and Macdonald, D.W., A paradox of local abundance amidst regional rarity: the value of montane refugia for Persian leopard conservation, Sci. Rep., 2019, vol. 9, p. 14622. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50605-2

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Flores-Tolentino, M., Ortiz, E., and Villaseñor, J.L., Ecological niche models as a tool for estimating the distribution of plant communities, Rev. Mex. Biodiversity, 2019, vol. 90, p. e902829. https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Franklin, J., Mapping Species Distributions: Spatial Inference and Prediction (Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation), New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  18. Ghoddousi, A., Bleyhl, B., Ashayeri, D., Moghadas, P., Sepahvand, P., Shokri, Sh., Khaleghi Hamidi, A., Soofi M., and Kuemmerle, T., Integrating remote sensing and interview data for the identification of a leopard corridor in the Alborz Mountains, Iran, Conservation Asia, Bishkek, 2018, p. 65.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Glover-Kapfer, P.A., Training Manual for Habitat Suitability and Connectivity Modeling using Tigers (Panthera tigris) in Bhutan as Example, Technical Report, Bhutan: WWF, 2015.

  20. Grinnell, J., An account of the mammals and birds of the Lower Colorado Valley with especial reference to the distributional problems presented, Univ. Colorado Publ. Zool., 1914, no. 12, pp. 51–294.

  21. Grinnell, J., The niche relationships of the California thrasher, Auk, 1917, vol. 34, pp. 427–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Guisan, A. and Zimmermann, N.E., Predictive habitat distribution models in ecology, Ecol. Model., 2000, vol. 135, pp. 147–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(00)00354-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Guisan, A., Petitpierre, B., Broennimann, O., Daehler, C., and Kueffer, C., Unifying niche shift studies: insights from biological invasions, TREE, 2014, vol. 29, no. 5, pp. 260–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2014.02.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Guisan, A., Thuiller, W., and Zimmermann, N., Habitat Suitability and Distribution Models: with Applications in R, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Printing House, 2017.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  25. Hutchinson, G.E., Concluding remarks, Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol., 1957, vol. 22, pp. 415–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Jafari, A.A., Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi, R., and Mirzaei, R., Persian leopard and wild sheep distribution modeling using the Maxent model in the Tang-e-Sayad protected area, Iran, Mammalia, 2018, vol. 83, pp. 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2016-0155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jiménez-Valverde, A., Peterson, A.T., Soberón, J., Overton, J.M., Aragón, P., and Lobo, J.M., Use of niche models in invasive species risk assessments, Biol. Invasions, 2011, vol. 13, pp. 2785–2797.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kaboodvandpour, S., Almasieh, K., and Zamani, N., Habitat suitability and connectivity implications for the conservation of the Persian leopard along the Iran–Iraq border, Ecol. Evol., 2021, vol. 11, no. 19, pp. 13464–13474. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8069

  29. Keane, R.M. and Crawley, M.J., Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis, TREE, 2002, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 164–170.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Khlebosolov, E.I., Ecological niche theory: history and current state, Russ. Ornitol. Zh., 2002, no. 203, pp. 1019–1037.

