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Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Biological Sciences
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613210867138560 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rouget, Mathieu |
| author2 | Richardson, Dave |
| author_browse | Richardson, Dave Rouget, Mathieu |
| author_facet | Richardson, Dave Rouget, Mathieu |
| author_sort | Rouget, Mathieu |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9771 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:31.718Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9771 Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors Rouget, Mathieu Richardson, Dave Cowling, Richard M Lavorel, Sandra Milton, Suzanne Jane Botany Includes bibliographical references. The relationship between species distribution and environment has always been a central issue in ecology. The primary aim of this thesis is to explore the role of abiotic and biotic factors in mediating the distribution of woody plants, particularly invasive alien species. Predictions of the future distribution of invasive species are required for management, conservation actions, and legislation. Using predictive geographical modelling, this thesis assesses the role of spatial scale in understanding the determinants of species distribution, modelling invasion spread, and taking conservation decisions. The species distribution databases were collated in a Geographic Information System from various sources (from field mapping to remote-sensing data), and at various spatial scales (from local to sub-continental). Classification and regression trees, a flexible non-parametric statistical technique, were developed for each case study. I show that static modelling approaches, such as classification trees, are appropriate for modelling species distribution at regional to sub-continental scales. More mechanistic approaches, which include biological attributes, are required for accurate modelling of species abundance at local scale. A hierarchy of environmental factors was observed. Abiotic factors such as climate were more important for modelling species distribution at broad scales, whereas biotic factors were the fine-scale drivers of species distribution and abundance. This highlights the scale- dependence of prediction accuracy and of environmental drivers. Predictive habitat modelling was also applied to modelling future land use changes (including invasive alien species) in the context of conservation planning for the Cape Floristic Region. Effective conservation planning requires a detailed assessment of current land use patterns and future land use scenarios. Conservation planning is generally derived at regional scale but implementation takes place at finer scales. I investigated the transition from broad-scale planning to fine-scale implementation. This work emphasises the importance of diverse and fragmented habitats in measuring conservation value. This thesis concludes by linking predictive habitat modelling, species determinants, and application types to the spatial scale analysed. 2014-11-21T16:14:46Z 2014-11-21T16:14:46Z 2002 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9771 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Botany Rouget, Mathieu Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| title_full | Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| title_fullStr | Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| title_short | Modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants, with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| title_sort | modelling the current and potential distribution of woody plants with special emphasis on the importance of spatial scale and environmental factors |
| topic | Botany |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9771 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rougetmathieu modellingthecurrentandpotentialdistributionofwoodyplantswithspecialemphasisontheimportanceofspatialscaleandenvironmentalfactors |