Modelling species distributions to map the road towards carnivore conservation in the tropics

— Knowing the distribution of species and the factors which determine it is a basic requirement for conservation efforts and developing management plans. Species distribution modelling (SDM) is a speedy and cost-effective tool for predicting species distributions, particularly for species in remote and inaccessible areas. This technique can be applied for example for poorly known small carnivore species in Southeast Asia, a biodiversity hot spot for mammals. SDM is used to gain ecological insights about the environmental factors that determine species distribution, and helps to identify the areas where a species can occur and where confl icts may arise. However, recent advances in statistical theory and computer processing have made SDM a somewhat complex, diverse, and confusing area of research. This review presents an overview over the different techniques of species distribution modelling, and databases needed to answer applied questions in carnivore conservation, particularly in the tropics. We guide the ecologist through different methods which have become established approaches in the scientifi c literature and through freely available resources on abiotic data (environmental layers) for conducting such studies. We summarise the steps involved in predictive species distribution modelling, where the (carnivore) occurrence data come from different resources (such as museum records, voluntary surveys, systematic surveys, etc.). Finally, we explore the applications of such predictions in carnivore conservation.