  31. Khosravi, R., Hemami, M.R., and Cushman, S.A., Multispecies assessment of core areas and connectivity of desert carnivores in central Iran, Diversity Distrib., 2018, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Khosravi, R., Hemami, M.R., Malakoutikhah, S., Ashrafzadeh, M.R., and Cushman, S.A., Cushman Prey availability modulates predicted range contraction of two large felids in response to changing climate, Biol. Conserv., 2021, vol. 255, p. 109018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Levins, R., Evolution in Changing Environments, Monographs in Population Biology, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1968.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  34. Li, L., Huiyu, L., Lin, Z., Jia, J., and Liu, X., Identifying priority areas for monitoring the invasion of Solidago canadensis based on Maxent and Zonation, AES, 2017, vol. 37, no. 9, pp. 3124–3132.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Lisovskii, A.A. and Dudov, S.V., Advantages and limitations of ecological habitat modeling methods. 2. MaxEnt, Zh. Obshch. Biol., 2020, vol. 81, pp. 135–146. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044459620020049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Lisovskii, A.A., Dudov, S.V., and Obolenskaya, E.V., Advantages and limitations of using ecological habitat modeling methods. 1. General approaches, Zh. Obshch. Biol., 2020, vol. 81, no. 2, pp. 123–134. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044459620020049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. MacArthur, R., Geographical Ecology: Patterns in the Distribution of Species, Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  38. MacArthur, R. and Levins, R., The limiting similarity, convergence, and divergence of coexisting species, Am. Nat., 1967, vol. 101, pp. 377–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. McCoy, J., Johnston, K., Kopp, S., Borup, B., Willison, J., and Payne, B., Using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, Redlands: ESRI Press, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Miller, J., Species distribution modeling, Geogr. Comp., 2010, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 490–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Moradi, S., Ahmadi, A., Toranjzar, H., and Shams-Esfandabad, B., Modeling the habitat suitability of Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in the conservation areas of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran, ECOPERSIA, 2022, vol. 10, pp. 109–119.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Myers, C.E., Stigall, A.L., and Lieberman, B.S., PaleoENM: applying ecological niche modeling to the fossil record, Paleobiology, 2015, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 226–244. https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2014.19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Okunev, I.Yu., Osnovy prostranstvennogo analiza (Fundamentals of Spatial Analysis), Moscow: Aspekt Press, 2020.

  44. Pearson, R.G. and Dawson, T.P., Predicting the impacts of climate change on the distribution of species: are bioclimate envelope models useful?, Global Ecol. Biogeogr., 2003, vol. 12, pp. 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-822X.2003.00042.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Pearson, R.G., Raxworthy, C.J., Nakamura, M., and Peterson, A., Predicting species distributions from small numbers of occurrence records: a test case using cryptic geckos in Madagascar, J. Biogeogr., 2007, vol. 34, pp. 102–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01594.x

  46. Peterson, A.T., Uses and requirements of ecological niche models and related distributional models, Biodiversity Inf., 2006, vol. 3, pp. 59–72. https://doi.org/10.17161/bi.v3i0.29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Peterson, A. and Anamza, T., Ecological niches and present and historical geographic distributions of species: a 15-year review of frameworks, results, pitfalls, and promises, Folia Zool., 2015, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 207–217. https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.v64.i3.a3.2015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Peterson, A. and Soberón, J., Species distribution modeling and ecological niche modeling: getting the concepts right, Natureza Conservação, 2012, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.4322/natcon.2012.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Peterson, A.T., Soberón, J., Pearson, R.G., Anderson, R., Martínez-Meyer, E., Nakamura, M., and Araújo, M., Ecological Niches and Geographic Distributions, Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1644/1545-1542-94.1.241

  50. Poursalem, S., Amininasab, S.M., Zamani, N., Almasieh, K., and Mardani, M., Modeling the distribution and habitat suitability of Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in Southwestern Iran, Biol. Bull. Russ. Acad. Sci., 2021, vol. 48, pp. 319–330. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359021030122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Pshegusov, R.Kh. and Chadaeva, V.A., An integrated approach to taking into account environmental factors in models of modern distribution and climatogenic dynamics of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. in the Caucasus, RZhBI, 2023, no. 3, pp. 149–167. https://doi.org/10.35885/1996-1499-16-3-149-167

  52. Pshegusov, R.H. and Chadaeva, V.A., Modelling the nesting-habitat of threatened vulture species in the Caucasus: an ecosystem approach to formalising environmental factors in species distribution models, Avian Res., 2023, vol. 14, p. 100131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Pshegusov, R.H., Tembotova, F.A., Chadaeva, V.A., Sablirova, Y.M., Mollaeva, M.Z., and Akhomgotov, A.Z., Ecological niche modeling of the main forest-forming species in the Caucasus, For. Ecosyst., 2022, no. 9, p. 100019. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-796514/v1

  54. Puzachenko, Yu.G., Matematicheskie metody v ekologicheskikh i geograficheskikh issledovaniyakh (Mathematical Methods in Environmental and Geographical Studies), Moscow: ACADEMIA, 2004.

