Conclusions
Relying on the variable importance of predictors of ecological phenomena is intimately connected with management and policy. The statistical identification of the most influential predictors for a given phenomenon (e.g., invasive species success) enables better environmental policy-making and conservation decisions. Integrating the evaluation of variable importance into statistical analyses can be crucial for interpreting results in ecological and evolutionary studies. Future research with RF and HP techniques, possibly among use of other modern developments, holds promise in integrating drivers from both coarse and fine scales, and variable importance measures can be applied to address other biodiversity questions, particularly those arising from the impacts of global change.