Predicting species distribution: offering more than simple habitat models

This influential review examined the rapidly growing field of species distribution modeling, comparing statistical methods, discussing the ecological theory connecting environment to occurrence, and outlining how models can move beyond static habitat mapping toward dynamic, predictive applications. It addressed model selection, evaluation, and the cautions needed when projecting into new conditions, themes directly relevant to forecasting how climate change will redistribute species. For felid conservation, the review provides the methodological grounding for projecting future habitat for cats under warming. It matters as a touchstone that helped standardize how ecologists build and critique distribution models, shaping the rigor with which climate-driven range shifts, including for big cats, are now estimated.