Spatial nonstationarity and scale-dependency in the relationship between species richness and environmental determinants for the sub-Saharan endemic avifauna

摘要: This article aims to test for and explore spatial nonstationarity in the relationship between avian species richness a set of explanatory variables further understanding diversity variation. Geographically weighted regression was used study endemic avifauna sub-Saharan Africa perceived environmental determinants, comprising temperature, precipitation normalized difference vegetation index. The relationships were found be significantly spatially variable scale-dependent. At local scales > 90% variation explained, but this declined at coarser scales, with greatest sensitivity scale evident narrow ranging species. complex pattern model parameter estimates also gave rise effects. Relationships are generally assumed stationary conventional, global, techniques therefore their modelling. assumption not satisfied study, varying space. In such circumstances average impression provided by global may accurately represent conditions locally. Spatial has important implications, especially studies patterns scaling.