Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web

PeerJ

article

Gracielle T. Higino¹  Francis Banville²  Gabriel Dansereau³  Norma Rocio Forero Muñoz³  Fredric Windsor⁵  Timothée Poisot³ 

[1] Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia;University of Sherbrooke;University of Montreal;Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science;School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University

关键词: Range maps;    IUCN;    GBIF;    Serengeti;    Species interactions;    Food web;    Species distribution;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.14620

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRange maps are a useful tool to describe the spatial distribution of species. However, they need to be used with caution, as they essentially represent a rough approximation of a species’ suitable habitats. When stacked together, the resulting communities in each grid cell may not always be realistic, especially when species interactions are taken into account. Here we show the extent of the mismatch between range maps, provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and species interactions data. More precisely, we show that local networks built from those stacked range maps often yield unrealistic communities, where species of higher trophic levels are completely disconnected from primary producers.MethodologyWe used the well-described Serengeti food web of mammals and plants as our case study, and identify areas of data mismatch within predators’ range maps by taking into account food web structure. We then used occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to investigate where data is most lacking.ResultsWe found that most predator ranges comprised large areas without any overlapping distribution of their prey. However, many of these areas contained GBIF occurrences of the predator.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the mismatch between both data sources could be due either to the lack of information about ecological interactions or the geographical occurrence of prey. We finally discuss general guidelines to help identify defective data among distributions and interactions data, and we recommend this method as a valuable way to assess whether the occurrence data that are being used, even if incomplete, are ecologically accurate.

【 授权许可】

CC BY