Patterns of coexistence of two species of freshwater turtles are affected by spatial scale

P. Segurado; W.E. Kunin; A.F. Filipe; Miguel Bastos Araujo

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2012.03.008

Patterns of coexistence of two species of freshwater turtles are affected by spatial scale

P. Segurado, W.E. Kunin, A.F. Filipe, Miguel Bastos Araujo

Ecology and Evolution

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Inferring biotic interactions from the examination of patterns of species occurrences has been a central tenet in community ecology, and it has recently gained interest in the context of single-species distribution modelling. However, understanding of how spatial extent and grain size affect such inferences remains elusive. For example, would inferences of biotic interactions from broad-scale patterns of coexistence provide a surrogate for patterns at finer spatial scales? In this paper we examine how the spatial and environmental association between two closely related species of freshwater turtles in the Iberian Peninsula is affected by the geographical extent and resolution of the analysis. Species coexistence was compared across spatial scales using five datasets at varying spatial extents and resolutions. Both similarities in the two species’ use of space and in their responses to environmental variables were explored by means of regression analyses. We show that a positive association between the two species measured at broader scales can switch to a negative association at finer scales. We demonstrate that without examination of the effects of spatial scale when investigating biotic interactions using co-occurrence patterns observed at coarse resolutions, conclusions can be deeply misleading.

Original language	English
Journal	Basic and Applied Ecology
Volume	13
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	371-379
Number of pages	9
ISSN	1439-1791
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2012.03.008
Publication status	Published - Jun 2012

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10.1016/j.baae.2012.03.008

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1439179112000308

Cite this

@article{25ef329ebf6e4c888f755612d56bfd53,

title = "Patterns of coexistence of two species of freshwater turtles are affected by spatial scale",

abstract = "Inferring biotic interactions from the examination of patterns of species occurrences has been a central tenet in community ecology, and it has recently gained interest in the context of single-species distribution modelling. However, understanding of how spatial extent and grain size affect such inferences remains elusive. For example, would inferences of biotic interactions from broad-scale patterns of coexistence provide a surrogate for patterns at finer spatial scales? In this paper we examine how the spatial and environmental association between two closely related species of freshwater turtles in the Iberian Peninsula is affected by the geographical extent and resolution of the analysis. Species coexistence was compared across spatial scales using five datasets at varying spatial extents and resolutions. Both similarities in the two species{\textquoteright} use of space and in their responses to environmental variables were explored by means of regression analyses. We show that a positive association between the two species measured at broader scales can switch to a negative association at finer scales. We demonstrate that without examination of the effects of spatial scale when investigating biotic interactions using co-occurrence patterns observed at coarse resolutions, conclusions can be deeply misleading.",

author = "P. Segurado and W.E. Kunin and A.F. Filipe and {Bastos Araujo}, Miguel",

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T1 - Patterns of coexistence of two species of freshwater turtles are affected by spatial scale

AU - Segurado, P.

AU - Kunin, W.E.

AU - Filipe, A.F.

AU - Bastos Araujo, Miguel

PY - 2012/6

Y1 - 2012/6

N2 - Inferring biotic interactions from the examination of patterns of species occurrences has been a central tenet in community ecology, and it has recently gained interest in the context of single-species distribution modelling. However, understanding of how spatial extent and grain size affect such inferences remains elusive. For example, would inferences of biotic interactions from broad-scale patterns of coexistence provide a surrogate for patterns at finer spatial scales? In this paper we examine how the spatial and environmental association between two closely related species of freshwater turtles in the Iberian Peninsula is affected by the geographical extent and resolution of the analysis. Species coexistence was compared across spatial scales using five datasets at varying spatial extents and resolutions. Both similarities in the two species’ use of space and in their responses to environmental variables were explored by means of regression analyses. We show that a positive association between the two species measured at broader scales can switch to a negative association at finer scales. We demonstrate that without examination of the effects of spatial scale when investigating biotic interactions using co-occurrence patterns observed at coarse resolutions, conclusions can be deeply misleading.

AB - Inferring biotic interactions from the examination of patterns of species occurrences has been a central tenet in community ecology, and it has recently gained interest in the context of single-species distribution modelling. However, understanding of how spatial extent and grain size affect such inferences remains elusive. For example, would inferences of biotic interactions from broad-scale patterns of coexistence provide a surrogate for patterns at finer spatial scales? In this paper we examine how the spatial and environmental association between two closely related species of freshwater turtles in the Iberian Peninsula is affected by the geographical extent and resolution of the analysis. Species coexistence was compared across spatial scales using five datasets at varying spatial extents and resolutions. Both similarities in the two species’ use of space and in their responses to environmental variables were explored by means of regression analyses. We show that a positive association between the two species measured at broader scales can switch to a negative association at finer scales. We demonstrate that without examination of the effects of spatial scale when investigating biotic interactions using co-occurrence patterns observed at coarse resolutions, conclusions can be deeply misleading.

U2 - 10.1016/j.baae.2012.03.008

DO - 10.1016/j.baae.2012.03.008

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