Abstract: The species habitat suitability models are used to evaluate the suitability of species habitat, the research results of which can provide scientific basis for biodiversity conservation. The models used in assessment of species habitat suitability will depend on research objects and regions. Therefore, the applicability and effectiveness of the models also need further verification and evaluation. Meanwhile, the predictive effect of the models also needs attention. By systematically combing the literature on habitat suitability model research and its application, we summarized the habitat suitability models as mechanism models that do not require presence/absence data, statistical models that require presence/absence data, and ecological niche models that only require presence data. We discussed the basis, representative methods, the advantages and disadvantages of the three types of habitat suitability models with case studies. Then, we focused on the analysis and discussion around the acquisition of species distribution sample data and the selection of environmental variables. Finally, we discussed the selection of species habitat suitability models at different research scales and the influence of different research objects’ living habits on the selection of environmental variables. We proposed the future development direction of species habitat suitability models.

Key words: habitat suitability assessment, species distribution model, biodiversity conservation, model selection, model verification.