Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions
Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) portrays the relationship between the actual geographical distribution of a species and the environmental factors that induced this distribution. Yet most models study species over the wider range of their distribution; thus, they are rarely appropriate for forest ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2020-06-01
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| Series: | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor3331-013 |
| _version_ | 1818273667689218048 |
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| author | Stephan J Bercachy C Bechara J Charbel E López-Tirado J |
| author_facet | Stephan J Bercachy C Bechara J Charbel E López-Tirado J |
| author_sort | Stephan J |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) portrays the relationship between the actual geographical distribution of a species and the environmental factors that induced this distribution. Yet most models study species over the wider range of their distribution; thus, they are rarely appropriate for forest management and forest restoration on the local scale. This study aims to understand the major environmental factors affecting the distribution of 27 species, through limiting ENM at national level (Lebanon). MaxENT software was used for modelling. Area under the curve (AUC) values showed a very good robustness of the models. Minimal biogeographic and climatic parameters such as elevation, distance from the sea, annual mean precipitation, the average minimum temperature of the coldest month, the average maximum temperature of the warmest month, and Emberger Quotient were sufficient to obtain robust modelling results. Cloud coverage during summer was identified as a novelty factor explaining species distribution at the edge of their range. Composite soil and topography predictors such as Potential Direct Incident Radiation (PDIR) and the Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) were reduced to simple factors such as aspect, slope and available water content, whose contribution was conditioned to higher data resolution. The high number of presence points enabled us to study the range of species distribution gathering them according to their ecological characteristics. The generated reforestation suitability maps and the likelihood of occurrence of each species were achieved to define priority species for conservation and forest management. This information could be useful for decision-makers and foresters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:01:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02b9076d9b574d768a03cb1f6dda2790 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1971-7458 1971-7458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:01:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| spelling | doaj.art-02b9076d9b574d768a03cb1f6dda27902022-12-22T00:10:29ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74581971-74582020-06-0113123023710.3832/ifor3331-0133331Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditionsStephan J0Bercachy C1Bechara J2Charbel E3López-Tirado J4L2GE, Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Fanar (Lebanon)L2GE, Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Fanar (Lebanon)Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, Jdeideh (Lebanon)Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, Jdeideh (Lebanon)Integrative Sciences Department, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Avda. Tres de Marzo s/n, 21071 Huelva (Spain)Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) portrays the relationship between the actual geographical distribution of a species and the environmental factors that induced this distribution. Yet most models study species over the wider range of their distribution; thus, they are rarely appropriate for forest management and forest restoration on the local scale. This study aims to understand the major environmental factors affecting the distribution of 27 species, through limiting ENM at national level (Lebanon). MaxENT software was used for modelling. Area under the curve (AUC) values showed a very good robustness of the models. Minimal biogeographic and climatic parameters such as elevation, distance from the sea, annual mean precipitation, the average minimum temperature of the coldest month, the average maximum temperature of the warmest month, and Emberger Quotient were sufficient to obtain robust modelling results. Cloud coverage during summer was identified as a novelty factor explaining species distribution at the edge of their range. Composite soil and topography predictors such as Potential Direct Incident Radiation (PDIR) and the Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) were reduced to simple factors such as aspect, slope and available water content, whose contribution was conditioned to higher data resolution. The high number of presence points enabled us to study the range of species distribution gathering them according to their ecological characteristics. The generated reforestation suitability maps and the likelihood of occurrence of each species were achieved to define priority species for conservation and forest management. This information could be useful for decision-makers and foresters.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor3331-013ecological niche modellingsuitability mapscloud coveragerange of distributionmaxent |
| spellingShingle | Stephan J Bercachy C Bechara J Charbel E López-Tirado J Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry ecological niche modelling suitability maps cloud coverage range of distribution maxent |
| title | Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| title_full | Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| title_fullStr | Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| title_short | Local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| title_sort | local ecological niche modelling to provide suitability maps for 27 forest tree species in edge conditions |
| topic | ecological niche modelling suitability maps cloud coverage range of distribution maxent |
| url | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor3331-013 |
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