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CONCLUSION
To better understand where Justicia wrightii may occur, an initial habitat model was run based on readily available species locality data and a collection of national environmental predictor data. Field
crews used the results to systematically survey for unknown populations; several new populations were identified.
REFERENCES
Elkins, D., S.C. Sweat, B.R. Kuhajda A.L. George, K.S. Hill, and S.J. Wenger. 2019. “Illuminating Hotspots of Imperiled Aquatic Biodiversity in the Southeastern US.” Global Ecology and Conservation 19:e00654.
Guisan, A. and W. Thuiller. 2005. “Predicting Species Distribution: Offering More Than Simple Habitat Models”. Ecology Letters 8: 993–1009.
Hamilton, H., R. Smyth, B.E. Young, T.G. Howard, C. Tracey, S. Breyer, D.R. Cameron, A. Chazal, A.K. Conley, C. Frye, and C. Schloss. “Increasing Taxonomic Diversity and Spatial Resolution Clarifies Opportunities for Protecting Imperiled Species in the U.S.” Ecological Applications, in review.
Hurlbert, A. H., and W. Jetz. 2007. “Species Richness, Hotspots, and the Scale Dependence of Range Maps in Ecology and Conservation.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 104:13384–13389.
Jenkins, C. N., K. S. Van Houtan, S. L. Pimm, and J. O. Sexton. 2015. “US Protected Lands Mismatch Biodiversity Priorities.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 112:5081–5086.
Sofaer, H.R., C.S. Jarnevich, I.S. Pearse, R.L. Smyth, S. Auer, G.L. Cook, T.C. Edwards, Jr., G.F. Guala, T.G. Howard, J.T. Morisette, and H.H. Hamilton. 2019. “Development and Delivery of Species Distribution Models to Inform Decision-Making.” BioScience 69:544–557.
Referenced data sources: Biodiversity Data Serving Our Nation [BISON]; Butterflies and Moths of North America [BAMONA], Integrated Digitized Biocollections [iDigBio]; iNaturalist; Symbiota Collections of Arthropods Network [SCAN]; L. Richardson, unpublished bumble bee locality data.
Photo credits
Habitat suitability modeling has been deeply explored in the academic literature for several decades. Yet still, more than 20 years into the 21st century, we are routinely using coarse, imprecise, incomplete, and often subjective information to answer one of the most important and consequential questions for the management and conservation of biodiversity: Where do species and their habitats occur? We have shown that this type of modeling is a mature science that, when combined with GIS analysis and tools to support a transparent, collaborative, and iterative process, can dramatically improve our understanding of the distribution of most species in ways that reduces conflict, saves time and money, increases transparency in decision- making, and improves conservation outcomes.
Species common name, Photographer
The Map of Biodiversity Importance is a product and a process that can guide conservation in our biodiverse country. As a map product, MoBI provides an unprecedented view of hot spots of species imperilment for the most diverse suite of species yet examined. The MoBI data layers—freely available on ArcGIS Living Atlas—allow viewers to zoom to their land trust, national forest, wildlife refuge, park, prospective conservation easement, wildlife corridor, development project, or any other location where better, higher-resolution information about the potential distribution of species of high conservation concern can benefit decision-making. In producing MoBI, we have also created a process for developing better species distribution maps that is iterative and dynamic, and responsive to information changes. Vetted models can guide field inventory, which yields new data that feed new models in a continuous process of refinement. In a world committed to ongoing global change, this dynamic integration of technology, natural history data, and expertise is an important step forward for conserving the diversity of life on which our own well-being depends.
Jollyville Plateau salamander, Piershendrie
Florida scrub-jay Mike Carlo, USFWS
Dakota skipper Jessi- ca Petersen
Barton Springs salamander Ryan Hagerty, USFWS
Rusty-patched bumble bee, Jessica Petersen
Bonytail chub, Brian Gratwicke
Blair’s fencing crayfish, Dustin Lynch, AR Natural Heritage Comm.
Golden-cheeked warbler, USFWS
Venus flytrap, Misty Buchanan, NC Natural Heritage Program
Agassiz’s desert tortoise, Beth Jackson, USFWS
Bracted twistflower, Steven Schwartzman, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Kirtland’s warbler, Joel Trick, USFWS
Yellowcheek darter, Dustin Lynch, AR Natural Heritage Comm.
Clubshell, Craig Stihler, USFWS
California tiger Salamander, Robert Fletcher, Ohlone Preserve
Caddo mountain salamander, Dustin Lynch
Eastern Massasauga, Richard Staffen
Black-footed ferret, Kimberly Fraser, USDA
Canyon mock orange, Melody Lytle, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Boston Mountains crayfish, Dustin Lynch, AR Natural Heritage Comm.
Chiricahua leopard frog, Jim Rorabaugh USFWS
Jollyville Plateau salamander, Piershendrie
Tricolored bat, Missouri Department of Conservation
Maguire’s
primrose, Larry England, USFW
Preventing Species Extinctions 41