02394nas a2200301   4500008004100000022001400041245012200055210006900177260001200246300001100258490000800269520142600277653001501703653002401718653001901742653001901761653003401780653002301814100002801837700002001865700002501885700002401910700002201934700002101956700001901977700002101996856007502017       2025                        eng d  a0012-965800aRemote sensing for species distribution models: An illustration from a sentinel taxon of the world's driest ecosystem0 aRemote sensing for species distribution models An illustration f  c02/2025  ae700350 v1063 a<p>In situ observed data are commonly used as species occurrence response variables in species distribution models. However, the use of remotely observed data from high-resolution multispectral remote-sensing images as a source of presence/absence data for species distribution models remains under-developed. Here, we describe an ensemble species distribution model of black microbial mats (Nostoc spp.) using presence/absence points derived from the unmixing of 4-m resolution WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 images in the Lake Fryxell basin region of Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Environmental and topographical characteristics such as soil moisture, snow, elevation, slope, and aspect were used as predictor variables in our models. We demonstrate that we can build and run ensemble species distribution models using both dependent and independent variables derived from remote-sensing data to generate spatially explicit habitat suitability maps. Snow and soil moisture were found to be the most important variables accounting for about 80% of the variation in the distribution of black mats throughout the Fryxell basin. This study highlights the potential contribution of high-resolution remote-sensing to species distribution modeling and informs new studies incorporating remotely derived species occurrences in species distribution models, especially in remote areas where access to in situ data is often limited.</p>10aAntarctica10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10amicrobial mats10aremote sensing10aspecies distribution modeling10aspecies occurrence1 aThapa‐Magar, Khum, B.1 aSokol, Eric, R.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aLevy, Joseph, S.1 aKnightly, Paul1 aPower, Sarah, N.  uhttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.7003502587nas a2200313   4500008004100000022001400041245012700055210006900182260001200251300001100263520145800274653001701732653001401749653000801763653001901771653001501790100002301805700001801828700001501846700002401861700002501885700003301910700002901943700001701972700002201989700002102011700002102032856022002053       2024                        eng d  a0954-102000aMcMurdo Dry Valley lake edge ‘moats’: The ecological intersection between terrestrial and aquatic polar desert habitat0 aMcMurdo Dry Valley lake edge moats The ecological intersection b  c04/2024  a1 - 173 a<p>Aquatic ecosystems - lakes, ponds and streams - are hotspots of biodiversity in the cold and arid environment of Continental Antarctica. Environmental change is expected to increasingly alter Antarctic aquatic ecosystems and modify the physical characteristics and interactions within the habitats that they support. Here, we describe physical and biological features of the peripheral &lsquo;moat&rsquo; of a closed-basin Antarctic lake. These moats mediate connectivity amongst streams, lake and soils. We highlight the cyclical moat transition from a frozen winter state to an active open-water summer system, through refreeze as winter returns. Summer melting begins at the lakebed, initially creating an ice-constrained lens of liquid water in November, which swiftly progresses upwards, creating open water in December. Conversely, freezing progresses slowly from the water surface downwards, with water at 1 m bottom depth remaining liquid until May. Moats support productive, diverse benthic communities that are taxonomically distinct from those under the adjacent permanent lake ice. We show how ion ratios suggest that summer exchange occurs amongst moats, streams, soils and sub-ice lake water, perhaps facilitated by within-moat density-driven convection. Moats occupy a small but dynamic area of lake habitat, are disproportionately affected by recent lake-level rises and may thus be particularly vulnerable to hydrological change.</p>10aconnectivity10aecosystem10aice10amicrobial mats10atransition1 aStone, Michael, S.1 aDevlin, Shawn1 aHawes, Ian1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aAdams, Byron1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aDoran, Peter, T.  uhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/mcmurdo-dry-valley-lake-edge-moats-the-ecological-intersection-between-terrestrial-and-aquatic-polar-desert-habitats/31D94DD51E651603482A3AE6E8A52A57