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A new technique for analysing interacting factors affecting biodiversity patterns: crossed-DPCoA
Sandrine Pavoine1, Jacques Blondel, Anne B Dufour
1Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, UMR CNRS UPMC 7204, Paris, France. pavoine@mnhn.fr
Plos One
|January 30, 2013
Summary
We developed crossed-DPCoA, a new method to analyze how two factors affect community composition. This approach reveals patterns in bird communities, supporting theories on speciation in open landscapes and forest community homogeneity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Bioinformatics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Analyzing the impact of multiple factors on ecological communities is complex.
- Existing ordination methods may not fully capture interactions between crossed factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce crossed-DPCoA, a novel statistical methodology for analyzing the effects of two crossed factors on community composition.
- To provide two distinct versions of crossed-DPCoA tailored for different analytical needs.
- To apply the method to investigate bird community phylogenetic composition.
Main Methods:
- Developed crossed-DPCoA, defining a multivariate space for species, communities, and factor levels.
- Implemented two versions: one focusing on factor A after accounting for B, and another for associated factors.
- Applied the method to analyze phylogenetic structure in Central European and Mediterranean bird communities.
Main Results:
- Crossed-DPCoA successfully analyzed the phylogenetic composition of bird communities.
- The analysis supported hypotheses regarding Quaternary speciation in open landscapes.
- Homogeneity in forest bird communities was linked to dispersal patterns.
Conclusions:
- Crossed-DPCoA offers a generalized framework for analyzing crossed factors in ecological diversity.
- The method aids in understanding niche structures and the role of genetics in population structures.
- Findings provide insights into avian community assembly and historical biogeography.
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