Can species distribution models predict demography?

Expecting species distribution models (SDMs) to predict demography is a bit like expecting a cat to be able to drive a car. SDMs and cats have some of the right anatomy for these tasks, but they may be missing some critical pieces, and they are not (necessarily) the right size. For example, SDMs might predict demography rather imprecisely when SDMs’ spatial scales do not match those of demographic processes. I suggest a “Drivers Education” study guide for those who would use SDMs to predict demography.