Salvador Arenas-Castro

University of Cordoba (Spain) | UCO · Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology

The R language provides most applications (packages) currently available for ecological niche modelling. In the last few years, these packages have increased substantially. There are now numerous packages for computing ecological niche models (ENMs) with different algorithms, comparing species niches and niche models, creating virtual species, gett...

Background The Iberian Peninsula comprises one of the largest boundaries between Mediterranean and Eurosiberian vegetation, known as sub-Mediterranean zone. This ecotone hosts many unique plant species and communities and constitutes the low-latitude (warm) margin of numerous central European species which co-occur with Mediterranean vegetation. Tw...

El cambio climático plantea desafíos importantes para la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Los cambios a largo plazo en la temperatura, la humedad, los patrones de lluvia y la frecuencia de los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos ya están afectando a las prácticas agrícolas, la producción de cultivos y la calidad nutricional de los cultivos alimentarios...

Los ecosistemas forestales están expuestos a una gran variedad de presiones ambientales, sociales y económicas que desafían su sostenibilidad a escala planetaria. La biodiversidad que albergan puede responder de muy diversas formas a estas presiones, generando impactos variables y complejos. Por tanto, es necesario anticiparse a dichos impactos par...

While data combinations from different sources proved to be a useful tool in species distribution models (SDMs), there is still much to explore on the usefulness and/or uncertainty of each input data source through the modelling process. We assessed the effects of uncertainty in SDMs using different data sources in both response (citizen-collected...

Regos A, Gonçalves J, Arenas-Castro S, Alcaraz-Segura D, Guisan A & Honrado JP (2022). Incorporating remotely sensed ecosystem functioning into species distribution models: limitations, advantages and future avenues. IALE 2022 European Landscape Ecology Congress Jul 11 – 15, 2022. Warsaw, Poland (Online).

During the last decades, remote sensing has changed the way humans observe and understand the Earth system. The repeated and increasingly detailed observations made from satelliteSatellite platforms and other remote sensing procedures have revolutionized research, particularly in the atmospheric and oceanographic sciences but also in the biophysica...

Aim: A major source of uncertainty in the application of species distribution models (SDMs) is related to input data quality. Citizen-collected species occurrence data are often used for fitting SDMs when data from standardized and expert-supported surveys are unavailable. Macroclimate variables are much more commonly used as predictors in SDMs tha...

El cambio global está afectando gravemente el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas y la biodiversidad a nivel mundial. Los atributos funcionales de los ecosistemas (AFE) detectados remotamente son descriptores integradores del cambio ambiental y están estrechamente relacionados con los procesos que afectan directamente las cadenas alimentarias a...

Assessing the environmental status of Protected Areas (PAs) is a challenging issue. To indicate that status, the identification of a common set of variables that are scientifically sound, and easy to assess and monitor by the PA practitioners, is particularly important. In this study, a set of 27 Essential Variables (EVs) for PA management was sele...

Climate change has strong effects on biodiversity. It causes shifts in the species' geographical range, towards other latitudes or elevations, while tracking its natural habitat. Here, the species maintains its realised niche stable (in the environmental space) and shifts its geographical range. Alternatively, a species might shift its realised nic...

Biodiversity is declining globally at unprecedented rates. Ecological niche models (ENMs) are one of the most widely used toolsets to appraise global change impacts on biodiversity. Here, we identify a variety of advantages of incorporating remotely sensed ecosystem functioning attributes (EFAs) into ENMs. The development of ENMs that explicitly in...

Global change is severely affecting ecosystem functioning and biodiversity globally. Remotely sensed ecosystem functional attributes (EFAs) are integrative descriptors of the environmental change —being closely related to the processes directly affecting food chains via trophic cascades. Here we tested if EFAs can explain the species fitness at upp...

Global biodiversity is facing a never witnessed extinction crisis worldwide. One of the biggest challenges to deal with this crisis of biodiversity loss is the lack of efficient and viable monitoring systems across scales. Unlike traditional in situ biodiversity monitoring, a usually costly and time-consuming enterprise, satellite remote sensing (S...

The use of correlative ecological niche models has highly increased in the last decade. Despite all literature and textbooks in this field, few practical guidelines exist on the correct application of these techniques. We present here a step-by-step guideline explaining best practices for calculating correlative ecological niche models considering...

The effects of climate change (CC) will impact species ranges, and crops are no exception. Anticipating these changes through forecasting the environmentally suitable area of crops would help to reduce or mitigate the impact and adapt ecological and economic strategies. To forecast the CC effects on crops, we describe here a model-assisted framewor...

The effects of climate change (CC) will impact species ranges, and crops are no exception. Anticipating these changes through forecasting the environmentally suitable area of crops would help to reduce or mitigate the impact and adapt ecological and economic strategies. To forecast the CC effects on crops, we describe here a model-assisted framewor...

One of the biggest challenges to deal with the global crisis of biodiversity loss is the lack of efficient and viable monitoring systems across scales. Unlike traditional in situ biodiversity monitoring, a usually costly and time-consuming enterprise, satellite remote sensing (SRS) data offer a technically feasible and sustainable in time solution....

