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The effect of spatial scale on evenness

Wilson, J N; Steel, John B; Gitay, Habiba

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The effect of spatial scale on species evenness has not previously been investigated. As the area of each sample of vegetation (i.e. the spatial grain) increases, evenness could in theory increase, decrease, or stay the same, though the simplest model predicts an increase. We use biomass data from four dune slack sites and two semi-arid grasslands, sampled to allow calculation of evenness at a range of spatial grains. In all six sites, evenness decreases as grain size increases, almost...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorWilson, J N
dc.contributor.authorSteel, John B
dc.contributor.authorGitay, Habiba
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-13T23:35:02Z
dc.identifier.issn1100-9233
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/93724
dc.description.abstractThe effect of spatial scale on species evenness has not previously been investigated. As the area of each sample of vegetation (i.e. the spatial grain) increases, evenness could in theory increase, decrease, or stay the same, though the simplest model predicts an increase. We use biomass data from four dune slack sites and two semi-arid grasslands, sampled to allow calculation of evenness at a range of spatial grains. In all six sites, evenness decreases as grain size increases, almost monotonically. It is hypothesized that such a pattern is a result of a general feature of plant species abundance distributions and of vegetation response to environmental microheterogeneity.
dc.publisherOptima Press
dc.sourceJournal of Vegetation Science
dc.subjectKeywords: scale effect; spatial resolution; species evenness Abundance distribution; Dune slack; Microheterogeneity; Semi-arid grassland; Spatial grain; Spatial scale
dc.titleThe effect of spatial scale on evenness
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.description.refereedYes
local.identifier.citationvolume10
dc.date.issued1999
local.identifier.absfor111303 - Vision Science
local.identifier.ariespublicationMigratedxPub25118
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationWilson, J N, Washington University
local.contributor.affiliationSteel, John B, University of Otago
local.contributor.affiliationGitay, Habiba, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage463
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage468
dc.date.updated2015-12-12T09:38:26Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-0033179960
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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