Which function describes the species-area relationship best? A review and empirical evaluation

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Juergen Dengler
Aim The aims of this study are to resolve terminological confusion around different types of species–area relationships (SARs) and their delimitation from species sampling relationships (SSRs), to provide a comprehensive overview of models and analytical methods for SARs, to evaluate these theoretically and empirically, and to suggest a more consistent approach for the treatment of species–area data.

Location Curonian Spit in north-west Russia and archipelagos world-wide.

Methods First, I review various typologies for SARs and SSRs as well as mathematical models, fitting procedures and goodness-of-fit measures applied to SARs. This results in a list of 23 function types, which are applicable both for untransformed (S) and for log-transformed (log S) species richness. Then, example data sets for nested plots in continuous vegetation (n = 14) and islands (n = 6) are fitted to a selection of 12 function types (linear, power, logarithmic, saturation, sigmoid) both for S and for log S. The suitability of these models is assessed with Akaike’s information criterion for S and log S, and with a newly proposed metric that addresses extrapolation capability.

Results SARs, which provide species numbers for different areas and have no upper asymptote, must be distinguished from SSRs, which approach the species richness of one single area asymptotically. Among SARs, nested plots in continuous ecosystems, non-nested plots in continuous ecosystems, and isolates can be distinguished. For the SARs of the empirical data sets, the normal and quadratic power functions as well as two of the sigmoid functions (Lomolino, cumulative beta-P) generally performed well. The normal power function (fitted for S) was particularly suitable for predicting richness values over ten-fold increases in area. Linear, logarithmic, convex saturation and logistic functions generally were inappropriate. However, the two sigmoid models produced unstable results with arbitrary parameter estimates, and the quadratic power function resulted in decreasing richness values for large areas.

Main conclusions Based on theoretical considerations and empirical results, I suggest that the power law should be used to describe and compare any type of SAR while at the same time testing whether the exponent z changes with spatial scale. In addition, one should be aware that power-law parameters are significantly influenced by methodology.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftJournal of Biogeography
Jahrgang36
Ausgabenummer4
Seiten (von - bis)728-744
Anzahl der Seiten17
ISSN0305-0270
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 01.04.2009

DOI

Zuletzt angesehen

Publikationen

  1. On the emergence of the in–out effect across trials
  2. Listening to birdsong: Impression management of VW on Twitter during Dieselgate
  3. Rapid Identification of Bacteria in Clinical Microbiology Routiine Diagnostics using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry
  4. Blue-green light is required for a maximized fatty acid unsaturation and pigment concentration in the microalga Acutodesmus obliquus
  5. Hinaus in die Natur!
  6. Popmusik-Vermittlung zwischen Schule, Universität und Beruf
  7. Informalisierung von governance am Beispiel des Großraums Gauteng
  8. Softwarealterung aus Sicht des IT-Managements - Ergebnisse einer qualitativ-empirischen Analyse in der Finanzindustrie
  9. The Stability of Factor Sensitivities of German Stock Market Sector Indices
  10. Informationsströme in digitalen Kulturen
  11. Math-Bridge: Adaptive Plattform für Mathematische Brückenkurse
  12. Geopolitical risks and financial stress in emerging economies
  13. Fertility reactions to the "Great Recession" in Europe
  14. Machina ex artificium. Zur Maschinenästhetik im künstlerischen Werk Ralf Baeckers.
  15. The Schöningen Middle Pleistocene sequence
  16. Personal norms of sustainability and farm management behavior
  17. Education in green chemistry and in sustainable chemistry
  18. Rosneft am Ende?
  19. Hochwasser- und Naturschutz in der nachhaltigen Regionalentwicklung
  20. Nachhaltige Entwicklung
  21. Buden. Lichter. Volk. (Woyzeck)
  22. Einleitung - McLuhan neu lesen
  23. Sandökosysteme im Binnenland
  24. Locomotive drive control by using Haar wavelet packets
  25. International Sanctions Termination, 1990–2018
  26. Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung
  27. Pandadiplomatie im Klassenraum
  28. International community