Algorithm selection for optimal ecological monitoring design

preprint OA: closed CC-BY-4.0

Abstract

Comprehensive monitoring of biodiversity to direct conservation action is foundational to addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis. As integrative monitoring programs increasingly come online in response to multilateral biodiversity agreements, establishing best practices for optimal design is critical. Selecting the appropriate algorithm for identifying sample sites is both necessary for robust inference from biodiversity data and largely neglected from broader monitoring network discussions. Here, we benchmark the performance of four common selection algorithms, outline the characteristics of the suite of algorithms suitable for ecological monitoring design, and offer recommendations for their best use. While all algorithms outperformed simple random samples, performance differences were negligible between algorithms. We recommend instead that practitioners choose algorithms based on feature availability, which varies greatly between algorithms.
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This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. This is version 1 of this Preprint. You must log in to post a comment. There are no comments or no comments have been made public for this article. This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. This is version 1 of this Preprint. Add a Comment You must log in to post a comment. Comments There are no comments or no comments have been made public for this article. Comprehensive monitoring of biodiversity to direct conservation action is foundational to addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis. As integrative monitoring programs increasingly come online in response to multilateral biodiversity agreements, establishing best practices for optimal design is critical. Selecting the appropriate algorithm for identifying sample sites is both necessary for robust inference from biodiversity data and largely neglected from broader monitoring network discussions. Here, we benchmark the performance of four common selection algorithms, outline the characteristics of the suite of algorithms suitable for ecological monitoring design, and offer recommendations for their best use. While all algorithms outperformed simple random samples, performance differences were negligible between algorithms. We recommend instead that practitioners choose algorithms based on feature availability, which varies greatly between algorithms. https://doi.org/10.32942/X2XC96 Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology spatially balanced sampling, monitoring network, Biodiversity Monitoring, generalized random tessellation stratified Published: 2025-02-11 23:25 Last Updated: 2025-02-12 04:25 CC BY Attribution 4.0 International Data and Code Availability Statement: Code is archived at 10.5281/zenodo.14853263 and raw and interim data products are archived at 10.5281/zenodo.14853272. Language: English

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License: CC-BY-4.0