17th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
A Comparison of Habitat Suitability Models Developed at Two Spatial Scales for the Federally Threatened Plant Species, Missouri bladder-pod (Lesquerella filiformis)
Dawn M. Beaulac♦
Dr. Michael I. Kelrick, Faculty Mentor
Scale is a critical concept in ecology. Ecological processes occur at different scales, and consequentially display various scale-dependent patterns. To provide meaningful advice to land managers of the federally threatened plant species, Missouri bladder-pod, I am developing habitat suitability models capable of predicting its pattern of presence/absence at Bloody Hill Glade (Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Springfield, Missouri) based on the most relevant suite of habitat attributes. I collected the necessary spatially explicit data at two different scales: 1-m2 and 25-m2 cells. I will develop a model at each scale. Of interest is whether the models include the same habitat attributes and exhibit equivalent prediction success. Habitat attribute and plant presence/absence image layers, as well as model predictions will be analyzed and displayed within a Geographic Information System environment. The final model can be used to address many crucial land management issues pertaining to this rare plant.
Keywords: scale, Missouri bladder-pod, habitat suitability, modelling, rare plant, GIS
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 22-1
Location: VH 1010
Time: 10:00