The need to incorporate habitat dynamics into spatial conservation prioritization is increasingly recognized but often limited by the lack of available temporal data. To overcome this limitation, model-assisted monitoring has been advocated and developed over the last decade. However, predictive modelling often relies on static habitat features or...

Estimation of species’ extinction risk may be improved by using dynamic drivers instead of static ones such us population size and distribution range. Earth observation platforms provide reliable data on ecosystem dynamics. We devise a cost-effective and upgradeable framework to estimate species’ extinction risk by spatiotemporal trends in habitat...

The Iberian Peninsula hosts a high diversity of oak species, being a hot-spot for the conservation of European White Oaks (Quercus) due to their environmental heterogeneity and its critical role as a phylogeographic refugium. Identifying and ranking the drivers that shape the distribution of White Oaks in Iberia requires that environmental variable...

Figure S3: Maps depicting the distribution and breeding status of each bird species in the Macizo Central and Biduiral de Montederramo according to the EOAC (European Ornithologist Atlas Committee) codes.

Urgent action needs to be taken to halt global biodiversity crisis. To be effective in the implementation of such action, managers and policy-makers need updated information on the status and trends of biodiversity. Here, we test the ability of remotely sensed ecosystem functioning attributes (EFAs) to predict the distribution of 73 bird species wi...

Global biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are undergoing profound and intense changes worldwide. These environmental changes greatly impact both the distribution and the abundance of species, resulting in the depletion or loss of key communities and ecosystems functions. Thus, both ‘species distribution’ and ‘population abundance’ are widely us...

World olive production is based on the cultivation of different varieties that respond differently to abiotic factors. Climate change may affect the area of land suitable for olive cultivation and change production levels, thus causing serious damage to this economically-relevant and highly-productive olive grove agroecosystem. In Mediterranean reg...

How species are distributed on Earth depends largely on climate factors. Whenever these environmental conditions change, species tend to shift their distributions to reach more favourable conditions. Distinct sets of species similarly distributed (i.e. chorotypes) occur in biogeographical regions with homogeneous environmental conditions. Here, we...

El piruétano del Castillo de Miramontes (Santa Eufemia, Córdoba) como ejemplo de árbol singular y su necesaria figura de protección.

Global environmental changes are affecting both the distribution and abundance of species at an unprecedented rate. To assess these effects, species distribution models (SDMs) have been greatly developed over the last decades, while species abundance models (SAMs) have generally received less attention even though these models provide essential inf...

Estimation species extinction risk by analyzing spatial and temporal series of realized niche models based on satellite-only remote sensing-derived variables.

Se describe una nueva localidad en el Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês para el lirio del Gerês (Xiphion boissieri), especie considerada “en peligro crítico”, en una zona en proceso de recuperación tras un incendio.

Ecosystems, in particular mountains, are facing strong socio-environmental pressures, which may jeopardize the provision of ecosystem services. Continuous monitoring of ecosystem services provision is therefore an important action in a context of environmental change. Within large scale assessments, satellite products are gathering strong attention...

Mountains are facing strong environmental pressures, which may jeopardize the supply of various ecosystem services. For sustainable land management, ecosystem services and their supporting functions should thus be evaluated and monitored. Satellite products have been receiving growing attention for monitoring ecosystem functioning, mainly due to th...

L’utilisation des outils SIG (Système d’Information Géographique) en dendrochronologie offre une excellente opportunité de développer davantage les analyses de cernes, notamment dans le contexte des forêts tropicales où les techniques d’analyses de cernes sont réputées compliquées et fastidieuses. Dans cette étude, deux approches de mesure de large...

Spatiotemporal ecological modelling of terrestrial ecosystems relies on climatological and biophysical Earth observations. Due to their increasing availability, global coverage, frequent acquisition and high spatial resolution, satellite remote sensing (SRS) products are frequently integrated to in situ data in the development of ecosystem models (...

Global environmental changes are rapidly affecting species’ distributions and habitat suitability worldwide, requiring a continuous update of biodiversity status to support effective decisions on conservation policy and management. In this regard, satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Attributes (EFAs) offer a more integrative and quicker evaluati...

Iris boissieri presence data at NW extent and 1km cell size, and joined values for each selected predictor to each occurrence data. (CSV)

Multicollinearity test of predictor variables used in model fitting Peneda-Gerês National Park (NP-1km) for Iris boissieri (Ib) and Taxus baccata (Tb), by calculating the Variance Inflation Factors (VIF) as implemented in the R package car using function vif(). Legend. For each predictor, the VIF shows the collinearity degree among at least one ind...

Multicollinearity test of predictor variables used in model fitting North-western Iberian Peninsula (NW-1km) for Iris boissieri (Ib) and Taxus baccata (Tb), by calculating the Variance Inflation Factors (VIF) as implemented in the R package car using function vif(). Legend. For each predictor, the VIF shows the collinearity degree among at least on...

Variables importance for the best traditional (climate and land-cover)-based and satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Attribute (EFA)-based models for Iris boissieri. Legend. Mean ± standard deviation variable importance of each predictor considered for the best-performed models (through all individual combinations of pseudoabsences, model runs a...

