A field-validated ensemble species distribution model of Eriogonum pelinophilum, an endangered subshrub in Colorado, USA.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the suitable habitat of endangered species is crucial for agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management to plan management and conservation. However, few species distribution models are directly validated, potentially limiting their application in management. In preparation for a Species Status Assessment of clay-loving wild buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum), an endangered subshrub found in southwest Colorado, we ran a series of species distribution models to estimate the species' potential occupied habitat and validated these models in the field. A 1-meter resolution digital elevation model derived from LiDAR and a high-resolution geology mapping helped identify biologically relevant characteristics of the species' habitat. We employed a weighted ensemble model base

SUBMITTER: Zimmer SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10721943 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature