Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 2, 2026

Development of New Methods for Quantifying Fish Density Using Underwater Stereo-video Tools
Published on: November 20, 2017
A positive relationship between local abundance and regional occupancy is almost inevitable (but not all positive
1School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Abstract:
Recent attempts to examine the role of different mechanisms in generating a positive abundance-occupancy relationship failed to properly distinguish between Brown's (1984) sampling artefact, and the form of relationship to be expected from a random distribution of individuals. Because random distributions generate a positive relationship, one can never predict that removing the influence of some or all of the mechanisms will lead to 'no relationship'. In considering how the spatial aggregation of individuals might influence the form of the abundance-occupancy relationship it is demonstrated that curvilinear and triangular relationships are expected, and that correlation coefficients and linear regression statistics are unlikely to be sensitive to the addition and removal of mechanisms. Examining distributional data with alternative indices of spatial structure may lead to a more intuitive understanding of how different mechanisms influence the form of abundance-occupancy relationships.
Related Concept Videos
Correlation and Causation
Correlation versus Causation
If the dependent variable increases or decreases when the independent variable increases, there is a positive or negative...
Conservation of Declining Populations
Conservation of Small Populations
Population Growth
Quantitative Aspects of Drug-Receptor Interaction
What are Populations and Communities?

