Local Records Centres rely on the efforts of recorders working in the field to send them biological records. However, records can only exist in areas recorders themselves have visited, regardless of the presence of species or not. This patchiness is a problem for LRCs because records of important species may be absent from large areas simply because recorders have not visited those places.

Distribution modelling offers LRCs a way round this problem. Likelihood of occurrence models using Biomapper software based on presence only data (characteristic of LRC records) allow for accurate modelling of species distribution.

Modelling exercises such as these are particularly relevant today because they can provide an understanding of the process of climate change and how species distributions may or may not be able to adapt to these changing conditions. They also afford the tools for predicting the spread of alien invasive species.

Projects to date include:

• Water vole distribution modelling
• African Raptor Databank

Contact us habitat INFO to find out how we can help model and map species distribution.