A study of the distribution ranges of small mammals in southeastern Transbaikalia using ecological niche-based modeling methods

Abstract

Distribution models have been constructed for 36 species of small mammals from southeastern Transbaikalia. The initial data used for modeling are the distribution of environmental factors (climate data and remote sensing of the earth surface) in the set of localities where each of the species was caught. The spe cies distribution ranges are explainable by the distribution of environmental factors in 30 cases out of 36; 17 of them are explainable by only one or two environmental factors. As for the remaining six cases, it is likely that historical factors and interspecific competition have considerably influenced the current distribution. The modeling results for these six species make it possible to propose hypotheses about the reasons underlying the current distributions, which cannot be proposed without using such a modeling approach.

Regional zoogeographical zoning using species distribution modelling by the example of small mammals of South-Eastern Transbaikalia

“…These alterations successfully transformed these models. Another four distribution models of species known in the region that were based on only 2-3 reported occurrences: northern bat, Amur brown lemming, Hoffmann's pika, flying squirrel deviated from the reported distribution in nature (Lissovsky & Obolenskaya, 2015). However, these four models apply to very small areas and do not significantly shift the zoning results.…”

“…We used 47 species distribution models of representatives of the orders Eulipotyphla, Chiroptera, Rodentia and Lagomorpha from our previous study (Lissovsky & Obolenskaya, 2015) Pallas, 1778. Below, we briefly describe the methods used to obtain these models because they are closely related to the methods used in this study.…”

“…All of the information used for the study was obtained from museum specimen labels. We analysed approximately 3000 specimens from five museums, which had been collected by 81 zoologists from the middle of the 19 th century to the present (Lissovsky & Obolenskaya, 2015).…”

“…We calculated the final model as the average of the results of the 10 iterations described above. We performed additional checks on the models during the 2011 field season (Lissovsky & Obolenskaya, 2015).…”

“…These principal components, which together described the natural conditions of the region, were considered as the environmental factors. Only factors with non-random spatial distribution were selected for further analysis (Lissovsky & Obolenskaya, 2015) (Appendix 2).…”