Raster Being retired and Issues with dismo. What's Alternative workflow to perform ENM ?

 Introduction: The Need for an Alternative Workflow

Hello everyone! Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) has become an invaluable tool for understanding species distributions and predicting their potential habitats. However, the traditional methods using Raster and dismo have their limitations. In this article, we'll explore an alternative workflow that overcomes these challenges and provides a more efficient and accurate approach.

Step 1: Data Acquisition and Preparation

The first step in our alternative workflow is acquiring and preparing the data. While Raster and dismo have their data sources, our approach incorporates a wider range of datasets, including remote sensing data, climate data, and even citizen science observations. This diverse data collection ensures a more comprehensive representation of the species' environmental requirements.

Step 2: Feature Selection and Transformation

Once we have the data, the next crucial step is feature selection and transformation. Instead of relying solely on raster layers, our workflow incorporates various statistical and machine learning techniques to identify the most relevant environmental variables. This not only reduces the dimensionality of the data but also enhances the model's accuracy by focusing on the most influential factors.

Step 3: Model Training and Evaluation

Model training and evaluation are pivotal in ENM. While dismo offers some algorithms, our alternative workflow expands the options, including ensemble models and deep learning approaches. These advanced techniques can capture complex relationships in the data, leading to more robust and accurate models. Additionally, the evaluation metrics go beyond the traditional AUC, considering factors like calibration and transferability.

Step 4: Model Application and Interpretation

The final step is applying the model and interpreting the results. While Raster provides basic visualization capabilities, our alternative workflow leverages interactive mapping tools and 3D visualization techniques. This not only enhances the presentation of the results but also allows for a more in-depth analysis, including exploring the uncertainties and potential future scenarios.

Conclusion: Embracing the Alternative Workflow

In conclusion, the alternative workflow we've discussed today offers a more comprehensive, accurate, and flexible approach to ENM. By moving beyond the limitations of Raster and addressing the issues with dismo, researchers can gain deeper insights into species distributions and make more informed conservation and management decisions. So, let's embrace this new workflow and unlock the full potential of Ecological Niche Modeling!