Correlation matrix for predictor variables used in model fitting in the Peneda-Gerês National Park (NP) extent and 1km cell size combinations for Iris boissieri. Legend. Spearman’s correlation matrix for all the variables used in model fitting (Note: the lowest absolute pairwise-correlation values were highlighted in green). (TIF)

Spatial projections for Iris boissieri. Legend. Presence-absence maps for Iris boissieri from ensemble forecasting modelling calibrated by traditional predictors and satellite-derived ecosystem functional attributes (EFAs). (TIF)

Correlation matrix for predictor variables used in model fitting in the Peneda-Gerês National Park (NP) extent and 1km cell size combinations for Taxus baccata. Legend. Spearman’s correlation matrix for all the variables used in model fitting (Note: the lowest absolute pairwise-correlation values were highlighted in green). (TIF)

Correlation matrix for predictor variables used in model fitting in the North-western Iberian Peninsula (NW) extent and 1km cell size combinations for Taxus baccata. Legend. Spearman’s correlation matrix for all the variables used in model fitting (Note: the lowest absolute pairwise-correlation values were highlighted in green). (TIF)

Variables importance for the best traditional (climate and land-cover)-based and satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Attribute (EFA)-based models for Taxus baccata. Legend. Mean ± standard deviation variable importance of each predictor considered for the best-performed models (through all individual combinations of pseudoabsences, model runs an...

Taxus baccata presence data at NW extent and 1km cell size, and joined values for each selected predictor to each occurrence data. (CSV)

Correlation matrix for predictor variables used in model fitting in the North-western Iberian Peninsula (NW) extent and 1km cell size combinations for Iris boissieri. Legend. Spearman’s correlation matrix for all the variables used in model fitting (Note: the lowest absolute pairwise-correlation values were highlighted in green). (TIF)

Model performance based on TSS (True Skills Statistics) for different extent (IP: Iberian Peninsula, NW: North-western IP and NP: Peneda-Gerês National Park) and spatial resolution (1km and 5km) combinations for Iris boissieri and Taxus baccata. Legend. Performance of the individual models (boxplots) showing the TSSmedian, two hinges (first and thi...

Regression models among the median values of the Area Under the Curve (AUC) and the True Skills Statistics (TSS) of the ensemble models for Iris boissieri and Taxus baccata. Legend. Regression analysis among the AUCmedian and TSSmedian values for the ensemble models considering all extent (IP: Iberian Peninsula, NW: North-western IP and NP: Peneda-...

Spatial projections for Taxus baccata. Legend. Presence-absence maps for Taxus baccata from ensemble forecasting modelling calibrated by traditional predictors and satellite-derived ecosystem functional attributes (EFAs). (TIF)

Ecosystem services indicators are important to measure the trends and state of ecosystem service delivery; with recent years seeing a wide indicator base being developed. Indicators are powerful tools to inform and improve the knowledge base on ecosystems and ecosystem services, which are useful for decision makers at any spatial scale for basing t...

The exhibition will be open from 8-12 January at the European Parliament. It will showcase images from Europe's latest generation of satellites, which invite you to explore how protected area managers and scientists are working together to protect some of Europe's most iconic mountain, desert, and coastal and marine protected areas. The event will...

Protected areas in European mountains are locations with well -known boundaries that receive protection as a result of significant and co-existing natural and socio-cultural values. Despite these boundaries, invasion by non-native tree species is one of the pressures threatening the conservation of those values. Managing the extent of species inva...

Tree-ring analysis is a basic technique of paramount importance in forest management, yet it may prove difficult and time-consuming for many slow-growth hardwood tree species. Moreover, it requires the use of specialized tools and proprietary software, which may hinder researchers working with limited budgets. We describe an innovative and inexpens...

Durante las últimas décadas, la notable proliferación de estudios dendrocronológicos en España ha contribuido significativamente al avance del conocimiento de la estructura y dinámica de las masas forestales. Sin embargo, las investigaciones realizadas se han centrado principalmente en especies de mayor interés forestal, en detrimento de otras que...

We provide new data on the life history of Pseudophilotes abencerragus (Pierret, 1837) and P. panoptes (Hübner, [1813]) and also about their distribution in Andalusia (southern Spain). Their most probable distribution in this geographical area is analyzed using Species Distribution Model (SDM) with MaxEnt software. The distribution models have acce...

The combined effects of both agricultural practices and cattle raising during the last century have caused the decline of different species of fleshy fruit shrubs and some small trees species in the Mediterranean forest. However, these typical woody species play an important role in the context of ecological balance. This is the case of the Iberian...

- Background. For thousands of years, the original Mediterranean forest in the Iberian Peninsula has been transformed into a mosaic of habitats, among which stand out the meadows of oak (dehesas). However, despite its extension and the socio-economic value derived from their exploitation, the management of dehesas has conditioned that some wild woo...

Pyrus bourgaeana D. is one of four species of wild pears present in Spain and is endemic of the Iberian peninsula. Iberian wild pear trees provide palatable leaves and fleshy fruits which are used by a wide variety of mammals and birds during the summer drought when food and water are very scarce. Thus, this species plays an important trophic role...