Ecological niche modeling of bioindicator mosses

• Autor(a) principal: Cruz, Anny Bianca Santos
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Almeida, Thieres Santos, Fabricante, Juliano Ricardo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Acta Brasiliensis (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://revistas.ufcg.edu.br/ActaBra/index.php/actabra/article/view/485

Bryophytes can be used as bioindicators, however one limitations of this use is knowledge gaps about the occurrence of species. Thus, the present study aimed to perform the ecological niche modeling for Helicodontium capillare (Hedw.) A. Jaeger and Thuidium tomentosum Schimp., two species of bioindicator mosses. Species occurrence data were obtained from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and SpeciesLink platform. Bioclimatic variables were collected from WorldClim 2.0, to select the least correlated variables, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed. Modeling was performed using the Generalized Additive Models, Gaussian Process, MaxEnt, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine algorithms. Using best models, a consensus model was generated. The validity of the models was tested using the True Skill Statistic (TSS) metric. Results show that the two species have greater environmental suitability in environments with high rainfall, especially in industrialized countries in Latin America, such as Brazil and Colombia. In addition, the areas of greatest suitability also correspond to large urban centers with high levels of pollution. Therefore, these species can be used as bioindicators in these regions, thus assisting in the problem identification and management process.