Distance-based parametric bootstrap tests for clustering of species ranges

Christian Hennig and Bernhard Hausdorf

November 2002

Abstract

This paper deals with species range data, i.e., n species (taxa) are characterized by their presence or absence on c units into which a map is subdivided. Such data occur often in biogeography. We propose some tests for the existence of clusters of species according to their ranges. We define some distance-based test statistics for the presence of clustering, we propose a null model for the generation of a species and an alternative model for clustering. The models include a parameter governing the spatial autocorrelation of its occurrence in the cells and they account for the species richness of the individual cells. The distribution of the test statistics can be estimated by a parametric bootstrap simulation (Monte Carlo with estimated parameters) from the null model. The validity of the p-values and the power of the tests are considered by exemplary simulations. We discuss also, but do not focus on, the determination of the clusters.

Download:

Compressed Postscript (144 Kb)
PDF (992 Kb).


Go back to the Research Reports from Seminar für Statistik.