Mapping the Impact of Climate Change on Eco-sensitive Hotspots Using Species Distribution Modelling (SDM): Gaps, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Climate change’s impact on biodiversity is expected to be significant in the twenty-first century. Climate change will influence ecologically sensitive areas, and managing these changes will be critical. This chapter focuses on the utilization of species distribution models (SDMs) in assessing climate change impacts and its associated variables on species distribution, leading to population shift, migration, and species vulnerability. The review concentrates on several species distribution models (SDMs), its application in various ecosystems and their management, the gaps in the models and modelling techniques, and the challenges in their applicability. To investigate the variables utilized for modelling the future projections of the species distribution, several SDMs were explored. Additionally, the most commonly used SDM parameters are assessed in relation to their data inputs. However, the applicability of this metric is also evaluated for various ecosystems. Further, different SDMs were contrasted regarding how their algorithms utilized the input variables. A conventional review was conducted to examine the applicability of various SDMs in relation to climate change. The assessment concentrates on (1) climate change impacts on biodiversity and related ecologically sensitive hotspots, (2) various SDMs employed for biodiversity management, (4) SDM variables used to account for climate change, (5) the parameters and factors that influence the outcomes of SDMs, (6) how SDMs are applied in different ecosystems, and (7) a comparative of different SDMs currently used with the algorithms and variables they employ. Our research includes the discussion of gaps and challenges with the use of different SDM models, such as the lack of appropriate data and the noninclusion of biotic factors. But it also discusses the future perspectives and direction of research that needs to be conducted. Given our analysis, the use of SDMs will be critical in comprehending the future effect of climate change on species dispersal and distribution in the future; however there is a need to improve the robustness of these models so accurate assessments and predictions can be made.