Journal list menu

Volume 83, Issue 7
Article

ECOLOGICAL‐NICHE FACTOR ANALYSIS: HOW TO COMPUTE HABITAT‐SUITABILITY MAPS WITHOUT ABSENCE DATA?

A. H. Hirzel

Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Search for more papers by this author
J. Hausser

Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Search for more papers by this author
D. Chessel

UMR CNRS 5023, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon I, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

Search for more papers by this author
N. Perrin

Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Corresponding author. E‐mail: Nicolas.Perrin@ie‐zea.unil.ch

Search for more papers by this author

Abstract

We propose a multivariate approach to the study of geographic species distribution which does not require absence data. Building on Hutchinson's concept of the ecological niche, this factor analysis compares, in the multidimensional space of ecological variables, the distribution of the localities where the focal species was observed to a reference set describing the whole study area. The first factor extracted maximizes the marginality of the focal species, defined as the ecological distance between the species optimum and the mean habitat within the reference area. The other factors maximize the specialization of this focal species, defined as the ratio of the ecological variance in mean habitat to that observed for the focal species. Eigenvectors and eigenvalues are readily interpreted and can be used to build habitat‐suitability maps. This approach is recommended in situations where absence data are not available (many data banks), unreliable (most cryptic or rare species), or meaningless (invaders). We provide an illustration and validation of the method for the alpine ibex, a species reintroduced in Switzerland which presumably has not yet recolonized its entire range.

