Document: MOH-3-65-10

Landscape-scale assessment of plant diversity: Integration of spatial information and spatial statistics.

KALKHAN, M.A.* 1, T.J.STOHLGREN 1,2 and G.W.CHONG 1,2

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. 1
US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA. 2

Abstract:
Abstract: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), Utah, USA, represents a complex landscape of plant diversity. Key biological parameters can be estimated using some form of multi-scale sampling with a multi-phase design (i.e., double sampling) to provide unbiased estimates of vegetation characteristics. We evaluated the vulnerability of various habitats to invasion by exotic plants in a 100,000 ha area in the southeast corner of GSENM. A total of 97 Modified-Whittaker nested plots (0.1 ha) were established, and 11 vegetation cover types were found. For modeling large-scale and small-scale variability to predict distribution, presence, and pattern of native and exotic species, and soil characteristics, we integrated remotely sensed data (Landsat TM Data), GIS, and spatial statistics. These models are based on trend surface analysis and stepwise regression. We present examples of trend surface models that describe the large-scale spatial variability. Models with the smallest variance were selected. In addition, the residuals from the trend surface model were then modeled using ordinary kriging. The final surfaces were obtained by combining the trend surface model with the kriged surface of residuals. Our models of spatial continuity of small-scale variability were based on cokriging, a gaussian semi-variogram and other appropriate models (e.g., spherical, exponential, linear) selected for low variance. These models were used to predict the presence of soil variables (carbon, sand, and silt) and native and exotic plant species.

Keywords: multi-phase, multi-scale, landscape, plant diversity, spatial information,Landsat TM, GIS, trend surface, kriging, cokriging, variogram.

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This abstract is being presented at: 8:15 AM in session:
Oral Session #58: Landscape Ecology.