The Spatial Statistics of Linear Features: An Application to Ecology

Abstract

Spatial ecology is concerned with examining the spatial aspects of ecological systems, and it involves the integration of the spatial attributes of the study system into hypotheses, experimental design and analyses. Despite the work that has been undertaken and the diversity of analyses available to ecologists for examining spatial data, one area of analysis has seen little development in ecology: the examination of linear spatial structure in ecological systems. Although linear spatial structure can be found throughout ecological systems (e.g., animal movement paths, burrows, plant roots and shoots), the vegetative spread of clonal plants through stolons and rhizomes is of particular interest because of the important relationships between pattern (clonal spread) and process (physiological integration, foraging, dispersal, fitness, asexual reproduction). Fortunately there do exist tools that allow for the analysis of such data. Stochastic geometry and, more specifically, the theory of “fibre processes” and related theory provide methods capable of dealing rigorously with spatial structures composed of linear components. However, their application in ecology awaits. This thesis introduces methods of analysis applicable to plant ecology presented along with examples.