How to solve it: modern heuristics
How to solve it: modern heuristics
An introduction to variable and feature selection
The Journal of Machine Learning Research
A Mathematical Theory of Communication
A Mathematical Theory of Communication
Fuzzy methods in machine learning and data mining: Status and prospects
Fuzzy Sets and Systems
Elicitator: An expert elicitation tool for regression in ecology
Environmental Modelling & Software
Fuzzy modelling of the composting process
Environmental Modelling & Software
Fuzzy Formative Scenario Analysis for woody material transport related risks in mountain torrents
Environmental Modelling & Software
Short communication: Sensitivity analysis in fuzzy systems: Integration of SimLab and DANA
Environmental Modelling & Software
Data-driven fuzzy habitat suitability models for brown trout in Spanish Mediterranean rivers
Environmental Modelling & Software
Putting humans in the loop: Social computing for Water Resources Management
Environmental Modelling & Software
Environmental Modelling & Software
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Aquatic habitat suitability models have increasingly received attention due to their wide management applications. Ecological expert knowledge has been frequently incorporated in such models to link environmental conditions to the quantitative habitat suitability of aquatic species. Since the formalisation of problem-specific human expert knowledge is often difficult and tedious, data-driven machine learning techniques may be helpful to extract knowledge from ecological datasets. In this paper, both expert knowledge-based and data-driven fuzzy habitat suitability models were developed and the performance of these models was compared. For the data-driven models, a hill-climbing optimisation algorithm was applied to derive ecological knowledge from the available data. Based on the available ecological expert knowledge and on biological samples from the Zwalm river basin (Belgium), habitat suitability models were generated for the mayfly Baetis rhodani (Pictet 1843). Data-driven models appeared to outperform expert knowledge-based models substantially, while a step-forward model selection procedure indicated that physical habitat variables adequately described the mayfly habitat suitability in the studied area. This study has important implications on the application of expert knowledge in ecological studies, especially if this knowledge is extrapolated to other areas. The results suggest that data-driven models can complement expert knowledge-based approaches and hence improve model reliability.