Species Distribution and Climate Change

Ecologists and environmental scientists use species distribution models—statistical tools that link where organisms are observed to the environmental conditions of those locations—to predict where species can survive now and under future climates. By combining occurrence records, often gathered through citizen science platforms, with algorithms like MaxEnt, researchers can estimate a species' ecological niche and map how suitable habitat is likely to expand, contract, or shift geographically as temperatures and precipitation patterns change. The stakes are significant: these projections inform conservation planning, protected-area design, and assessments of extinction risk across entire ecosystems. Active research is working to reduce uncertainty in these forecasts by improving how models handle species interactions, dispersal limitations, and the uneven geographic coverage of observational data.

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Keywords

Species Distribution ModelingClimate ChangeEcological NicheMaxEntBiodiversityCitizen Science