The importance of data quality for generating reliable distribution models for rare, elusive, and cryptic species.

ABSTRACT: The availability of spatially referenced environmental data and species occurrence records in online databases enable practitioners to easily generate species distribution models (SDMs) for a broad array of taxa. Such databases often include occurrence records of unknown reliability, yet little information is available on the influence of data quality on SDMs generated for rare, elusive, and cryptic species that are prone to misidentification in the field. We investigated this question for the fisher (Pekania pennanti), a forest carnivore of conservation concern in the Pacific States that is often confused with the more common Pacific marten (Martes caurina). Fisher occurrence records supported by physical evidence (verifiable records) were available from a limited area, whereas occurrence

SUBMITTER: Aubry KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5480872 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature