Distribution Map Of Species Research Articles

A new species of the genus Anthonomus Germar, 1817 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from Altai with a list of the Russian species

A new mountain species, Anthonomus (Anthonomidius) dudkoi Legalov, sp. n. from Western Altai is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to A. germanicus Dieckmann, 1968 from Europe and Kazakhstan but differs in the dark body, wider pronotum, thinner and more sparse piliform scales on the body, and thinner less curved rostrum. A distribution map of species from the subgenus Anthonomidius is given. A list of species of Anthonomus includes 32 species from Russia is compiled.

Range extension of the Melogale personata I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831 (Mustelidae) in Nepal

Melogale personata I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831, Large-toothed Ferret Badger (Mustelidae), is distributed from Nepal to Vietnam with very few records. It historically is known by only one recent sighting record from an unspeci-fied area of Nepal. The IUCN species distribution map shows this species in the Okhaldhunga District. We confirm the presence of M. personata in Nepal based on a sighting of a juvenile individual. This is the first record of this species from Syangja District, Nepal. The geographical range of this species is extended farther west in Nepal.

Alternative biome states challenge the modelling of species' niche shifts under climate change

Abstract It is common to characterise the species niche using climate and global species distribution maps. This is then used to predict changes in distribution under a warming climate. This approach assumes that climate is a major driver of species distribution and that each species responds individually (sensu Gleason) to climate. However, in many world landscapes, for a given climate, strikingly different vegetation types co‐occur: forests and non‐forests. These two alternative biome states are maintained by different feedback processes and have radically different species with contrasting shade and disturbance tolerance traits. We propose that to improve predictions of species distribution changes under a novel climate, we need to consider the presence or absence of forest shade, as species are likely to respond individually only within their forest or non‐forest biome, and not across biomes. Synthesis. By considering shade as a biotic filter in niche modelling, we are not only improving our predictive capacity, but we are also reconciling the two views of communities: both the individualistic (within biome) and the organismal (across biomes) views of the community concept become relevant and complementary.

Two New Fern Species from Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Abstract— Two new fern species from Sarawak, Antrophyum hovenkampii and Pteris hovenkampii are described in memory of renowned pteridologist, Peter Hans Hovenkamp. Their relationships are inferred using morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analyses. A description, photographs of key characters, distribution map, and habitat description of both new species are provided. Keys to all known species of Antrophyum and Pteris in Borneo are also included.

A New Species of Comolia (Melastomataceae, Marcetieae) from the Sand Dunes of Bahia, Brazil, with Notes on Leaf Anatomy

Abstract— Comolia abaetensis, an endemic new species from the Abaeté and Itapuã sand dunes, Bahia, Brazil, is described and illustrated. Additionally, field images and a geographic distribution map of the new species are provided, together with morphological and leaf anatomy comparisons among the most similar congeners, and a dichotomous key to the species that occur in Brazil. Comolia abaetensis is morphologically similar to C. ovalifolia, but differs from the latter by the following combination of characteristics: glabrous (rarely with sparse trichomes) internodes and hirsute nodes, glabrous leaf blades or rarely with sparse eglandular trichomes, abaxial surface predominantly red with green nuances, glabrous pedicels, cupuliform hypanthium, and filaments of the antesepalous stamens that are 5‐6 mm long. Specimens of C. abaetensis have been confused with and/or tentatively determined as C. berberifolia. However, these two species are readily distinguished by the size of the leaves, the length of the trichomes and filaments, and the color of the abaxial foliar surfaces. Comparisons between the leaf anatomy of C. abaetensis and C. ovalifolia are provided and the occurrence of emergences and hydathodes are here reported for the genus for the first time. Finally, we informally recommend a conservation status of Critically Endangered [CR B1ab (iv) + 2ab (iv)] for C. abaetensis.

Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Hylomyrma Forel, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of fourteen new species.