  55. Schoener, T.W., Anolis lizards of Bimini: resource partitioning in a complex fauna, Ecology, 1968, vol. 49, pp. 704–726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Schoener, T.W., The ecological niche, in Ecological Concepts: The Contribution of Ecology to an Understanding of the Natural World, Symposium British Ecological Society, Cambridge: Blackwell Scientific Publication, 1989, pp. 79–113.

  57. Shabani, F., Ahmadi, M., Kumar, L., Solhjouy, F.S., Tehrany, M., Shabani, F., Kalantar, B., and Esmaeili, A., Invasive weed species’ threats to global biodiversity: future scenarios of changes in the number of invasive species in a changing climate, Ecol. Indic., 2020, vol. 116, p. 106436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Shitikov, V.K., Zinchenko, T.D., and Golovatyuk, L.V., Models of joint distribution of species using the example of benthic communities of small rivers of the Volga basin, Zh. Obshch. Biol., 2021, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 143–154. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044459621020068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Sillero, N., Arenas-Castro, S., Enriquez-Urzelai, U., Vale, C.G., Sousa-Guedes, D., Martínez-Freiría, F., Real, R., and Barbosa, A.M., Want to model a species niche? A step-by-step guideline on correlative ecological niche modelling, Ecol. Model., 2021, vol. 456, p. 109671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Simões, M.V.P. and Peterson, A.T., Importance of biotic predictors in estimation of potential invasive areas: the example of the tortoise beetle Eurypedus nigrosignatus, Hispaniola, PeerJ, 2018, vol. 6, p. e6052.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Soberón, J. and Osorio-Olvera, L., A dynamic theory of the area of distribution, J. Biogeogr., 2023, vol. 50, pp. 1037–1048.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Soberón, J. and Peterson, A.T., Interpretation of models of fundamental ecological niches and species’ distributional areas, Biodiversity Inf., 2005, vol. 2, pp. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.17161/bi.v2i0.4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Thakuri, S.S., Shrestha, P., Deuba, M., Shah, P., Bhandari, O.P., and Shrestha, S., Potential habitat modeling of water hyacinth in lakes of Nepal using Maxent algorithm, ISPRS Ann. Photogramm., Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci., 2019, vol. IV-5/W2, pp. 103–110. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-5-W2-103-2019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Wisz, M.S., Pottier, J., Kissling, W.D., Pellissier, L., Lenoir, J., Damgaard, C.F., Dormann, C.F., Forchhammer, M.C., Grytnes, J.-A., Guisan, A., Heikkinen, R.K., Høye, T.T., Kuhn, I., Luoto, M., Maiorano, L., Nilsson, M.-C., Normand, S., Öckinger, E., Schmidt, N.M., and Termansen, M., The role of biotic interactions in shaping distributions and realised assemblages of species: implications for species distribution modelling, Biol. Rev., 2013, vol. 88, pp. 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2012.00235.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Yan, H., Feng, L., Zhao, Y., Feng, L., Wu, D., and Zhu, Ch., Prediction of the spatial distribution of Alternanthera philoxeroides in China based on ArcGIS and MaxEnt, GECCO, 2019, vol. 21. e00856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Zurell, D. and Engler, J., Ecological niche modeling, in Effects of Climate Change on Birds, Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2019, pp. 60–73.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by ongoing institutional funding. No additional grants to carry out or direct this particular research were obtained.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories, Russian Academy of Sciences, 360051, Nalchik, Russia

    R. Kh. Pshegusov

Authors
  1. R. Kh. Pshegusov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Kh. Pshegusov.

Ethics declarations

ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE

This work does not contain any studies involving human and animal subjects.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The author of this work declares that he has no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note.

Pleiades Publishing remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pshegusov, R.K. From Spatial Distribution to Ecological Niche: Modeling Issues within the Correlation Approach. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 50 (Suppl 2), S132–S139 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359023605165

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359023605165

Keywords:

Search

Navigation