Non-additive and non-stationary properties in the spatial distribution of a large marine fish population

Density-independent and density-dependent variables both affect the spatial distributions of species. However, their effects are often separately addressed using different analytical techniques. We apply a spatially explicit regression framework that incorporates localized, interactive and threshold...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ciannelli, Lorenzo, Bartolino, Valerio, Chan, Kung-Sik
Other Authors: College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
unknown
Published: The Royal Society
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Online Access:https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/b8515t63n
Description
Summary:Density-independent and density-dependent variables both affect the spatial distributions of species. However, their effects are often separately addressed using different analytical techniques. We apply a spatially explicit regression framework that incorporates localized, interactive and threshold effects of both density-independent (water temperature) and density-dependent (population abundance) variables, to study the spatial distribution of a well-monitored flatfish population in the eastern Bering Sea. Results indicate that when population biomass was beyond a threshold a further increase in biomass promoted habitat expansion in a non-additive fashion with water temperature. In contrast, during years of low population size, habitat occupancy was only affected positively by water temperature. These results reveal the spatial signature of intraspecific abundance distribution relationships and the nonadditive and nonstationary responses of species spatial dynamics. Furthermore, these results underscore the importance of implementing analytical techniques that can simultaneously account for density-dependent and density-independent sources of variability when studying geographical distribution patterns. KEYWORDS: Density-dependent habitat selection, Bering Sea, Spatial dynamics, Abundance–distribution