Linking macroecology and community ecology: refining predictions of species distributions using biotic interaction networks

摘要: Macroecological models for predicting species distributions usually only include abiotic environmental conditions as explanatory variables, despite knowledge from community ecology that all are linked to other through biotic interactions. This disconnect is largely due the different spatial scales considered by two sub-disciplines: macroecologists study patterns at large extents and coarse resolutions, while ecologists focus on small fine resolutions. A general framework including interactions in macroecological would help bridge this divide, it allow rigorous testing of role play determining ranges. Here, we present an approach combines distribution with Bayesian networks, which enables direct indirect effects be modelled propagating conditional dependencies among species' presences. We show a California grassland results better range predictions across western USA. new will important improving estimates their dynamics under change.