Does scale matter in predicting species distributions? case study with the Marbled Murrelet

Hierarchical selection orders (selection of microsite, patch, home range, population block, and geographic range) are ideal for dictating spatial grain and extent of animal habitat models, but the resultant conditional models are poor for creating predictive maps. I proposed a two-step approach for accurately mapping probability of animal use that incorporates a single-grain analysis of each selection order in the first step and creates a multi-grain model that combines key variables from each selection order in the second step. Such two-step multi-grain models are strongly recommended because they allow interpretation of the scale of selection for a variable. Using a large data set for the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) as a case study and five selection orders, information theory criteria provided strong support that such models are superior to simpler one-step single-grain models for the murrelet. However, a single-grain model can produce high classification accuracy if it represents the most limiting scale. Notably, accuracy of the two-step multi-grain model was no better than a traditional one-step multi-grain model that ignores selection orders, indicating the advantage of two-step modeling is in elucidating scaling effects, not necessarily in improving accuracy of species distribution maps.