Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02705.x
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Title (Primary) Biotic modifiers, environmental modulation and species distribution models
Author Linder, H.P.; Dyke, J.; Etienne, R.S.; Hickler, T.; Kühn, I. ORCID logo ; Marion, G.; Ohlemüller, R.; Schymanski, J.; Singer, A.
Source Titel Journal of Biogeography
Year 2012
Department BZF; OESA
Volume 39
Issue 12
Page From 2179
Page To 2190
Language englisch
Keywords ecosystem engineers; facilitation; global change; keystone species; models; niche; niche construction; species distribution models; ecosystem engineers; facilitation; global change; keystone species; models; niche; niche construction; species distribution models; ecosystem engineers; facilitation; global change; keystone species; models; niche; niche construction; species distribution models
UFZ wide themes RU5
Abstract

The ability of species to modulate environmental conditions and resources has long been of interest. In the past three decades the impacts of these biotic modifiers have been investigated as ‘ecosystem engineers’, ‘niche constructors’, ‘facilitators’ and ‘keystone species’. This environmental modulation can vary spatially from extremely local to global, temporally from days to geological time, and taxonomically from a few to a very large number of species. Modulation impacts are pervasive and affect, inter alia, the climate, structural environments, disturbance rates, soils and the atmospheric chemical composition. Biotic modifiers may profoundly transform the projected environmental conditions, and consequently have a significant impact on the predicted occurrence of the focal species in species distribution models (SDMs). This applies especially when these models are projected into different geographical regions or into the future or the past, where these biotic modifiers may be absent, or other biotic modifiers may be present. We show that environmental modulation can be represented in SDMs as additional variables. In some instances it is possible to use the species (e.g. biotic modifiers) in order to reflect the modulation. This would apply particularly to cases where the effect is the result of a single or a small number of species (e.g. elephants transforming woodland to grassland). Where numerous species generate an effect (such as tree species making a forest, or grasses facilitating fire) that modulates the abiotic environment, the effect itself might be a better descriptor for the aggregated action of the numerous species. We refer to this ‘effect’ as the modulator. Much of the information required to incorporate environmental modulation effects in SDMs is already available from remote-sensing data and vegetation models.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=12465
Linder, H.P., Dyke, J., Etienne, R.S., Hickler, T., Kühn, I., Marion, G., Ohlemüller, R., Schymanski, J., Singer, A. (2012):
Biotic modifiers, environmental modulation and species distribution models
J. Biogeogr. 39 (12), 2179 - 2190 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02705.x