Georeferencing translates textual location information, for instance, on herbarium specimen labels, into geographical coordinates, but traditional methods are labour intensive and costly. Large language models (LLMs), however, have the potential to facilitate the georeferencing of natural history collections. Under standardized testing, some available LLMs achieved a near-human level of accuracy quickly and affordably, such that their incorporation into current workflows will increase the efficiency of georeferencing.
@article{xie2025using,title={Using large language models to address the bottleneck of georeferencing natural history collections},author={Xie, Yuyang and Park, Daniel S. and Sinnott-Armstrong, Miranda A. and Ho, Joyce and Chen, Tianlong and Weakley, Alan S. and Aguirre Lopez, Luis J. and Choi, Jaein and Laitinen, Marisa M. and Steeves, Nicholas A. and Huang, Chingyan H. and Xu, Ran and Feng, Xiao},journal={Nature Plants},volume={},number={},pages={},year={2025},doi={10.1038/s41477-025-02162-y},url={https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02162-y},dimensions={},}
Species are distributed in predictable ways in geographic spaces. The three principal factors that determine geographic distributions of species are biotic interactions (B), abiotic conditions (A), and dispersal ability or mobility (M). A species is expected to be present in areas that are accessible to it and that contain suitable sets of abiotic and biotic conditions for it to persist. A species’ probability of presence can be quantified as a combination of responses to B, A, and M via ecological niche modeling (ENM; also frequently referred to as species distribution modeling or SDM). This analytical approach has been used broadly in ecology and biogeography, as well as in conservation planning and decision-making, but commonly in the context of ‘natural’ settings. However, it is increasingly recognized that human impacts, including changes in climate, land cover, and ecosystem function, greatly influence species’ geographic ranges. In this light, historical distinctions between natural and anthropogenic factors have become blurred, and a coupled human–natural landscape is recognized as the new norm. Therefore, B, A, and M (BAM) factors need to be reconsidered to understand and quantify species’ distributions in a world with a pervasive signature of human impacts. Here, we present a framework, termed human-influenced BAM (Hi-BAM, for distributional ecology that (i) conceptualizes human impacts in the form of six drivers, and (ii) synthesizes previous studies to show how each driver modifies the natural BAM and species’ distributions. Given the importance and prevalence of human impacts on species distributions globally, we also discuss implications of this framework for ENM/SDM methods, and explore strategies by which to incorporate increasing human impacts in the methodology. Human impacts are redefining biogeographic patterns; as such, future studies should incorporate signals of human impacts integrally in modeling and forecasting species’ distributions.
@article{fengRethinkingEcologicalNiches,title={Rethinking ecological niches and geographic distributions in face of pervasive human influence in the Anthropocene},author={Feng, Xiao and Peterson, A. Townsend and Aguirre-L{\'o}pez, Luis Jos{\'e} and Burger, Joseph R. and Chen, Xin and Papeş, Monica},journal={Biological Reviews},volume={},number={},pages={},year={2024},publisher={Cambridge Philosophical Society},doi={10.1111/brv.13077},url={https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.13077},dimensions={},}
The volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi), endemic to the central-eastern Transmexican Volcanic Belt, is one of the most threatened lagomorphs worldwide. Several factors threaten to decrease its geographical distribution, which is already restricted to the Pelado, Tláloc, Iztaccíhuatl, and Popocatépetl volcanoes. Our study aimed to propose priority areas for the conservation of this rabbit within Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park (IPNP) based on species distribution models. Volcano rabbit presence data were collected through different field sampling techniques and public and private databases. The environmental predictors used to model suitability were obtained from both open-access remote sensors and topographic information. The models’ performance was adjusted by evaluating different sets of variables and data to improve the certainty of the results. We obtained an area of 132.5 km 2 within the IPNP potentially occupied by the volcano rabbit and a high suitability area of 7 km 2. In addition, four priority conservation polygons for the volcano rabbit were identified within the National Park. We showed that the suitability and potential distribution are not uniform in the park, being the alpine meadow dominated by Muhlenbergia sp., the most suitable area for R. diazi. Therefore, the conservation strategies should focus on preserving these meadows in the prioritized polygons, avoiding tourist and unskilled personnel’s access. This work represents a contribution to the conservation of the volcano rabbit and a theoretical and practical tool for use in the IPNP.
@article{aguirre2021use,title={Use of distribution models in the conservation of a Mexican endemic lagomorph},author={Aguirre-L{\'o}pez, Luis Jos{\'e} and Escalante, Tania},journal={Therya},volume={12},number={3},pages={571--582},year={2021},publisher={Centro de Investigaciones Biol{\'o}gicas del Noroeste},doi={10.12933/therya-21-1088},url={https://www.revistas-conacyt.unam.mx/therya/index.php/THERYA/article/view/1088},dimensions={},}
@incollection{aguirre2024_niche,author={Aguirre-López, Luis José},title={Modelos de nicho ecológico},booktitle={Biogeografía Práctica},editor={Tania Escalante, Erick A. García-Trejo, Juan J. Morrone},publisher={Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM},year={2024},address={Ciudad de México},pages={119--124},isbn={978-607-30-9190-9},url={https://tienda.fciencias.unam.mx/es/inicio/3744-biogeografia-practica-version-pdf-9786073091909.html},keywords={books},}
@incollection{aguirre2024_distribution,author={Aguirre-López, Luis José},title={Modelos de distribución de especies terrestres},booktitle={Biogeografía Práctica},editor={Tania Escalante, Erick A. García-Trejo, Juan J. Morrone},publisher={Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM},year={2024},address={Ciudad de México},pages={125--131},isbn={978-607-30-9190-9},url={https://tienda.fciencias.unam.mx/es/inicio/3744-biogeografia-practica-version-pdf-9786073091909.html},keywords={books},}
@incollection{aguirre2024_heterogeneity,author={Aguirre-López, Luis José},title={Heterogeneidad ambiental y biodiversidad},booktitle={Biogeografía Práctica},editor={Tania Escalante, Erick A. García-Trejo, Juan J. Morrone},publisher={Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM},year={2024},address={Ciudad de México},pages={253--257},isbn={978-607-30-9190-9},url={https://tienda.fciencias.unam.mx/es/inicio/3744-biogeografia-practica-version-pdf-9786073091909.html},keywords={books},}
scientific dissemination
2021
Conejo entre volcanes
Luis José Aguirre-López, PC Espiritu-Guerrero, and Tania Escalante
@article{aguirre2021comoves,title={Conejo entre volcanes},author={Aguirre-L{\'o}pez, Luis Jos{\'e} and Espiritu-Guerrero, PC and Escalante, Tania},journal={¿Cómo ves?},volume={273},pages={28-31},year={2021},publisher={UNAM},url={https://www.comoves.unam.mx/numeros/indice/273},dimensions={},}
La transición entre dos reinos: el hogar del zacatuche
Luis José Aguirre-López, PC Espiritu-Guerrero, and Tania Escalante
@article{aguirre2021elementos,title={La transición entre dos reinos: el hogar del zacatuche},author={Aguirre-L{\'o}pez, Luis Jos{\'e} and Espiritu-Guerrero, PC and Escalante, Tania},journal={Elementos},volume={124},pages={65-69},year={2021},publisher={BUAP},url={https://elementos.buap.mx/post.php?id=659},dimensions={},}
