Validating species distribution models to illuminate coastal fireflies in the South Pacific (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

ABSTRACT: The coastal areas of Vanuatu are under a multitude of threats stemming from commercialization, human development, and climate change. Atyphella Olliff is a genus of firefly that includes species endemic to these coastal areas and will need protection. The research that has already been conducted was affected by accessibility due to the remote nature of the islands which left numerous knowledge gaps caused by a lack of distributional data (e.g., Wallacean shortfall). Species distribution models (SDM) are a powerful tool that allow for the modeling of the broader distribution of a taxon, even with limited distributional data available. SDMs assist in filling the knowledge gap by predicting potential areas that could contain the species of interest, making targeted collecting and conservation

SUBMITTER: Sutherland LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8405826 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature