Landscape variation in tree species richness in northern Iran forests.

摘要: Mapping landscape variation in tree species richness (SR) is essential to the long term management and conservation of forest ecosystems. The current study examines prospect mapping field assessments SR a high-elevation, deciduous northern Iran as function 16 biophysical variables representative area’s unique physiography, including topography coastal placement, environment, forests. Basic this development moderate-resolution surfaces associated plot-estimates for 202 permanent sampling plots. include: (i) three topographic generated directly from digital terrain model; (ii) four ecophysiologically-relevant derived process models or first principles; (iii) seven Landsat-8-acquired surface reflectance two, radiance. With symbolic regression, it was shown that only were needed explain 85% observed plot-level (i.e., wind velocity, blue light, wetness indices soil water content), yielding mean-absolute root-mean-squared error 0.50 0.78, respectively. Overall, localised calculations velocity light explained about 63% SR, with accounting 51% variation. remaining 22% by linear combinations soil-water-related thresholds. In general, diversity tended be greatest plots dominated Carpinus betulus (involving ≥ 33% all trees plot), than Fagus orientalis (median difference one species). This provides significant step towards describing modelled satellite-based information regression. Methods are sufficiently general applicable characterisation other forested regions world, providing plot-scale data available model generation.