A problem with variable selection in a comparison of correlative and process-based species distribution models: Comments on Higgins et al., 2020

Comments are presented on an article published in October 2020 in Ecology and Evolution (Predictive ability of a process-based versus a correlative species distribution model) by Higgins et al. This analyzed natural distributions of Australian eucalypt and acacia species and assessed the adventive range of selected species outside Australia. Unfortunately, inappropriate variables were used with the MaxEnt species distribution model outside Australia, so that large climatically suitable areas in the Northern Hemisphere were not identified. Examples from a previous analysis and from the use of the freely available spatial portal of the Atlas of Living Australia are provided to illustrate how the problem can be overcome. The comparison of methods described in the Higgins et al. paper is worthwhile, and it is hoped that the authors will be able to repeat their analyses using appropriate variables with the correlative model.

Automated summary

This study mainly comments on an article published by Higgins et al. in Ecology and Evolution regarding the species distribution models of Australian plants. It points out the potential issues when using the MaxEnt species distribution model outside Australia, and provides solutions to overcome these problems.