Mapping macroecology

RUGGIERO, ADRIANA; HAWKINS, BRADFORD A.

GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY

Blackwell Publishing

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2006 vol. 15 p. 433 - 437

0960-7447

ABSTRACT             Although macroecology arose from geographical ecology, it has diverted from a geographical perspective.  At present, most macroecological studies use a statistical approach that adopts an ‘individual species focus’ and relies on comparisons between species to test for broad-scale ecological patterns.  Sometimes, space is included as part of the analysis, but almost always in a single dimension.  In both situations, observed relationships are depicted using bivariate scatter plots.  We argue that current macroecological approaches may interfere with our perception of patterns and have important implications to their biological interpretation.  We use the literature concerned with spatial variation in the range sizes of species (Rapoport’s rule) to illustrate our point of view.  Given the current lack of maps actually showing the patterns we are trying to explain, we contend that macroecology could greatly benefit by returning to its geographical roots, at least when data contain spatial structure.