This document provides a 15 step tutorial for using the ModestR software to locate river basins occupied by a species. The steps include: 1) importing occurrence records for a species from the GBIF database, 2) validating the occurrences, 3) displaying the occurrences on a map, 4) searching for river basins containing occurrences, and 5) converting the river basins to defined presence areas for the species on the map. The full tutorial demonstrates how to utilize various ModestR functions to download, clean, analyze, and visualize species occurrence and distribution data.

1. Step by step tutorial:
Locating species occupied
river basins with ModestR
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2. What do you need for this tutorial:
1. ModestR software installed (this
tutorial is done with Modestr V.5.3)
2. Internet connection
3. About 10 minutes
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ModestR software can be freely downloaded from http://www.ipez.es/ModestR

3. 1. Let’s suppose you want to download occurrence records from GBIF. Then select File/Import/Occurrences from
online GBIF database
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Other options already exist such as importing occurrence
data from a CSV file, from KML files, shapefiles, etc.
All those options are explained in the ModestR Tutorial No. 1
available in the ModestR website.

4. 2. In the dialog box that will appear we will enter a species name.
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Other options already
exist to select which
kind of records to
download from GBIF,
and to use synonyms.
All those options are
explained in the
ModestR User’s Tutorial
available in the
ModestR website.
Type the species
name in the textbox.
For example
“Leptinotarsa
decemlineata” (the
potato beetles).
Then accept.

5. 3. The next step will query GBIF database how many occurrence records there are for the selected species. It will display
this information and ask you to confirm you want to continue downloading (the number of occurrences will probably not
be the same than in this picture. Don’t worry! It depends on the options and the current available data in GBIF)
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Just click on the Accept
button to continue
downloading occurrence
data from GBIF.

6. 4. Downloading of occurrence records will be done. Wait a few minutes. When download finished, click on accept and
continue.
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7. 5. Select the valid habitats for the species. In this case, it is the Land habitat. This information will be used by MapMaker
to automatically check occurrences validity.
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Check the Land habitat
and the Accept button
to continue
There are other options to clean imported data. Now we’ll
just use the default settings.
But all those options are explained in the ModestR User’s
Manual available in the ModestR website.
By default, occurrences will
autochecked. That is, ModestR will
automatically check occurrences
validity regarding the habitat.

8. 6. Once imported, MapMaker will display a brief summary of the imported, valid and invalid occurrences.
(Remember, numbers may not be the same than in those pictures. That depends on used options)
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9. 7. You can also save a CSV file with all downloaded data, including GBIF information about data sources, rights and
citation information.
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10. MODESTR QUICK TUTORIALS HTTP://WWW.IPEZ.ES/MODESTR/
8. Now imported data are shown on the map. By default samples are automatically checked regarding species valid
habitats, and displayed using different colors.

11. 9. We’ll now search for species occupied river basins.
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Go to menú
Layer/Shapes/Add river
basins with occurrences
This option will just add
visual shapes to the map.
In ModestR those shapes
don’t represent presence
areas. They are just for
visualization purposes
(See step by step tutorial
Working with shapes in
ModestR for more
details.).

12. 10. You have two options:
a) searching river basins of a specific level where there are species occurrences. River basins are organized by
levels, from lower levels (larger basins) to higher ones (smaller basins). See step by step tutorial
Working with shapes in ModestR for more details.
b) Searching for the minimal set of contiguous basins that cover all species occurrences.
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Select search option then
click on OK button

13. 11. For example, this will be the result for minimal contiguous basins.
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You can clear all shapes
with this button:
Then test again using
other different options.

14. 12. This will be the result using the option of looking for occupied river basins of level 3.
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Obviously, when using a
specific river basin level,
contiguity cannot be
guaranteed.

15. 13. Once you have found the best option for you, you can eventually add the founded basins as presence areas for the
species.
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Go to menu
Layers/Shapes/Convert to
presence areas to add
presence areas
corresponding to the
shapes currently shown on
the map.

16. 14. You must select the valid habitat for the species.
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For this example, as we
used a terrestrial species,
we’ll select Land habitat
then Accept.

17. 15. Presence areas will be added to the map (the color may be different depending on your settings). Shapes can now be
deleted from the map (see step 11).
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18. It was the
Step by step tutorial:
Locating species occupied river basins
with ModestR
Thank you for your interest.
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You can find this one and other tutorials in
http://www.ipez.es/ModestR