scholarly journals Comparison of single- and multi-scale models for the prediction of the Culicoides biting midge distribution in Germany

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renke Lühken ◽  
Jörn Martin Gethmann ◽  
Petra Kranz ◽  
Pia Steffenhagen ◽  
Christoph Staubach ◽  
...  

This study analysed <em>Culicoides</em> presence-absence data from 46 sampling sites in Germany, where monitoring was carried out from April 2007 until May 2008. <em>Culicoides</em> presence-absence data were analysed in relation to land cover data, in order to study whether the prevalence of biting midges is correlated to land cover data with respect to the trapping sites. We differentiated eight scales, <em>i.e.</em> buffer zones with radii of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7.5 and 10 km, around each site, and chose several land cover variables. For each species, we built eight single-scale models (<em>i.e.</em> predictor variables from one of the eight scales for each model) based on averaged, generalised linear models and two multiscale models (<em>i.e.</em> predictor variables from all of the eight scales) based on averaged, generalised linear models and generalised linear models with random forest variable selection. There were no significant differences between performance indicators of models built with land cover data from different buffer zones around the trapping sites. However, the overall performance of multi-scale models was higher than the alternatives. Furthermore, these models mostly achieved the best performance for the different species using the index area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. However, as also presented in this study, the relevance of the different variables could significantly differ between various scales, including the number of species affected and the positive or negative direction. This is an even more severe problem if multi-scale models are concerned, in which one model can have the same variable at different scales but with different directions, <em>i.e.</em> negative and positive direction of the same variable at different scales. However, multi-scale modelling is a promising approach to model the distribution of <em>Culicoides</em> species, accounting much more for the ecology of biting midges, which uses different resources (breeding sites, hosts, <em>etc</em>.) at different scales.

Oryx ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Mateo-Tomás ◽  
Pedro P. Olea

AbstractIdentifying threats to declining species and prescribing ways of preventing their extinction are basic challenges for biodiversity conservation. We analysed the causes underlying the loss of territories of the Endangered Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus in a key population at the north-western edge of its distribution in Europe by developing multi-scale models that combined factors from nest site to landscape. We used generalized linear models and an information-theoretic approach to identify the optimal combination of scales and resolutions that could explain territorial abandonment. Those models combining nest-site and landscape scales considerably improved prediction ability compared to those considering only one scale. The best combined model had a high predictive ability (96.9% of correctly classified cases). Small cliffs at high altitudes in rugged areas with declining livestock (especially of sheep and goats) increased the likelihood of territory abandonment. Our findings highlight the importance of developing region-specific multi-scale models to determine reliably the factors driving territory loss and of designing effective conservation strategies accordingly. Conservation measures for the studied population should be developed at two spatial scales. At the smaller scale it is necessary to closely control nest sites to avoid direct disturbances. At a larger scale it is essential to implement policies that can support traditional pastoralism.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Maksym Łaszewski ◽  
Michał Fedorczyk ◽  
Sylwia Gołaszewska ◽  
Zuzanna Kieliszek ◽  
Paulina Maciejewska ◽  
...  

The influence of landscape on nutrient dynamics in rivers constitutes an important research issue because of its significance with regard to water and land management. In the current study spatial and temporal variability of N-NO3 and P-PO4 concentrations and their landscape dependence was documented in the Świder River catchment in central Poland. From April 2019 to March 2020, water samples were collected from fourteen streams in the monthly timescale and the concentrations of N-NO3 and P-PO4 were correlated with land cover metrics based on the Corine Land Cover 2018 and Sentinel 2 Global Land Cover datasets. It was documented that agricultural lands and forests have a clear seasonal impact on N-NO3 concentrations, whereas the effect of meadows was weak and its direction was dependent on the dataset. The application of buffer zones metrics increased the correlation performance, whereas Euclidean distance scaling improved correlation mainly for forest datasets. The concentration of P-PO4 was not significantly related with land cover metrics, as their dynamics were driven mainly by hydrological conditions. The obtained results provided a new insight into landscape–water quality relationships in lowland agricultural landscape, with a special focus on evaluating the predictive performance of different land cover metrics and datasets.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2454
Author(s):  
Yue Sun ◽  
Yanze Yu ◽  
Jinhao Guo ◽  
Minghai Zhang

Single-scale frameworks are often used to analyze the habitat selections of species. Research on habitat selection can be significantly improved using multi-scale models that enable greater in-depth analyses of the scale dependence between species and specific environmental factors. In this study, the winter habitat selection of red deer in the Gogostaihanwula Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia, was studied using a multi-scale model. Each selected covariate was included in multi-scale models at their “characteristic scale”, and we used an all subsets approach and model selection framework to assess habitat selection. The results showed that: (1) Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the response scale of red deer to environmental factors was different among different covariate. The optimal scale of the single covariate was 800–3200 m, slope (SLP), altitude (ELE), and ratio of deciduous broad-leaved forests were 800 m in large scale, except that the farmland ratio was 200 m in fine scale. The optimal scale of road density and grassland ratio is both 1600 m, and the optimal scale of net forest production capacity is 3200 m; (2) distance to forest edges, distance to cement roads, distance to villages, altitude, distance to all road, and slope of the region were the most important factors affecting winter habitat selection. The outcomes of this study indicate that future studies on the effectiveness of habitat selections will benefit from multi-scale models. In addition to increasing interpretive and predictive capabilities, multi-scale habitat selection models enhance our understanding of how species respond to their environments and contribute to the formulation of effective conservation and management strategies for ungulata.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3070
Author(s):  
Patrycja Szarek-Iwaniuk

Urbanization processes are some of the key drivers of spatial changes which shape and influence land use and land cover. The aim of sustainable land use policies is to preserve and manage existing resources for present and future generations. Increasing access to information about land use and land cover has led to the emergence of new sources of data and various classification systems for evaluating land use and spatial changes. A single globally recognized land use classification system has not been developed to date, and various sources of land-use/land-cover data exist around the world. As a result, data from different systems may be difficult to interpret and evaluate in comparative analyses. The aims of this study were to compare land-use/land-cover data and selected land use classification systems, and to determine the influence of selected classification systems and spatial datasets on analyses of land-use structure in the examined area. The results of the study provide information about the existing land-use/land-cover databases, revealing that spatial databases and land use and land cover classification systems contain many equivalent land-use types, but also differ in various respects, such as the level of detail, data validity, availability, number of land-use types, and the applied nomenclature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 915-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Dickinson ◽  
Andrew J. Monaghan ◽  
Isaac J. Rivera ◽  
Leiqiu Hu ◽  
Ernest Kanyomse ◽  
...  

Biometrika ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAUSS M. CORDEIRO ◽  
DENISE A. BOTTER ◽  
SILVIA L. DE PAULA FERRARI

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