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Exploring Spatial and Multitype Assemblages of Species Abundances
Author(s) -
Georgescu Vera,
Soubeyrand Samuel,
Kretzschmar André,
Laine AnnaLiisa
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
biometrical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-4036
pISSN - 0323-3847
DOI - 10.1002/bimj.200900055
Subject(s) - spatial ecology , spatial heterogeneity , spatial distribution , ecology , multivariate statistics , spatial analysis , common spatial pattern , co occurrence , abundance (ecology) , cluster analysis , geography , statistics , computer science , biology , mathematics , remote sensing , artificial intelligence
Abstract The ecological theory of the existence of multiple stable states between species, or the spatial heterogeneity of some unobserved environmental factor, supports the idea of multitype interactions between species. These multitype interactions can lead to different assemblages of species abundances. An exploratory tool for the detection of these species assemblages and for their spatial analysis is presented in this article. A two‐stage analysis is proposed. First, a classification into types of species assemblages using only the species abundances at each site, regardless of their spatial location, is performed. The clustering procedure is based on multivariate normal mixtures and provides a measure of the classification uncertainty. Second, some tools for the study of the spatial structure of these types of assemblages are presented. We transfer the classification uncertainty to the spatial analysis of the classes in order to draw more accurate conclusions. This classification and spatial analysis method is used to point out a spatial gradient of infection in a host–pathogen system in the Åland Islands in Finland. It can be a useful preliminary tool for ecological studies involving the spatial distributions of several species.