This paper provides a taxonomic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Hylomyrma Forel (1912) (Myrmicinae: Pogonomyrmecini). Morphological traits combined with geographical data and natural history information led to the recognition of 30 species, fourteen of them described here as new: Hylomyrma adelae sp. n., Hylomyrma dandarae sp. n., Hylomyrma jeronimae sp. n., Hylomyrma lispectorae sp. n., Hylomyrma lopesi sp. n., Hylomyrma macielae sp. n., Hylomyrma margaridae sp. n., Hylomyrma mariae sp. n., Hylomyrma marielleae sp. n., Hylomyrma mitiae sp. n., Hylomyrma peetersi sp. n., Hylomyrma primavesi sp. n., Hylomyrma virginiae sp. n. and Hylomyrma wachiperi sp. n. Lectotypes for H. speciosa (junior synonym of H. balzani) and H. reitteri are here designated from syntypes to improve nomenclatural stability. Except for the three species most recently described (H. montana, H. plumosa, and H. villemantae), the external morphology of workers is described or redescribed, as well as for the known males and queens, most described here for the first time. Of the 30 recognized species herein, 11 present intercastes; at least three of them present female specimens with queen-like traits that may be understood as ergatoids. An updated identification key for Hylomyrma workers is provided, as well as high resolution photographs of all known sexes and castes, species distribution maps, and a summary of what is known from the biology of all species.

Resource selection functions based on hierarchical generalized additive models provide new insights into individual animal variation and species distributions

Habitat selection studies are designed to generate predictions of species distributions or inference regarding general habitat associations and individual variation in habitat use. Such studies frequently involve either individually indexed locations gathered across limited spatial extents and analyzed using resource selection functions (RSFs) or spatially extensive locational data without individual resolution typically analyzed using species distribution models. Both analytical methodologies have certain desirable features, but analyses that combine individual‐ and population‐level inference with flexible non‐linear functions may provide improved predictions while accounting for individual variation. Here, we describe how RSFs can be fit using hierarchical generalized additive models (HGAMs) using widely available software, providing a means to explore individual variation in habitat associations and to generate species distribution maps. We used GPS tracking data from golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos from across eastern North America with four environmental predictors to generate monthly distribution models. We considered three model structures that assumed different amounts of individual variation in the functional relationship between predictors and habitat use and used k‐fold cross‐validation to compare model performance. Models accounting for individual variability in shape and smoothness of functional responses performed best. Eagles exhibited the least amount of individual variation in response to land cover variables during winter months, with most individuals more closely adhering to the population‐level trend. During the summer months, eagles exhibited more substantial individual variation in shape and smoothness of the functional relationships, suggesting some need to account for individual variation in eagle habitat use for both inferential and predictive purposes, during this time of year. Because they allow users to blend flexible functions with random effects structures and are well‐supported by a variety of software platforms, we believe that HGAMs provide a useful addition to the suite of analyses used for modeling habitat associations or predicting species distributions.

Two new species of Cryptanthus (Bromelioideae, Bromeliaceae) from northeastern Brazil

Two new species of Cryptanthus from Bahia State, in northeastern Brazil, are described and illustrated. Cryptanthus apiculatantherus occurs in Atlantic Forest and Cryptanthus brevibracteatus was discovered in a transition area between Atlantic Forest and Caatinga. Cryptanthus apiculatantherus and C. bibarrensis have similar stem lengths and leaf blade shapes, but differ mainly by the stem diameter, width of the leaf sheaths, sepal and petal color, anther apex shape, and length and width of the ovary. Cryptanthus brevibracteatus and C. warren-loosei have a similar leaf blade color and are geographically close to each other, but differ by the number of flowers in the apical cluster of flowers of the inflorescence, length and width of the floral bracts, length of the sepals, connation of the sepals and length of the sepal lobes. Data about the geographic distribution, habitat, phenology, conservation status, taxonomic comments, a distribution map and photographs of the new species are provided. In addition, there are tables included that compare the new species to morphologically similar species.

