Evaluating the intraspecific interactions of Eshnan (Seidlitzia rosmarinus) shrubs in arid lands by point pattern analysis (Case study: Qehi protected area, Isfahan Province)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Assistant Prof., College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

The spatial distribution analysis of woody plants in arid and semi-arid environments explains their interactions and how they influence one another. This study was aimed to evaluate the intraspecific interactions of Eshnan (Seidlitzia rosmarinus) shrubs across a portion of central Iranian arid lands using different summary statistics including pair correlation g(r), O-ring O(r), nearest neighbor distribution D(r), spherical contact distribution Hs(r) and mark correlation kmm(r) functions. A 160 × 160 m2 plot purely covered by Eshnan was selected in Qehi protected area, Isfahan province. The point map of all 989 Eshnan shrubs was obtained by Trimble R8 differential global positioning system with a positional accuracy of 3 mm ± 0.1 ppm. The observed pattern of shrubs showed significant spatial heterogeneity as compared to inhomogeneous Poisson process (α=0.05). The results of g(r) and O(r) revealed the significant aggregation of Eshnan shrubs up to scale of 3 m (α=0.05). The results of D(r) and Hs(r) also showed maximum distance to nearest shrub to be 6 m. It was additionally shown that the distribution of gap sizes was significantly different from random up to this spatial scale. Finally, kmm(r) for height, mean crown diameter, and crown area indicated the aggregation of Eshnan individuals at all scales. In general, positive interactions were concluded to exist amongst Eshnan shrubs at small scales, and they were aggregated due to their intraspecific facilitation effects in the study area. 

Keywords


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