The landscape as probability layers, or why is this plant here and not there?

Title	The landscape as probability layers, or why is this plant here and not there?
Publication Type	Conference Paper
Year of Publication	2002
Authors	Goslee S
Conference Name	17th Annual Symposium, US-International Association for Landscape Ecology
Date Published	April 23-26, 200
Conference Location	Lincoln, NE
ARIS Log Number	144842
Abstract	Plant spatial pattern is determined by complex interactions between a number of factors. Seed dispersal and plant interactions (competition and facilitation) are explicitly spatial. Species-specific environmental heterogeneity adds additional complexity. The landscape can be visualized as a series of superimposed layers describing the probability of establishment, growth and mortality for a particular species at any point in the landscape based on the interaction between environmental heterogeneity and the locations of already established plants. An individual-based model realizing this concept was developed with the objective of untangling the contribution of different spatial plant processes to particular configurations of individuals on the landscape. The model was designed to be extremely flexible so that a wide variety of seed dispersal patterns, plant interactions, and environmental responses could be included. A secondary goal was to create realistic artificial landscapes based on known processes that can be used to test ecological analysis methods. This probability-based spatial approach can be applied to a variety of ecosystems and theoretical questions and has produced novel insights into the effect of various processes on plant spatial pattern.