Species distribution models do not account for abundance: the case of arthropods on Terceira Island.

The article discusses the findings of a study which investigated the potential of presence/absence models in the abundance of arthropods on Terceira Island in Azores. Researchers were able to collect presence/absence data for 48 arthropod species through the use of artificial neural networks, while probabilities of occurrence were evaluated from a standard arthropod survey program. Based on analysis of macroecological patterns, there is a weak tendency for spiders to exhibit probability of occurrence and local abundance.