Distinguishing pairwise species spatial associations from multi-species distribution patterns
稿件作者：Zhiyu Dong, Yongbin Wu, Youhua Chen
通讯作者：Yongbin Wu, Youhua Chen
刊物名称：Methods in Ecology and Evolution
发表年份：2026
卷：17
期：11
页码：3277–3286
影响因子：
文章摘要：
- To understand species coexistence, measuring between-species co-distributional patterns is valuable. In the present study, we distinguished and separated pairwise species spatial associations (including between-species distribution co-occurrence and segregation) from multispecies distributional patterns (including aggregation, randomness and overdispersion) by developing and applying statistical methods that are related to the first nearest neighbour distance (NND).
- The proposed one-dimensional and two-dimensional NND metrics allow ecologists to conduct hypothesis testing on empirical biodiversity data collected via spatially constrained line transect sampling and extensive area surveys, respectively.
- The application of the proposed metrics on the spatial distribution patterns of common wild frogs in SW China showed that amphibian individuals from different species presented co-occurring distributional aggregation in both suburban and remote hotspot areas. In summary, our study takes a step forward in clarifying and distinguishing between-species co-occurrence and segregation effects from multispecies distributional patterns.
- All statistics for conducting hypothesis testing on interspecific distributional associations versus multispecies distributional aggregation levels using line-transect sampling-based or quadrat sampling-based biodiversity data were available in the R code of the Supporting Information for immediate application.
