Date: April
18, 2018
Source:
Portland State University
The scientific models that ecologists and
conservation biologists rely on to determine which species and habitats to
protect lack critical information to help them make effective decisions,
according to a new study.
Angela Strecker, an environmental science
professor at Portland State University and the study's co-lead author, said
that species distribution models can help predict all the places where a given
species could live based on their environmental preferences, and using these
models can help target conservation efforts to areas where they would have the
most impact. They can also be useful in predicting where non-native or invasive
species may spread.
"There's limited dollars and
opportunities for conserving land and water, so we want to make sure we're
getting the most bang for our buck," said Strecker, who co-led the study
with a researcher from Bryn Mawr College. "To do that, we often need to
rely on the results of these distribution models, but they're biased in terms
of not fully representing all of the diversity that's out there and not
including other factors that are important."
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