Stakeholder Perceptions on the Need for Updated Tree Species Distribution Maps

Tree species distributions presented as range maps are powerful tools for forest-based decision-making processes. In the United States, Silvics of North America is a well-known reference for over 200 tree species. However, the current range maps are likely outdated due to changes in land use, advancements in technology, shifts in plant hardiness zones due to climate change, and shifting societal values that influence the development of these resources. Therefore, a survey was distributed to two stakeholder groups, registered foresters in four states and members of several professional organizations, to gain insight into whether Silvics of North America range maps should be updated. Although the survey delivery method varied between the two survey sampling frames, the opinions on updating species range maps between the two stakeholder groups were similar. Both groups indicated that updating the current range maps would be valuable and would best be informed by remote sensing, national field inventories, and expert insight, and by adding color and perhaps importance classes.

A data‐driven geospatial workflow to map species distributions for conservation assessments

AbstractAimSpecies distribution maps are essential for assessing extinction risk and guiding conservation efforts. However, most come sourced as expert‐drawn range maps with known issues of accuracy or are developed with overly complex modelling procedures. Thus, data‐driven alternatives that are accessible and reliable are a welcome addition to the spatial conservation toolkit. Here, we developed a geospatial workflow to refine the distribution of a species from its extent of occurrence (EOO) to area of habitat (AOH) within the species range map. The range maps are produced with an inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation procedure using presence and absence points derived from primary biodiversity data.LocationThe Americas (North, South, Central America and the Caribbean).MethodsAs a case study, we mapped the distribution of 723 resident forest birds in the Americas and assessed their performance in comparison with expert‐drawn range maps. We evaluated differences in accuracy, spatial overlap, range map size and derived AOH.ResultsThe geospatial workflow generated IDW range maps with a higher overall accuracy (87% versus 62%) and fewer errors of omission (<1%) and commission (14%) than the expert range maps (28% both errors). The spatial overlap between both datasets was low (35%), but the agreement increased in areas of high probability of occurrence (68%). We did not find significant differences in range size, but the AOH derived from the expert‐drawn range maps was consistently smaller than the estimates from the IDW range maps.Main ConclusionsOur geospatial workflow provides a straightforward approach to accurately map species ranges and the estimation of area of habitat (AOH) for conservation planning and decision‐making. Conversely, procedures that refine expert‐drawn range maps to obtain AOH risk producing biased estimates for local‐scale applications.

Integrated modeling of waterfowl distribution in western Canada using aerial survey and citizen science (eBird) data

AbstractAlthough the exceptional spatiotemporal extent of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has substantially contributed to our understanding of the ecology of North American waterfowl, vast geographical areas remain excluded from the survey. The unprecedented number of observations generated by the recent boom in citizen science initiatives could help resolve these spatial gaps and increase the density of records in regions already covered. The study objective was to assess the value of the integrated species distribution modeling (ISDM) approach for integrating WBPHS and eBird data to model waterfowl distribution across the Canadian western boreal forest, where WBPHS data are sparse. Following the ISDM approach, we used a state‐space point process formulation that combined a model for the “true” species distribution and two observation models for how WBPHS and eBird data were generated. Our results highlighted the importance of observational processes related to sampling effort and site accessibility for modeling eBird data. In addition, our models allowed identifying waterfowl–habitat associations related to geoclimatic, forest, and hydrological factors that explained the distribution of target species. To assess the individual contribution of WBPHS and eBird data, we re‐fitted the models using only one of the two data sets and compared the results obtained against those from the integrated approach. Waterfowl–habitat associations and predictions derived from the models using both data sets and those fitted with WBPHS data only were close and consistent with the observed species distribution. However, it was more difficult to extract an ecological signal from models fitted with eBird data only. Interestingly, predictions from models combining both data sets were closer to the WBPHS records than the predictions from models fitted with WBPHS data only. By facilitating the combination of all available data sources, we demonstrated the potential of the ISDM approach for modeling and mapping species distributions. We encourage future North American waterfowl modeling attempts to use this method, especially for resolving gaps in the WBPHS coverage. As multiple data sets can be added to the original framework, integration efforts must not be restricted to the additional contribution of eBird data alone and could consider, for example, provincial atlases and regional helicopter surveys.

