metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models
Abstract Mechanistic or process‐based models offer great insights into the range dynamics of species facing non‐equilibrium conditions, such as climate and land‐use changes or invasive species. Their consideration of underlying mechanisms relaxes the species‐environment equilibrium assumed by correl...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14461 |
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| author | Stefan Fallert Lea Li Juliano Sarmento Cabral |
| author_facet | Stefan Fallert Lea Li Juliano Sarmento Cabral |
| author_sort | Stefan Fallert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mechanistic or process‐based models offer great insights into the range dynamics of species facing non‐equilibrium conditions, such as climate and land‐use changes or invasive species. Their consideration of underlying mechanisms relaxes the species‐environment equilibrium assumed by correlative approaches, while also generating conservation‐relevant indicators, such as range‐wide abundance time series and migration rates if demographically explicit. However, the computational complexity of mechanistic models limits their development and applicability to large spatiotemporal extents. We present the R package “metaRange”: a modular framework to build population‐based and metabolically constrained range models. We also provide a catalogue of biological functions to calculate niche‐based suitability, metabolic scaling, population dynamics, biotic interactions and kernel‐based dispersal, which may include directed movement. The framework's modularity enables the user to combine, extend, or replace these functions, making it possible to customize the model to the ecology of the study system. The package supports an unlimited number of static or dynamic environmental factors as input, including climate and land use. As examples, we include one single‐species application to predict the range dynamics of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) in Germany, and one theoretical study in which we simulated 100 virtual species in three scenarios: without competition, with competition, and with competition under a generalist‐specialist trade‐off. Due to the population‐level, the package can execute such extensive simulation experiments on regular end‐user hardware in a short amount of time. We provide detailed technical documentation, both for the individual functions in the package as well as instructions on how to set up different types of model structures and experimental designs. The metaRange framework enables process‐based simulations of range dynamic of multiple interacting species on a high resolution and low computational demand. We believe that it allows for theoretical insights and hypotheses testing about future range dynamics of real‐world species, which may better support conservation policies targeting biodiversity loss mitigation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ff5a87612cfd4373a486f4f4a89db1c1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-ff5a87612cfd4373a486f4f4a89db1c12025-01-08T05:44:10ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2025-01-01161495610.1111/2041-210X.14461metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range modelsStefan Fallert0Lea Li1Juliano Sarmento Cabral2Ecosystem Modelling, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB) University of Würzburg Würzburg GermanyEcosystem Modelling, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB) University of Würzburg Würzburg GermanyEcosystem Modelling, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB) University of Würzburg Würzburg GermanyAbstract Mechanistic or process‐based models offer great insights into the range dynamics of species facing non‐equilibrium conditions, such as climate and land‐use changes or invasive species. Their consideration of underlying mechanisms relaxes the species‐environment equilibrium assumed by correlative approaches, while also generating conservation‐relevant indicators, such as range‐wide abundance time series and migration rates if demographically explicit. However, the computational complexity of mechanistic models limits their development and applicability to large spatiotemporal extents. We present the R package “metaRange”: a modular framework to build population‐based and metabolically constrained range models. We also provide a catalogue of biological functions to calculate niche‐based suitability, metabolic scaling, population dynamics, biotic interactions and kernel‐based dispersal, which may include directed movement. The framework's modularity enables the user to combine, extend, or replace these functions, making it possible to customize the model to the ecology of the study system. The package supports an unlimited number of static or dynamic environmental factors as input, including climate and land use. As examples, we include one single‐species application to predict the range dynamics of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) in Germany, and one theoretical study in which we simulated 100 virtual species in three scenarios: without competition, with competition, and with competition under a generalist‐specialist trade‐off. Due to the population‐level, the package can execute such extensive simulation experiments on regular end‐user hardware in a short amount of time. We provide detailed technical documentation, both for the individual functions in the package as well as instructions on how to set up different types of model structures and experimental designs. The metaRange framework enables process‐based simulations of range dynamic of multiple interacting species on a high resolution and low computational demand. We believe that it allows for theoretical insights and hypotheses testing about future range dynamics of real‐world species, which may better support conservation policies targeting biodiversity loss mitigation.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14461climate changemechanistic range modelmetabolic scalingprocess‐based modelR packagerange dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Fallert Lea Li Juliano Sarmento Cabral metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models Methods in Ecology and Evolution climate change mechanistic range model metabolic scaling process‐based model R package range dynamics |
| title | metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models |
| title_full | metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models |
| title_fullStr | metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models |
| title_full_unstemmed | metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models |
| title_short | metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models |
| title_sort | metarange a framework to build mechanistic range models |
| topic | climate change mechanistic range model metabolic scaling process‐based model R package range dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14461 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefanfallert metarangeaframeworktobuildmechanisticrangemodels AT leali metarangeaframeworktobuildmechanisticrangemodels AT julianosarmentocabral metarangeaframeworktobuildmechanisticrangemodels |