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 618

  • Improving Potential Biodiversity and Human Footprint in Nothofagus Forests of Southern Patagonia through the Spatial Prioritization of their Conservation Values, Spatial Modeling in Forest Resources Management, 10.1007/978-3-030-56542-8_19, (441-471), (2021).
  • Simulation-Based Approaches for Ecological Niche Modelling, Environmental and Agricultural Informatics, 10.4018/978-1-5225-9621-9, (805-827), (2020).
  • Spatial niche partitioning among three small cetaceans in the eastern coastal area of Hokkaido, Japan, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 10.3354/meps13232, 637, (209-223), (2020).
  • Modeling the Lumpy skin disease risk probability in central Zagros Mountains of Iran, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104887, (104887), (2020).
  • Prediction of habitat suitability of Morina persica L. species using artificial intelligence techniques, Ecological Indicators, 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106096, 112, (106096), (2020).
  • Habitat suitability modelling to predict the spatial distribution of cold‐water coral communities affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Journal of Biogeography, 10.1111/jbi.13844, 47, 7, (1455-1466), (2020).
  • Continental shelf, canyons and pockmark fields in the southeastern Bay of Biscay, Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat, 10.1016/B978-0-12-814960-7.00046-4, (769-781), (2020).
  • Large Data Matrices: Random Walk Model and Application of Entropy in HIV Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT), HIV Transmission, 10.1007/978-981-15-0151-7, (127-134), (2020).
  • ENMTML: An R package for a straightforward construction of complex ecological niche models, Environmental Modelling & Software, 10.1016/j.envsoft.2019.104615, (104615), (2020).
  • Application of Complete Gradient Clustering Algorithm for analysis of wildlife spatial distribution, Ecological Indicators, 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106216, 113, (106216), (2020).
  • Changes in habitat suitability over a two decade period before and after Asian elephant recolonization, Global Ecology and Conservation, 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01023, (e01023), (2020).
  • Correcting the effect of sampling bias in species distribution modeling – A new method in the case of a low number of presence data, Ecological Informatics, 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2020.101086, (101086), (2020).
  • Shifts in potential geographical distribution of Pterocarya stenoptera under climate change scenarios in China, Ecology and Evolution, 10.1002/ece3.6236, 10, 11, (4828-4837), (2020).
  • Trade-offs between wood production and forest grouse habitats in two regions with distinctive landscapes, Forest Ecosystems, 10.1186/s40663-020-00227-2, 7, 1, (2020).
  • Relationships between survival and habitat suitability of semi‐aquatic mammals, Ecology and Evolution, 10.1002/ece3.6239, 10, 11, (4867-4875), (2020).
  • Joint seasonality in geographic and ecological spaces, illustrated with a partially migratory bird, Ecosphere, 10.1002/ecs2.3110, 11, 5, (2020).
  • Potential distribution and the habitat suitability of the African mustard (Brassica tournefortii) in Tunisia in the context of climate change, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 10.1007/s12517-020-05467-8, 13, 13, (2020).
  • Climate modelling suggests a review of the legal status of Brazilian pepper Schinus terebinthifolia in South Africa is required, South African Journal of Botany, 10.1016/j.sajb.2020.04.019, 132, (95-102), (2020).
  • Testing the environmental warming responses of Brachyscome daisy species using a common garden approach, Austral Ecology, 10.1111/aec.12885, 45, 6, (717-730), (2020).
  • Where and why? Bees, snail shells and climate: Distribution of Rhodanthidium (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the Iberian Peninsula, Entomological Science, 10.1111/ens.12420, 23, 3, (256-270), (2020).
  • A Review of Membrane Computing Models for Complex Ecosystems and a Case Study on a Complex Giant Panda System, Complexity, 10.1155/2020/1312824, 2020, (1-26), (2020).
  • Raging elephants: effects of human disturbance on physiological stress and reproductive potential in wild Asian elephants, Conservation Physiology, 10.1093/conphys/coz106, 8, 1, (2020).
  • Evaluating the realized niche and plant–water relations of wetland species using experimental transplants, Plant Ecology, 10.1007/s11258-020-01015-2, (2020).
  • Optimized Maxent Model Predictions of Climate Change Impacts on the Suitable Distribution of Cunninghamia lanceolata in China, Forests, 10.3390/f11030302, 11, 3, (302), (2020).
  • Examining the spatiotemporal change of forest resource carrying capacity of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 10.1007/s11356-020-08408-w, (2020).
  • Habitat-Suitability Model for the Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) in the Northern Gulf Coast of Alabama and Mississippi, USA, Remote Sensing, 10.3390/rs12050848, 12, 5, (848), (2020).
  • Modelling risks posed by wind turbines and power lines to soaring birds: the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Italy as a case study, Biodiversity and Conservation, 10.1007/s10531-020-01961-3, (2020).
  • Balkan Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) Avoids Roads, Settlements, and Hunting Grounds: An Ecological Overview from Timfi Mountain, Greece, Diversity, 10.3390/d12040124, 12, 4, (124), (2020).
  • Bias in presence-only niche models related to sampling effort and species niches: Lessons for background point selection, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0232078, 15, 5, (e0232078), (2020).
  • Common mistakes in ecological niche models, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 10.1080/13658816.2020.1798968, (1-14), (2020).
  • Early warning systems in biosecurity; translating risk into action in predictive systems for invasive alien species, Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 10.1042/ETLS20200056, (2020).
  • Ensemble Modelling of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Habitats in the Western North Pacific Using Satellite Remotely Sensed Data; a Comparative Analysis Using Machine-Learning Models, Remote Sensing, 10.3390/rs12162591, 12, 16, (2591), (2020).
  • Identification of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) pelagic hotspots applying a satellite remote sensing-driven analysis of ecological niche factors: A short-term run, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0237742, 15, 8, (e0237742), (2020).
