Incomplete Data Sets in Community Ecology and Biogeography: A Cautionary Tale

Many basic and applied studies in ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology rely on data on the distribution of species and the composition of communities that are compiled from the literature or from unpublished sources. Most of these data sets are incomplete, and some contain serious biases. We examine two such data sets. New records of fishes in Australian desert springs, which corrected sampling biases in the original study, revealed different patterns of species distribution and community structure. New records of mammals on Great Basin mountaintops did not materially alter the results and interpretations of earlier studies. In order to avoid serious errors of fact, interpretation, and application, there is no substitute for first-hand field experience with the organisms and habitats.