@article{ZurellBergerCabraletal.2010,
  author    = {Zurell, Damaris and Berger, Uta and Cabral, Juliano Sarmento and Jeltsch, Florian and Meynard, Christine N. and Muenkemueller, Tamara and Nehrbass, Nana and Pagel, J{\"o}rn and Reineking, Bjoern and Schroeder, Boris and Grimm, Volker},
  title     = {The virtual ecologist approach : simulating data and observers},
  issn      = {0030-1299},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18284.x},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Ecologists carry a well-stocked toolbox with a great variety of sampling methods, statistical analyses and modelling tools, and new methods are constantly appearing. Evaluation and optimisation of these methods is crucial to guide methodological choices. Simulating error-free data or taking high-quality data to qualify methods is common practice. Here, we emphasise the methodology of the 'virtual ecologist' (VE) approach where simulated data and observer models are used to mimic real species and how they are 'virtually' observed. This virtual data is then subjected to statistical analyses and modelling, and the results are evaluated against the 'true' simulated data. The VE approach is an intuitive and powerful evaluation framework that allows a quality assessment of sampling protocols, analyses and modelling tools. It works under controlled conditions as well as under consideration of confounding factors such as animal movement and biased observer behaviour. In this review, we promote the approach as a rigorous research tool, and demonstrate its capabilities and practical relevance. We explore past uses of VE in different ecological research fields, where it mainly has been used to test and improve sampling regimes as well as for testing and comparing models, for example species distribution models. We discuss its benefits as well as potential limitations, and provide some practical considerations for designing VE studies. Finally, research fields are identified for which the approach could be useful in the future. We conclude that VE could foster the integration of theoretical and empirical work and stimulate work that goes far beyond sampling methods, leading to new questions, theories, and better mechanistic understanding of ecological systems.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ThuillerMuenkemuellerSchiffersetal.2014,
  author    = {Thuiller, Wilfried and Muenkemueller, Tamara and Schiffers, Katja H. and Georges, Damien and Dullinger, Stefan and Eckhart, Vincent M. and Edwards, Thomas C. and Gravel, Dominique and Kunstler, Georges and Merow, Cory and Moore, Kara and Piedallu, Christian and Vissault, Steve and Zimmermann, Niklaus E. and Zurell, Damaris and Schurr, Frank Martin},
  title     = {Does probability of occurrence relate to population dynamics?},
  series = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum},
  volume    = {37},
  journal   = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0906-7590},
  doi       = {10.1111/ecog.00836},
  pages     = {1155 -- 1166},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Interestingly, relationships between demographic parameters and occurrence probability did not vary substantially across degrees of shade tolerance and regions. Although they were influenced by the uncertainty in the estimation of the demographic parameters, we found that r was generally negatively correlated with P-occ, while N, and for most regions K, was generally positively correlated with P-occ. Thus, in temperate forest trees the regions of highest occurrence probability are those with high densities but slow intrinsic population growth rates. The uncertain relationships between demography and occurrence probability suggests caution when linking species distribution and demographic models.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SvenningGravelHoltetal.2014,
  author    = {Svenning, Jens-Christian and Gravel, Dominique and Holt, Robert D. and Schurr, Frank Martin and Thuiller, Wilfried and Muenkemueller, Tamara and Schiffers, Katja H. and Dullinger, Stefan and Edwards, Thomas C. and Hickler, Thomas and Higgins, Steven I. and Nabel, Julia E. M. S. and Pagel, J{\"o}rn and Normand, Signe},
  title     = {The influence of interspecific interactions on species range expansion rates},
  series = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum},
  volume    = {37},
  journal   = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0906-7590},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00574.x},
  pages     = {1198 -- 1209},
  year      = {2014},
  language  = {en}
}