geom_xnicher_ellipse: Niche-ellipse layer derived from a fitted 'xnicher' model

In xnicher: Estimates Ecological Niche Models Using Ellipses

Niche-ellipse layer derived from a fitted xnicher model

Description

Builds a self-contained ggplot2 layer that traces one or more iso-suitability ellipses implied by a fitted 2-D xnicher model. The ellipse for level \alpha is the contour S(x) = \alpha, equivalently (x - \mu)^\top \Sigma^{-1} (x - \mu) = -2 \log \alpha when level_type = "suitability", or the chi-squared confidence ellipse (x - \mu)^\top \Sigma^{-1} (x - \mu) = \mathtt{qchisq}(\alpha, df = 2) when level_type = "chisq".

Usage

geom_xnicher_ellipse(
  model,
  level = c(0.95, 0.5, 0.05),
  level_type = c("suitability", "chisq"),
  n = 200L,
  linewidth = 0.6,
  colour = "firebrick",
  ...
)

Arguments

model	A xnicher object with length(model$var_names) == 2 (or, for legacy fits without var_names, a 2-D fit).
level	Numeric vector of contour levels in (0, 1]. Default c(0.95, 0.5, 0.05) (paper-aligned: core / common / edge iso-suitability contours).
level_type	Either "suitability" (the default) or "chisq". See Details.
n	Integer number of points around each ellipse. Default 200.
linewidth	Path linewidth (or size on ggplot2 < 3.4.0).
colour	Path colour.
...	Additional fixed parameters passed to geom_path.

Details

For length(level) > 1 the layer carries one column level grouping the closed ellipse paths so a single geom_path draws them all. Map e.g. linetype = factor(level) downstream to distinguish them visually.

Value

A ggplot2 layer.

Examples

  library(ggplot2)
  fit <- optimize_niche(
    env_occ = example_env_occ_2d,
    env_m   = example_env_m_2d,
    num_starts = 5L
  )
  ggplot() +
    geom_xnicher_background(example_env_m_2d) +
    geom_xnicher_occ(example_env_occ_2d) +
    geom_xnicher_ellipse(fit)

xnicher documentation built on Sept. 15, 2026, 5:08 p.m.