Evaluating the species energy relationship with the newest measures of ecosystem energy: NDVI versus MODIS primary production

Phillips, Linda B.; Hansen, Andrew J.; Flather, Curtis H.

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2008.04.012

Cited by 75 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…We found that GPP (best model R 2 ¼ 0.55) explained more variation in bird species richness than the three other MODIS-derived measures of primary productivity (NDVI, EVI, NPP). This finding is consistent with our results from a related study (Phillips et al 2008) that used a similar data set to evaluate the species-energy relationship across a gradient in vegetation life form and density. Gross primary production likely outperformed other measures in our study because it better predicts primary productivity in areas of sparse vegetation where spectral backscatter from bare ground results in NDVI underestimating productivity.…”

Section: Evaluation Of Species-energy Modelssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The GPP and NPP estimates are simulated based on spectral data, climate, land cover, and vegetation characteristics. Phillips et al (2008) evaluated the four MODIS energy products and found that annual GPP explained more variation (54%) than the other products in breeding land bird species richness across North America, especially in places of sparse and dense vegetation, where the NDVI is known to have limitations.…”

Section: Energy Predictors Of Species Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Hurlburt and Haskell (2003) found that the strongest relationship between NDVI and both breeding bird richness and wintering bird richness was linear. In contrast, a quadratic model best represented the relationship between MODIS GPP and breeding land bird richness across North America (Phillips et al 2008). The shape of the species-energy relationship is highly relevant to applications to conservation because changes in slope in the relationship suggest changing underlying mechanisms ( Fig.…”

Section: Shape Of the Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study area included the United States and Canada. This area represents a large range of habitat types and a broad gradient in ecosystem energy to explore the species-energy relationship , Phillips et al 2008. The wide latitudinal range and large land area result in varying climates ranging from polar to tropical and desert to rainforest.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applying species–energy theory to conservation: a case study for North American birds

Phillips

Hansen

Flather

et al. 2010

Ecological Applications

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Ecosystem energy is now recognized as a primary correlate and potential driver of global patterns of species richness. The increasingly well-tested species-energy relationship is now ripe for application to conservation, and recent advances in satellite technology make this more feasible. While the correlates for the species-energy relationship have been addressed many times previously, this study is among the first to apply species-energy theory to conservation. Our objectives were to: (1) determine the strongest model of bird richness across North America; (2) determine whether the slope of the best species-energy model varied with varying energy levels; and (3) identify the spatial patterns with similar or dissimilar slopes to draw inference for conservation. Model selection techniques were used to evaluate relationships between Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measures of ecosystem energy and species richness of native land birds using the USGS Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Linear, polynomial, and break point regression techniques were used to evaluate the shape of the relationships with correction for spatial autocorrelation. Spatial analyses were used to determine regions where slopes of the relationship differed. We found that annual gross primary production (GPP) was the strongest correlate of richness (adjusted R2 = 0.55), with a quadratic model being the strongest model. The negative slope of the model was confirmed significantly negative at the highest energy levels. This finding demonstrates that there are three different slopes to the species-energy relationship across the energy gradient of North America: positive, flat, and negative. If energy has a causal relationship with richness, then species-energy theory implies that energy causes richness to increase in low-energy areas, energy has little effect in intermediate-energy areas, and energy depresses richness in the highest-energy areas. This information provides a basis for potential applications for more effective conservation. For example, in low-energy areas, increased nutrients could improve vegetation productivity and increase species richness. In high-energy areas where competitive dominance of vegetation might reduce species richness, vegetation manipulation could increase species richness. These strategies will likely be most effective if tailored to the local energy gradient.

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Section: Evaluation Of Species-energy Modelssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Energy Predictors Of Species Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Shape Of the Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applying species–energy theory to conservation: a case study for North American birds

Phillips

Hansen

Flather

et al. 2010

Ecological Applications

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“…As metrics of productive energy, we used remotely-sensed measurements of net primary productivity (NPP) from the NASA MODIS 17 dataset (http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/ modis/) projected at 2.5 min resolution [42] and actual evapotranspiration (AET) projected at 30 min resolution [43]. These metrics measure the interaction between energy, temperature and water balance in local environments, and are strongly correlated with global amphibian diversity [44].…”

Section: (C) Climatic Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale phylogenetic analyses reveal the causes of high tropical amphibian diversity

2013

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Many groups show higher species richness in tropical regions but the underlying causes remain unclear. Despite many competing hypotheses to explain latitudinal diversity gradients, only three processes can directly change species richness across regions: speciation, extinction and dispersal. These processes can be addressed most powerfully using large-scale phylogenetic approaches, but most previous studies have focused on small groups and recent time scales, or did not separate speciation and extinction rates. We investigate the origins of high tropical diversity in amphibians, applying new phylogenetic comparative methods to a tree of 2871 species. Our results show that high tropical diversity is explained by higher speciation in the tropics, higher extinction in temperate regions and limited dispersal out of the tropics compared with colonization of the tropics from temperate regions. These patterns are strongly associated with climate-related variables such as temperature, precipitation and ecosystem energy. Results from models of diversity dependence in speciation rate suggest that temperate clades may have lower carrying capacities and may be more saturated (closer to carrying capacity) than tropical clades. Furthermore, we estimate strikingly low tropical extinction rates over geological time scales, in stark contrast to the dramatic losses of diversity occurring in tropical regions presently.

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Relative importance of the land‐use composition and intensity for the bird community composition in anthropogenic landscapes

Pellissier

Mimet

Fontaine

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Humans are changing the biosphere by exerting pressure on land via different land uses with variable intensities. Quantifying the relative importance of the land‐use composition and intensity for communities may provide valuable insights for understanding community dynamics in human‐dominated landscapes. Here, we evaluate the relative importance of the land‐use composition versus land‐use intensity on the bird community structure in the highly human‐dominated region surrounding Paris, France. The land‐use composition was calculated from a land cover map, whereas the land‐use intensity (reverse intensity) was represented by the primary productivity remaining after human appropriation (NPP remaining), which was estimated using remote sensing imagery. We used variance partitioning to evaluate the relative importance of the land‐use composition versus intensity for explaining bird community species richness, total abundance, trophic levels, and habitat specialization in urban, farmland, and woodland habitats. The land‐use composition and intensity affected specialization and richness more than trophic levels and abundance. The importance of the land‐use intensity was slightly higher than that of the composition for richness, specialization, and trophic levels in farmland and urban areas, while the land‐use composition was a stronger predictor of abundance. The intensity contributed more to the community indices in anthropogenic habitats (farmland and urban areas) than to those in woodlands. Richness, trophic levels, and specialization in woodlands tended to increase with the NPP remaining value. The heterogeneity of land uses and intensity levels in the landscape consistently promoted species richness but reduced habitat specialization and trophic levels. This study demonstrates the complementarity of NPP remaining to the land‐use composition for understanding community structure in anthropogenic landscapes. Our results show, for the first time, that the productivity remaining after human appropriation is a determinant driver of animal community patterns, independent of the type of land use.

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Evaluating the species energy relationship with the newest measures of ecosystem energy: NDVI versus MODIS primary production

Cited by 75 publications

References 77 publications

Applying species–energy theory to conservation: a case study for North American birds

Applying species–energy theory to conservation: a case study for North American birds

Large-scale phylogenetic analyses reveal the causes of high tropical amphibian diversity

Relative importance of the land‐use composition and intensity for the bird community composition in anthropogenic landscapes

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