A new species of Centaurea (Asteraceae) from northern Turkey

A new species of Centaurea sect. Phalolepis (Asteraceae) is described and illustrated from Turkey. This species was collected from Vezirköprü district (Samsun Province) in north Anatolia. Centaurea isilae sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. lycia and C. cadmea ssp. pontica from which it differs mainly in basal leaves, upper leaves and achene features. Comprehensive descriptions and comparison of the new species and closely related species, ecology, conservation status, pollen morphology, a distribution map and detailed illustrations of the new species are given.

Large-scale assessment of masking potential by underwater ship noise the North Sea

The JOMOPANS project created one year of soundscape maps of the North Sea, based on ship information from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and a ship source model. This assessed the potential impact of ship noise on the marine ecosystem through the masking of communication and other relevant acoustic signals. Specifically, the excess noise was quantified, which express the deterioration of the signal-to-noise ratio caused by the ship noise and hence the reduction in maximum communication range. The dominance of ship noise over natural sources was quantified as the percentage of time where excess was 20 dB or higher. A decrease in signal-to-noise ratio of 20 dB compared to a reference condition (ambient plus weather) without ships indicates a substantial decrease in communication range, and hence a substantial risk of impact on the ecosystem. Maps of excess and dominance in different frequency bands showed the largest ship contribution in the lowest frequency bands and in the most trafficked areas, with less affected areas in shallow waters, including the Dogger Bank. These maps, in combination with distribution maps of sensitive species, form the basis for the joint assessment of environmental status of the North Sea by the surrounding countries.

A world catalogue of Xyleutes Hbner, 1820 (Lepidoptera: Cossidae: Zeuzerinae) with description of a new species from the Western Ghats of India.

A new species of carpenter moth Xyleutes ramamurthyi Yakovlev Sankararaman, sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Cossidae, Zeuzerinae) is described as new to science from the Western Ghats of south India. The identification key and species catalog of the genus is provided. In this study, we illustrated with images of all the species of the genus and morphological structures of the new species. The photos of biotopes and the map of new species distribution are provided.

Mejdalania, a new genus and three new species of Neocoelidiinae from Brazil (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).

A new Brazilian leafhopper genus of the subfamily Neocoelidiinae is proposed. Mejdalania gen. nov. is described based on three new species: Mejdalania bia sp. nov. from the state of Acre, M. longa sp. nov. from the state of Amazonas and M. unciformis sp. nov. from the state of Mato Grosso. A distribution map of Mejdalania species and an identification key for the species of the genus are provided.

New species in the Basilia ferruginea group (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) from Mexico, with additional records of Basilia rondanii.

A new species of Basilia Miranda-Ribeiro, 1903 (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) belonging to the ferruginea group from Mexico is described and additional geographic records of Basilia rondanii Guimarães & D´Andretta, 1956 are presented. The type-specimens of the species were collected on an endemic Mexican vespertilionid bat, Myotis carteri La Val (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the State of Jalisco. Photographs in dorsal and ventral views and distribution maps of the new species and Basilia rondanii are presented.

Revision of Nearctic Heterischnus Wesmael, 1859 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini)

The Nearctic species of Heterischnus Wesmael are revised. Redescriptions are provided of the three known species, H. bicolorator, H. huardi and H. coloradensis. Heterischnus mexicanussp. nov. is newly described and H. bicolorator is recorded for the first time from the Nearctic region. The first key to the Nearctic species is provided along with species images and distribution maps.

