Biodiversity Data Use

You are now ready to build your model and this means deciding on the level of complexity of your model. This is done through two key factors: feature classes and the regularization multiplier. Feature classes determine the shape of available modeled relationships in environmental space and the more feature classes chosen, the higher the potential for model complexity. The regularization multiplier penalizes complexity to a greater degree, with higher values leading to simpler models with fewer variables. For these reasons, evaluating model performance and estimating optimal model complexity constitute important elements of a niche/distributional modeling for examples simultaneously varying the feature classes allowed and the regularization multiplers applied to each of them. Phillips, S.J., & Dudík, M. (2008). Modeling of species distributions with Maxent: new extensions and a comprehensive evaluation. Ecography. 31: 161-175.