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Methods and uncertainties in bioclimatic envelope modelling under climate change

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Author

  • Risto K. Heikkinen
  • Miska Luoto
  • Miguel B. Araujo
  • Raimo Virkkala
  • Wilfried Thuiller
  • Martin Sykes

Summary, in English

Potential impacts of projected climate change on biodiversity are often assessed using single-species bioclimatic 'envelope' models. Such models are a special case of species distribution models in which the current geographical distribution of species is related to climatic variables so to enable projections of distributions under future climate change scenarios. This work reviews a number of critical methodological issues that may lead to uncertainty in predictions from bioclimatic modelling. Particular attention is paid to recent developments of bioclimatic modelling that address some of these issues as well as to the topics where more progress needs to be made. Developing and applying bioclimatic models in a informative way requires good understanding of a wide range of methodologies, including the choice of modelling technique, model validation, collinearity, autocorrelation, biased sampling of explanatory variables, scaling and impacts of non-climatic factors. A key challenge for future research is integrating factors such as land cover, direct CO2 effects, biotic interactions and dispersal mechanisms into species-climate models. We conclude that, although bioclimatic envelope models have a number of important advantages, they need to be applied only when users of models have a thorough understanding of their limitations and uncertainties.

Publishing year

2006

Language

English

Pages

751-777

Publication/Series

Progress in Physical Geography

Volume

30

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Physical Geography

Keywords

  • uncertainty
  • species distribution model
  • scale
  • niche properties
  • modelling methods
  • model performance
  • land cover
  • bioclimatic model
  • climate change
  • validation
  • species geography

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1477-0296