Measures, perceptions and scaling patterns of aggregated species distributions
Date
2010
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nordic Society Oikos
Abstract
Non-random (aggregated) species distributions arise from habitat heterogeneity and nonlinear biotic processes. A
comprehensive understanding of the concept of aggregation, as well as its measurement, is pivotal to our understanding of
species distributions and macroecological patterns. Here, using an individual-based model, we analyzed opinions on the
concept of aggregation from the public and experts (trained ecologists), in addition to those calculated from a variety of
aggregation indices. Three forms of scaling patterns (logarithmic, power-law and lognormal) and four groups of scaling
trajectories emerged. The experts showed no significant difference from the public, although with a much lower deviation.
The public opinion was partially influenced by the abundance of individuals in the spatial map, which was not found in
the experts. With the increase of resolution (decrease of grain), aggregation indices showed a general trend from
significantly different to significantly similar to the expert opinion. The over-dispersion index (i.e. the clumping
parameter k in the negative binomial distribution) performed, at certain scales, as the closest index to the expert opinion.
Examining performance of aggregation measures from different groups of scaling patterns was proposed as a practical way
of analyzing spatial structures. The categorization of the scaling patterns of aggregation measures, as well as their over- and
in-sensitivity towards spatial structures, thus not only provides a potential solution to the modifiable areal unit problem,
but also unveils the interrelationship among the concept, measures and perceptions of aggregated species distributions.
Description
CITATION: Hui, C., Veldtman, R. & McGeoch, M. A. 2010. Measures, perceptions and scaling patterns of aggregated species distributions. Ecography, 33: 95-102, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.05997.x.
The original publication is available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The original publication is available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Keywords
Scaling, Habitat (Ecology) -- Mathematical models, Numbers of species, Species distribution, Species -- Geographical distribution, Biogeography
Citation
Hui, C., Veldtman, R. & McGeoch, M. A. 2010. Measures, perceptions and scaling patterns of aggregated species distributions. Ecography, 33: 95-102, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.05997.x