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Abstract
In the last two decades, interest in species distribution models (SDMs) of plants
and animals has grown dramatically. Recent advances in SDMs allow us to potentially
forecast anthropogenic effects on patterns of biodiversity at different spatial scales.
However, some limitations still preclude the use of SDMs in many theoretical and practical
applications. Here, we provide an overview of recent advances in this field, discuss
the ecological principles and assumptions underpinning SDMs, and highlight critical
limitations and decisions inherent in the construction and evaluation of SDMs. Particular
emphasis is given to the use of SDMs for the assessment of climate change impacts
and conservation management issues. We suggest new avenues for incorporating species
migration, population dynamics, biotic interactions and community ecology into SDMs
at multiple spatial scales. Addressing all these issues requires a better integration
of SDMs with ecological theory.