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.7003502567nas a2200337   4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260001200213300000900225490000700234520158600241653001601827653001201843653001401855653001901869653001801888100002401906700002201930700002401952700002001976700002101996700002102017700002502038700002102063700002102084700001902105700002102124700001702145700002102162856004602183       2023                        eng d00aThe distribution of surface soil moisture over space and time in eastern Taylor Valley, Antarctica0 adistribution of surface soil moisture over space and time in eas  c06/2023  a31700 v153 a<p>Available soil moisture is thought to be the limiting factor for most ecosystem processes in the cold polar desert of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. Previous studies have shown that microfauna throughout the MDVs are capable of biological activity when sufficient soil moisture is available (~2&ndash;10% gravimetric water content), but few studies have attempted to quantify the distribution, abundance, and frequency of soil moisture on scales beyond that of traditional field work or local field investigations. In this study, we present our work to quantify the soil moisture content of soils throughout the Fryxell basin using multispectral satellite remote sensing techniques. Our efforts demonstrate that ecologically relevant abundances of liquid water are common across the landscape throughout the austral summer. On average, the Fryxell basin of Taylor Valley is modeled as containing 1.5 &plusmn; 0.5% gravimetric water content (GWC) across its non-fluvial landscape with ~23% of the landscape experiencing an average GWC &gt; 2% throughout the study period, which is the observed limit of soil nematode activity. These results indicate that liquid water in the soils of the MDVs may be more abundant than previously thought, and that the distribution and availability of liquid water is dependent on both soil properties and the distribution of water sources. These results can also help to identify ecological hotspots in the harsh polar Antarctic environment and serve as a baseline for detecting future changes in the soil hydrological regime.</p>10aDry valleys10aecology10ahydrology10aremote sensing10asoil moisture1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aFackrell, Laura, E.1 aSokol, Eric, R.1 aLevy, Joseph, S.1 aKuentz, Lily, C.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aPower, Sarah, N.1 aKnightly, Paul1 aMatul, Haley, M.1 aSzutu, Brian1 aDoran, Peter, T.  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/12/3170