Bioclimatic Variables Used in Predictive Modeling: A Literature Review for the Caatinga Biome

Abstract

Modeling species distribution is a predictive technique, and its search has increased due to the need to obtain rapid information for decision-making in the face of the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, climate change, and anthropogenic actions. It is an important tool used for the conservation of species in different environments, and the Caatinga is among the environments that suffer from these threats, being a region with high temperatures, low precipitation, and high evapotranspiration, which makes it more vulnerable to climate change. This article aims to review the literature on the beginnings of predictive modeling, the area of knowledge that gave basis and existence to modeling methods, their development through computing, bioclimatic variables, and their applications in the Caatinga biome. The bibliographic survey was structured in publications found in the databases Scielo, Google Scholar, scientific journals, among other modalities, National Social Assistance Policy-PNAS, Rodriguesia, Ecological Modeling, Research and Development Society, Embrapa, Nature & Conservation, Ultrasound, Journal, Biodiversity Informatics, Nature, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change- IPCC, thesis, dissertation, Monograph, Nature, Ecology letters, Tutorial, Symposium, political politics research notebook, Research Brazilian Agriculture between the years 2003 to 2023. There were thirty-four scientific articles in twenty data sources. Computing was a great ally in the expansion of species distribution modeling processes that applied to the Caatinga, bringing significant gains and important results for this biome, being used to predict species occurrences in future scenarios, evaluate the influence of environmental variables, and potential distribution of endangered species.