Gap Analysis and the Geographical Distribution of Parasites

Abstract

Sampling biases can have enormous impacts on studies of parasite biogeography. While complete sampling is sometimes possible for local or regional patterns of parasitism, continental and global analyses often rely on data collected in a heterogeneous manner. At these larger scales, spatially-explicit methods to quantify and correct for geographic sampling biases are necessary. Approaches based on “gap analysis” can contribute to the development of corrective measures by identifying geographical variation in our knowledge of parasites and quantifying how sampling varies in relation to host characteristics and habitat features. In this chapter, we review these methods and describe how they have been applied to study gaps in our knowledge of primate parasites.