  • Human–black bear interactions in Northern Mexico, Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 10.1080/10871209.2020.1752419, (1-14), (2020).
  • Mapping habitat suitability for gastrointestinal nematodiasis of ruminants in southern Caspian Sea littoral: a predicted risk pattern model based on the MaxEnt, Tropical Animal Health and Production, 10.1007/s11250-020-02423-2, (2020).
  • Effectiveness of management zoning designed for flagship species in protecting sympatric species, Conservation Biology, 10.1111/cobi.13345, 34, 1, (158-167), (2019).
  • Predicted future distribution of the African skimmer in response to a changing climate, land cover and distance from water in the mid‐Zambezi Valley, African Journal of Ecology, 10.1111/aje.12703, 58, 3, (432-445), (2019).
  • Spatial modelling for predicting potential wildlife distributions and human impacts in the Dja Forest Reserve, Cameroon, Biological Conservation, 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.12.015, 230, (104-112), (2019).
  • Exploring the effects of the design and quantity of absence data on the performance of random forest-based landslide susceptibility mapping, CATENA, 10.1016/j.catena.2018.12.035, 176, (45-64), (2019).
  • Potential eco-distribution mapping of Myrica esculenta in northwestern Himalayas, Ecological Engineering, 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.01.003, 128, (98-111), (2019).
  • Species Distribution Models (SDM) – A Strategic Tool for Predicting Suitable Habitats for Conserving the Target Species, Environmental Information Systems, 10.4018/978-1-5225-7033-2, (555-568), (2019).
  • Recolonization of native and invasive plants after large-scale clearance of a temperate coastal dunefield, Applied Geography, 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.05.007, 109, (102030), (2019).
  • Habitat use by Asian elephants: Context matters, Global Ecology and Conservation, 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00570, (e00570), (2019).
  • , Plant Conservation, 10.1017/9781108648677, (2019).
  • Challenges in Modelling of Environmental Semantics, Praxishandbuch Habitussensibilität und Diversität in der Hochschullehre, 10.1007/978-3-319-15994-2_2, (19-25), (2019).
  • Akaike information criterion should not be a “test” of geographical prediction accuracy in ecological niche modelling, Ecological Informatics, 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.02.005, (2019).
  • On the problem of modeling a fundamental niche from occurrence data, Ecological Modelling, 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.01.020, 397, (74-83), (2019).
  • Heterospecific social attraction in migrant birds: habitat niche overlap between two threatened shrikes, Wildlife Research, 10.1071/WR18031, 46, 1, (25), (2019).
  • Evaluating the Hypothesis of Pleistocene Refugia for Mammals in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Animal Diversity and Biogeography of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, 10.1007/978-3-030-11262-2_15, (203-224), (2019).
  • Species distribution models with field validation, a key approach for successful selection of receptor sites in conservation translocations, Global Ecology and Conservation, 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00653, (e00653), (2019).
  • Potential biodiversity map of understory plants for Nothofagus forests in Southern Patagonia: Analyses of landscape, ecological niche and conservation values, Science of The Total Environment, 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.179, 682, (301-309), (2019).
  • Modelling common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) coastal distribution and habitat use: Insights for conservation, Ocean & Coastal Management, 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.104836, 179, (104836), (2019).
  • Species Distribution Modeling in Latin America: A 25-Year Retrospective Review, Tropical Conservation Science, 10.1177/1940082919854058, 12, (194008291985405), (2019).
  • Climate change will decrease the range size of snake species under negligible protection in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot, Scientific Reports, 10.1038/s41598-019-44732-z, 9, 1, (2019).
  • Are all patches worth exploring? Foraging desert birds do not rely on environmental indicators of seed abundance at small scales, BMC Ecology, 10.1186/s12898-019-0242-z, 19, 1, (2019).
  • Hotspot Environmental Assessment of Biofuels, Biofuels: Alternative Feedstocks and Conversion Processes for the Production of Liquid and Gaseous Biofuels, 10.1016/B978-0-12-816856-1.00006-3, (141-162), (2019).
  • Climate change effects on species of Bovidae family in Iran, Environmental Earth Sciences, 10.1007/s12665-019-8192-5, 78, 6, (2019).
  • Site- scale ecological marginality: Evaluation model and application to a case study, Ecological Modelling, 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108739, 408, (108739), (2019).
  • 16 Cold-Water Coral Habitat Mapping in the Mediterranean Sea: Methodologies and Perspectives, Mediterranean Cold-Water Corals: Past, Present and Future, 10.1007/978-3-319-91608-8_16, (173-189), (2019).
  • Ecological niche modelling to estimate the distribution of Culicoides, potential vectors of bluetongue virus in Senegal, BMC Ecology, 10.1186/s12898-019-0261-9, 19, 1, (2019).
  • Species distribution modelling to support forest management. A literature review, Ecological Modelling, 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108817, 411, (108817), (2019).
  • Dynamic Fine‐Scale Sea Icescape Shapes Adult Emperor Penguin Foraging Habitat in East Antarctica, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2019GL084347, 46, 20, (11206-11218), (2019).
  • Vulnerability of high-elevation endemic salamanders to climate change: A case study with the Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon punctatus), Global Ecology and Conservation, 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00883, (e00883), (2019).
  • Projecting Suitability and Climate Vulnerability of Bhutanitis thaidina (Blanchard) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) with Conservation Implications, Scientific Reports, 10.1038/s41598-019-51972-6, 9, 1, (2019).
  • Potential distribution and areas for conservation of four wild felid species in Mexico: conservation planning, Mammalian Biology, 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.09.003, (2019).
