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Incomplete Data Sets in Community Ecology and Biogeography: A Cautionary Tale
Author(s) -
Kodric-Brown Astrid,
Brown James H.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.2307/1942104
Subject(s) - biogeography , ecology , community , habitat , geography , distribution (mathematics) , species distribution , biology , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Many basic and applied studies in ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology rely on data on the distribution of species and the composition of communities that are compiled from the literature or from unpublished sources. Most of these data sets are incomplete, and some contain serious biases. We examine two such data sets. New records of fishes in Australian desert springs, which corrected sampling biases in the original study, revealed different patterns of species distribution and community structure. New records of mammals on Great Basin mountaintops did not materially alter the results and interpretations of earlier studies. In order to avoid serious errors of fact, interpretation, and application, there is no substitute for first‐hand field experience with the organisms and habitats.