Small but visible: Predicting rare bryophyte distribution and richness patterns using remote sensing-based ensembles of small models.

ABSTRACT: In Canadian boreal forests, bryophytes represent an essential component of biodiversity and play a significant role in ecosystem functioning. Despite their ecological importance and sensitivity to disturbances, bryophytes are overlooked in conservation strategies due to knowledge gaps on their distribution, which is known as the Wallacean shortfall. Rare species deserve priority attention in conservation as they are at a high risk of extinction. This study aims to elaborate predictive models of rare bryophyte species in Canadian boreal forests using remote sensing-derived predictors in an Ensemble of Small Models (ESMs) framework. We hypothesize that high ESMs-based prediction accuracy can be achieved for rare bryophyte species despite their low number of occurrences. We also assess if the

SUBMITTER: Cerrejon C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8735603 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature