Influences of mapping methods on macroecological patterns and conservation of global reptile diversity
Species geographic distributions are one of their most fundamental features. These distributions determine, to a large extent their rarity, endemicity, and threat. Consequently, it is paramount to examine the quality of the distribution data we possess using different mapping methods (expert drawn maps, species distribution modeling, extent of suitable habitat, point localities, point to grid data, convex polygons, alpha hulls etc.) on the patterns obtained.
These data are also critical due to: frequent taxonomic changes with the advancement of molecular methods to identify new species, new species discoveries, human influences on species distributions, changes to distributions due to climate changes, and the increase in our understanding of lesser studied global regions. Therefore, there is a great need to develop new, user-friendly quantitative tools to enable viewing and updating species’ distributions.
This workshop will include some of the global expert in reptile taxonomy and distribution, together with biogeographers that develop quantitative tools for presentation and analysis of such data. Together we will plan the collation and unification of different mapping methods and testing them against each other. We will develop statistical tools and an R package with an intuitive interface to enable distribution updates, comparisons, analyzing their underlying patterns, and statistically testing hypothesis based on them. Furthermore, we will test the effects of mapping methods on the definition of species distributions, on different biogeographical patterns the arise from them, and their consequences for conservation prioritization.
These data are also critical due to: frequent taxonomic changes with the advancement of molecular methods to identify new species, new species discoveries, human influences on species distributions, changes to distributions due to climate changes, and the increase in our understanding of lesser studied global regions. Therefore, there is a great need to develop new, user-friendly quantitative tools to enable viewing and updating species’ distributions.
This workshop will include some of the global expert in reptile taxonomy and distribution, together with biogeographers that develop quantitative tools for presentation and analysis of such data. Together we will plan the collation and unification of different mapping methods and testing them against each other. We will develop statistical tools and an R package with an intuitive interface to enable distribution updates, comparisons, analyzing their underlying patterns, and statistically testing hypothesis based on them. Furthermore, we will test the effects of mapping methods on the definition of species distributions, on different biogeographical patterns the arise from them, and their consequences for conservation prioritization.
The meeting is organized by:
- Shai Meiri from the School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University
- Uri Roll form the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,
