Refining spatial neighbourhoods to capture terrain effects

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dc.contributor.authorNelson, Trisalyn A
dc.contributor.authorRobertson, Colin
dc.date.accessioned2013-10-29T20:40:55Z
dc.date.available2013-10-29T20:40:55Z
dc.date.copyright2012en_US
dc.date.issued2012-02-10
dc.descriptionSpringerOpenen_US
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: Spatially explicit ecological research has increased substantially in the past 20 years. Most spatial approaches require the definition of a spatial neighbourhood or the region over which spatial relationships are modelled or assessed. Spatial neighbourhood definitions impact analysis results, and there are benefits in considering neighbourhood definitions that better capture ecological processes. The goal of this research is to present a simple and flexible approach in constraining ecological spatial neighbourhoods using terrain data. Methods: Using watershed boundaries, we can restrict spatial neighbourhoods from combining populations or processes that should be separated by terrain effects. We demonstrate the need for ecological constraints by way of a simulation study and highlight our approach with a case study examining mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae, Coleoptera; Hopkins) infestation hot spots. Results: Our results demonstrate how failure to constrain neighbourhoods can lead to errors when the spatial signals from unrelated populations are mixed. Also, unconstrained spatial neighbourhoods can unintentionally detect spatial relationships across many scales. Conclusions: There will be benefits to studies that develop new, ecology-based approaches in defining spatial neighbourhoods that better illuminate ecological function of phenomena under study.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.identifier.citationNelson and Robertson: Refining spatial neighbourhoods to capture terrain effects. Ecological Processes 2012 1:3en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.ecologicalprocesses.com/content/1/1/3
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2192-1709-1-3
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/5007
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringerOpenen_US
dc.subjectspatial weightsen_US
dc.subjectspatial analysisen_US
dc.subjectspatial ecologyen_US
dc.subjecthot spotsen_US
dc.subjecttopographyen_US
dc.titleRefining spatial neighbourhoods to capture terrain effectsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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