Seasonal wild pig habitat suitability in northern Australia: mapped resultsThis dataset contains mapped results from a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale habitat model for wild pigs in northern Australia. The modelled habitat suitability index (HSI) describes relative habitat quality for wild pig breeding and persistence during the dry (using data from March/April) and wet (using data from October/November) season. HSI values in this dataset effectively range between 11 and 81. They can be broadly classified as follows: HSI ≥ 60 = highly suitable habitat; HSI ≥ 40 = moderately suitable habitat; HSI < 40 unsuitable habitat. Underlying model parameters were elicited from experts. This dataset contains results from an expert-averaged model run. The model contained a variable "Disturbance stress" for which no spatial data proxies were available. In this dataset, we assumed a uniformly “high” intensity and frequency of control activities, which likely overestimated disturbance and undervalued habitat suitability. For further detail on modelling methods and assumptions please consult the accompanying publication Froese et al. (2017). For each seasonal dataset, a georeferenced compressed .TIF file, a metadata .XML file, and an ESRI ArcGIS .LYR file visualizing an appropriate classification scheme are provided.Seasonal-wild-pig-HSI.zipData inputs for spatial pattern suitability analysis and model validationThis dataset contains input data necessary to reproduce analyses described in Froese et al. (submitted) and its supplementary information. The dataset is divided into two sub-folders. Folder "S3Appendix" contains data for spatial pattern suitability analysis, including distance-dependent response-to-pattern curves (folder "fD", .CSV format) as elicited from six wild pig experts, and raster data (folder "GIS", .TIF format) describing modelled resource quality indices. Folder "S4Appendix" contains data for model validation of each seasonal scenario (folders "dry" and "wet", .TXT format), including the expected habitat suitability index across validation backgrounds and the predicted habitat suitability index at wild pig presence records. Each "Expected" and "Predicted" folder contains 28 .TXT files because six expert models and one expert-averaged model were each validated against four independent validation data sets. For further detail about spatial analysis and validation methods and assumptions please consult the accompanying publication Froese et al. (2017).SIdata.zip

Invasive wildlife often causes serious damage to the economy and agriculture as well as environmental, human and animal health. Habitat models can fill knowledge gaps about species distributions and assist planning to mitigate impacts. Yet, model accuracy and utility may be compromised by small study areas and limited integration of species ecology or temporal variability. Here we modelled seasonal habitat suitability for wild pigs, a widespread and harmful invader, in northern Australia. We developed a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale approach using Bayesian networks and spatial pattern suitability analysis. We integrated important ecological factors such as variability in environmental conditions, breeding requirements and home range movements. The habitat model was parameterized during a structured, iterative expert elicitation process and applied to a wet season and a dry season scenario. Model performance and uncertainty was evaluated against independent distributional data sets. Validation results showed that an expert-averaged model accurately predicted empirical wild pig presences in northern Australia for both seasonal scenarios. Model uncertainty was largely associated with different expert assumptions about wild pigs’ resource-seeking home range movements. Habitat suitability varied considerably between seasons, retracting to resource-abundant rainforest, wetland and agricultural refuge areas during the dry season and expanding widely into surrounding grassland floodplains, savanna woodlands and coastal shrubs during the wet season. Overall, our model suggested that suitable wild pig habitat is less widely available in northern Australia than previously thought. Mapped results may be used to quantify impacts, assess risks, justify management investments and target control activities. Our methods are applicable to other wide-ranging species, especially in data-poor situations.