Geodiversity and biodiversity: evaluating the surrogacy performance of abiotic heterogeneity in the United Kingdom.
The Problem- There is an urgent need for effective biodiversity
surrogates in a world with sparse species distribution data.
- Macroecology hypothesises energy availability, evolutionary time, area, geometric constraints and habitat heterogeneity as the main factors influencing richness patterns.
- Habitat heterogeneity has had a very limited treatment.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
The Problem- There is an urgent need for effective biodiversity
surrogates in a world with sparse species distribution data.
- Macroecology hypothesises energy availability, evolutionary time, area, geometric constraints and habitat heterogeneity as the main factors influencing richness patterns.
- Habitat heterogeneity has had a very limited treatment.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
The Problem- There is an urgent need for effective biodiversity
surrogates in a world with sparse species distribution data.
- Macroecology hypothesises energy availability, evolutionary time, area, geometric constraints and habitat heterogeneity as the main factors influencing richness patterns.
- Habitat heterogeneity has had a very limited treatment.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
GEODIVERSITY
GEODIVERSITYGEOLOGY TOPOGRAPHYPEDOLOGY HYDROLOGY
Why would this work?- Geodiversity is a major control of the
diversity of habitats.
- A more varied landscape will lead to a broader available niche-space for species to fill.
- More available niche space means more species.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Why would this work?- Geodiversity is a major control of the
diversity of habitats.
- A more varied landscape will lead to a broader available niche-space for species to fill.
- More available niche space means more species.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Why would this work?- Geodiversity is a major control of the
diversity of habitats.
- A more varied landscape will lead to a broader available niche-space for species to fill.
- More available niche space means more species.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Why would this work?- Geodiversity is a major control of the
diversity of habitats.
- A more varied landscape will lead to a broader available niche-space for species to fill.
- More available niche space means more species.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Does it work in practice?
Study AreaIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
SampleIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
DataCell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Geodiversity
- Sophisticated index.
- Trained on biological data to weight the geodiversity components in the best way for each taxa.
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Observed Predicted Difference
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Total Total - FPlant Amphibians
Birds Butterflies Conifers
Dragonflies FPlantsFerns
Orthoptera Terrestrial MammalsReptiles
Total Total - FPlant Amphibians
Birds Butterflies Conifers
Dragonflies FPlantsFerns
Orthoptera
Terrestrial Mammals
Reptiles
R2 = 0.35 R2 = 0.45 R2 = 0.18 R2 = 0.40
R2 = 0.42 R2 = 0.37 R2 = 0.10 R2 = 0.09
R2 = 0.29 R2 = 0.35 R2 = 0.32 R2 = 0.28
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Total Total - FPlant
Amphibians Birds
Butterflies Conifers
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Dragonflies
FPlants
Ferns
Orthoptera
TMamsReptiles
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Total
Total - FPlant
Amphibians
Birds
Butterflies
Conifers
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Total
Total - FPlant
Amphibians
Birds
Butterflies
Conifers
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Dragonflies
FPlants
Ferns
Orthoptera
TMams
Reptiles
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Dragonflies
FPlants
Ferns
Orthoptera
TMams
Reptiles
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
AmphibiansIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
OrthopteraIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
ReptilesIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Scalar VariationIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Scalar VariationIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Scalar VariationIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Scalar VariationIntroduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Scalar Variation
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
R2
Bandwidth (%)
Random
Total
Total - Flowering Plants
Amphibians
Birds
Butterflies
Conifers
Dragonflies
Ferns
Flowering Plants
Orthoptera
Reptiles
Terrestrial Mammals
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
If you repeat all this with those supplementary variables from earlier…
Cell Name Bird Richness
Latitude Conifer Richness
Longitude Fern Richness
Proportion Lake Flowering Plant Richness
River Diversity Butterfly Richness
Roughness Diversity Dragonfly Richness
Slope Diversity Orthoptera Richness
Aspect Diversity Reptile Richness
Geology Diversity Terrestrial Mammal Richness
Soil Diversity Climate Region
Geodiversity Human Footprint Index
Total Richness Median Elevation
Total Richness - Flowering Plants Elevation Range
Amphibian Richness Land Cover Diversity
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Richness predictions improveTaxon Group
Geodiversity + Supplementary
RGeodiversity R
Total Richness 0.64 0.35
Total Richness - Flowering Plants 0.74 0.45
Amphibia 0.35 0.18
Birds 0.56 0.42
Butterflies 0.68 0.37
Conifers 0.23 0.1
Dragonflies 0.52 0.29
Ferns 0.56 0.35
Flowering Plants 0.6 0.32
Orthoptera 0.73 0.40
Reptiles 0.25 0.09
Terrestrial Mammals 0.47 0.28
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
Surrogacy curves all shift upward
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
- Surrogacy curve shift upwards.
- However, only the same three taxa reach significance above random selection.
Variance Partitioning
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
0%#
10%#
20%#
30%#
40%#
50%#
60%#
70%#
80%#
90%#
100%#
Total#Richness#
Total#Richness#9#Flow
ering#Plants#
Amphibians#
Birds#
BuFerflies#
Conifers#
Dragonflies#
Ferns#
Flowering#Plants#
Orthoptera#
RepLles#
Terrestrial#Mammals#
Unexplained# Supplementary#Variables# Shared# Geodiversity#Variables#
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Total Richness
Total Richness - Flowering
Plants
Amphibians Birds Butterflies Conifers Dragonflies Ferns Flowering Plants
Orthoptera Reptiles Terrestrial Mammals
Introduction | Method | Results | Discussion and Conclusion
- Geodiversity is a poor predictor of, and a weak conservation surrogate for, biodiversity in the UK.
- Some authors have suggested that targeting geodiverse areas will help conserve ecological and evolutionary processes, thus protecting biodiversity against climate change.
Discussion and Conclusion