LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
SREM 3011
LECTURE 5
Dr Brendan Mackey
Department of Geography
The Australian National University
A B
‘Fertile offspring under natural conditions’
<‘barrier’ to reproduction>
<morphological>
<genetic analysis>
What is a species?
What characteristics/attributes should/can we
measure to quantify the response of biota to
climate (or the environment,generally)?
Individual plant characteristic/attributes
Characteristics of a vegetation stand
How does climate affect plant physiology
- select plant/vegetation attributes for which there
is a physiological basis that reflects measurable
environmental attributes
Taxonomy
- ‘Every plant is a measure of the conditions under
which it grows’
- Presence/absence of a species
Environmental variables have not exceeded
tolerance ranges
Plant has made net growth
Ecologically competitive
BUT What is a species?
A taxonomic abstraction
Any reality outside a taxonomist’s head?
Plant genetics manifests in the landscape in
various ways:
1,Taxonomic classification
2,Age structure size
3,Productivity (Biomass)
4,Growth forms
5,Physiognomy and phenology
6,Life history/regeneration strategies
height
diameter
A continuum of genetic diversity:
...Family Genus Species Populations Individuals
- Assume that all members of all populations of a
species share same environmental response
(niche-potential/realized; climatic domain)
- Assumption valid in terms of
species = closed gene pool
- Assumption invalid if there are significant local
adaptations
Species ‘X’:
Population ‘A’
wet cool natural frost local
climate selection resistance adaptation
Population ‘B’
moderate climate
Population ‘C’
hot dry natural drought local
climate selection resistance adaptation
- A,B and C are still members of the same species,
BUT ‘C’ cannot grow in landscapes where ‘A’ can
(local adaptation has occurred,but no barriers to
reproduction)
Taxonomic (presence vs) abundance/dominance
- Species ‘X’ is present at all 3 plots,but dominance varies- Does dominance/abundance = optimum conditions?
20m
10m
Plot A
Plot B
Plot C
Flowchart for Climate Interpolation
Input climate
data files runSPLIN
knot file
runSELNOT
START
SPLIN
log file
SHOW-
SPLIN
SPLIN
surface
files
run
ESOCLIM
GRASS
environment
GRASS
environment <r.in.ESOCLIM> various GIS analyses eg,display,overlay
DEM
Flowchart for Bioclim Analysis
Species
location
files
runBIOCLIM
*.pro file
*.bio file SHOWBIOCLIM
START
runBIOCLIMGRID *.bio file
runBIOMAP GRASSenvironment <s.in.BIOMAP>
various GIS
analysis
eg,raster
conversion,
display
Climate
surfaces