Ricerc@Sapienza

Unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss raise the urgency for preserving species ability to cope with ongoing global changes. An approach in this direction is to target intra-specific hotspots of genetic diversity as conservation priorities. However, these hotspots are often identified by sampling at a spatial resolution too coarse to be useful in practical management of threatened species, hindering the long-appealed dialog between conservation stakeholders and conservation genetic researchers.

Demand for models in biodiversity assessments is rising, but which models are adequate for the task? We propose a set of best-practice standards and detailed guidelines enabling scoring of studies based on species distribution models for use in biodiversity assessments. We reviewed and scored 400 modeling studies over the past 20 years using the proposed standards and guidelines. We detected low model adequacy overall, but with a marked tendency of improvement over time in model building and, to a lesser degree, in biological data and model evaluation.

Aim
We sought to assess different megafaunal species responses to the intense climatic changes that characterized the end of the Quaternary.

Location
Eurasia.

Methods
We used species distribution modelling, niche overlap tests and co?occurrence analysis to model climatic niche evolution and change in six different megafauna species, including three extinct (woolly mammoth, woolly rhino and steppe bison) and three extant (red deer, wolf and reindeer) species.

Alien plants invasion has negative impacts on the structure and functionality of ecosystems. Understanding the determinants of this process is fundamental for addressing environmental issues, such as the water availability in South Africa’s catchments. Both environmental and anthropogenic factors determine the invasion of alien species; however, their relative importance has to be quantified.