Integrating Multi-Sensors Data for Species Distribution Mapping Using Deep Learning and Envelope Models

The integration of ecological and atmospheric characteristics for biodiversity management is fundamental for long-term ecosystem conservation and drafting forest management strategies, especially in the current era of climate change. The explicit modelling of regional ecological responses and their impact on individual species is a significant prerequisite for any adaptation strategy. The present study focuses on predicting the regional distribution of Rhododendron arboreum, a medicinal plant species found in the Himalayan region. Advanced Species Distribution Models (SDM) based on the principle of predefined hypothesis, namely BIOCLIM, was used to model the potential distribution of Rhododendron arboreum. This hypothesis tends to vary with the change in locations, and thus, robust models are required to establish nonlinear complex relations between the input parameters. To address this nonlinear relation, a class of deep neural networks, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture is proposed, designed, and tested, which eventually gave much better accuracy than the BIOCLIM model. Both of the models were given 16 input parameters, including ecological and atmospheric variables, which were statistically resampled and were then utilized in establishing the linear and nonlinear relationship to better fit the occurrence scenarios of the species. The input parameters were mostly acquired from the recent satellite missions, including MODIS, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-5p, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and ECOSTRESS. The performance across all the thresholds was evaluated using the value of the Area Under Curve (AUC) evaluation metrics. The AUC value was found to be 0.917 with CNN, whereas it was 0.68 with BIOCLIM, respectively. The performance evaluation metrics indicate the superiority of CNN for species distribution over BIOCLIM.

Assessment of plant species distribution and diversity along a climatic gradient from Mediterranean woodlands to semi-arid shrublands

ABSTRACT Climate and land-use change profoundly affect plant species distribution (SD) and composition, and the impact of these processes is expected to increase in the coming years. As a proxy of global changes, knowledge of SD and diversity along climatic gradients is essential to determine the efforts needed for species conservation. Plant spectral diversity is an emerging approach used as a proxy for species diversity based on remote sensing. Thus, the research aim was to develop a comprehensive methodology based on spectral diversity for SD and richness mapping and to study their relations with environmental and human-derived factors, demonstrated along Mediterranean to semi-arid climatic gradient. The study addresses two main knowledge gaps regarding spectral diversity: (1) improving the accuracy of woody species classification by features extraction and selection, and by using texture analysis in an ecosystem characterized by high spatial variability and relatively small-sized and sparse woody vegetation; and (2) developing a better estimate of the local species ‎richness and their response to environmental and human-derived factors (i.e. climate, topography, substrate, and land cover factors) across a transition zone between Mediterranean woodlands and semi-arid dwarf shrublands. A hyperspectral image was acquired for a 43-km strip along the study area using an airborne flight of AISA-FENIX (380–2500 nm, 420 bands) at the end of the 2017 rainy season. The dominant species were surveyed, with a total number of 247 trees and shrubs, to train a machine learning support vector machine (SVM) classification for species distribution mapping, which yielded an overall accuracy of 86.1%. A feature extraction and selection methodology was developed, combining principal component analysis and neighborhood component analysis techniques, facilitating the identification of 33 spectral diagnostic bands out of 330 spectral bands. The classification accuracy was decreased by about 2% to 84.2% using only 33 spectral bands. The classification accuracy improved by about 7.1% for the seven large crown species (93.3%) by adding texture information. Later, the local species richness was calculated by utilizing the alpha diversity index (i.e. the Shannon Index) for 30-m grid cells and was tested in response to environmental (i.e. climate, substrate, and topography) and human-derived factors (i.e. land cover). The highest sensitivity to alpha diversity factors was mean annual precipitation, slope, and land surface temperature. The alpha diversity showed higher richness in the natural Mediterranean shrubland and the guarrigue located in the northern part of the climate gradient. We suggest that the approach presented here significantly improves the estimation of woody species distribution and diversity in areas characterized by high spatial heterogeneity along steep climatic gradients.

Taxonomic studies of Araceae in Myanmar II: Typhonium edule, a remarkable new aroid species from Monywa District, Sagaing Region

Recent fieldwork in Monywa District, Sagaing Region, Myanmar resulted in the discovery of a species new to science, Typhonium edule, which is herein described and illustrated. It superficially resembles T. lineare but differs in having wider spathe diameter, spathe limb 3–4 times longer than the tube, downwardly curved sickled-shaped staminodes and strongly stipitate appendix. Detailed description, colour plates, distribution map, phenology and ecology of this new Typhonium species are provided below.