  • Combining multiple data sources in species distribution models while accounting for spatial dependence and overfitting with combined penalized likelihood maximization, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10.1111/2041-210X.13297, 10, 12, (2118-2128), (2019).
  • Predicting suitable nesting sites for the Black caiman ( Melanosuchus niger Spix 1825) in the Central Amazon basin , Neotropical Biodiversity, 10.1080/23766808.2019.1646066, 5, 1, (47-59), (2019).
  • Modeling the Effect of Climate Change on the Potential Distribution of Qinghai Spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) in Qilian Mountains, Forests, 10.3390/f10010062, 10, 1, (62), (2019).
  • Deep-Reef Fish Communities of the Great Barrier Reef Shelf-Break: Trophic Structure and Habitat Associations, Diversity, 10.3390/d11020026, 11, 2, (26), (2019).
  • Predicting hotspots for threatened plant species in boreal peatlands, Biodiversity and Conservation, 10.1007/s10531-019-01717-8, (2019).
  • Species Distribution Modeling: A Biosocial Approach, Papers in Applied Geography, 10.1080/23754931.2018.1517273, (1-15), (2019).
  • Potential distribution of Aquila chrysaetos in Mexico: Implications for conservation , Avian Biology Research, 10.1177/1758155918823424, (175815591882342), (2019).
  • Modelling potential habitat for snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Ladakh, India, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0211509, 14, 1, (e0211509), (2019).
  • Habitat differentiation and conservation gap of Magnolia biondii , M. denudata , and M. sprengeri in China , PeerJ, 10.7717/peerj.6126, 6, (e6126), (2019).
  • Back to the future: conserving functional and phylogenetic diversity in amphibian-climate refuges, Biodiversity and Conservation, 10.1007/s10531-019-01706-x, (2019).
  • Climate change will decrease the range of a keystone fish species in La Plata River Basin, South America, Hydrobiologia, 10.1007/s10750-019-3904-0, (2019).
  • Limitations of Species Distribution Models Based on Available Climate Change Data: A Case Study in the Azorean Forest, Forests, 10.3390/f10070575, 10, 7, (575), (2019).
  • Multi-Scenario Species Distribution Modeling, Insects, 10.3390/insects10030065, 10, 3, (65), (2019).
  • Predictive Ecosystem Mapping of South-Eastern Australian Temperate Forests Using Lidar-Derived Structural Profiles and Species Distribution Models, Remote Sensing, 10.3390/rs11010093, 11, 1, (93), (2019).
  • Diversidad de escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) de la zona norte de la Serranía de la Lindosa, Guaviare-Colombia, Acta Biológica Colombiana, 10.15446/abc.v24n2.69674, 24, 2, (311-321), (2019).
  • What is the shape of the fundamental Grinnellian niche?, Theoretical Ecology, 10.1007/s12080-019-0432-5, (2019).
  • Factors Influencing the Geographical Distribution of Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytidae) in China, Forests, 10.3390/f10050425, 10, 5, (425), (2019).
  • Evaluating giant panda as a surrogate species for conservation co-occurring species in the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 10.1007/s11356-019-04420-x, (2019).
  • Species Distribution Modelling to Assist Biodiversity and Conservation Management in Malaysia, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 10.1088/1755-1315/269/1/012041, 269, (012041), (2019).
  • Finding a Suitable Niche for Cultivating Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) as an Integrated Crop in Resilient Dryland Agroecosystems of India, Sustainability, 10.3390/su11215897, 11, 21, (5897), (2019).
  • Retracing the contours of the early angiosperm environmental niche, Annals of Botany, 10.1093/aob/mcz131, (2019).
  • Coupling environment and physiology to predict effects of climate change on the taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0225128, 14, 11, (e0225128), (2019).
  • Movement responses of common noctule bats to the illuminated urban landscape, Landscape Ecology, 10.1007/s10980-019-00942-4, (2019).
  • Mapping the observed and modelled intracontinental distribution of non-marine ostracods from South America, Hydrobiologia, 10.1007/s10750-019-04136-6, (2019).
  • Asiatic Lion: Ecology, Economics, and Politics of Conservation, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10.3389/fevo.2019.00312, 7, (2019).
  • Habitat preference and potential distribution of Magnolia officinalis subsp. officinalis and M. o. subsp. biloba in China, Nature Conservation, 10.3897/natureconservation.36.36171, 36, (93-111), (2019).
  • Unpacking the Black Box: Demystifying Ecological Models Through Interactive Workshops and Hands-On Learning, Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10.3389/fenvs.2019.00122, 7, (2019).
  • Potential biodiversity map of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae): environmental characterization, land-uses and analyses of protection areas in Southern Patagonia, Journal of Insect Conservation, 10.1007/s10841-019-00170-w, (2019).
  • On the Iberian endemism Eurylophella iberica Keffermuller and Da Terra 1978 (Ephemeroptera, Ephemerellidae): current and future potential distributions, and assessment of the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network on its protection, Journal of Insect Conservation, 10.1007/s10841-018-0044-1, 22, 1, (127-134), (2018).
  • Ontogenetic optimal temperature and salinity envelops of the copepod Eurytemora affinis in the Seine estuary (France), Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.008, 200, (311-323), (2018).
  • Identifying Links between Economic Opportunities and Climate Change Adaptation: Empirical Evidence of 63 Cities, Ecological Economics, 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.09.001, 145, (231-243), (2018).
  • Predictive modelling of fossil-bearing locality distributions in the Elliot Formation (Upper Triassic–Lower Jurassic), South Africa, using a combined multivariate and spatial statistical analyses of present-day environmental data, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.009, 489, (186-197), (2018).
  • Fragmentation of Neanderthals' pre-extinction distribution by climate change, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.01.031, 496, (146-154), (2018).
  • Modelling species habitat suitability from presence-only data using kernel density estimation, Ecological Indicators, 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.04.002, 93, (387-396), (2018).
  • Integrative taxonomy improves delimitation in Hypericum subspecies, Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 10.1016/j.ppees.2018.08.005, 34, (68-76), (2018).
  • See more