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This project component will:
- Spatially
analyse large and small-scale patterns of monoterpene
diversity in Scots pine.
- Spatially
integrate chemical composition of trees and
patches of trees with diversity of associated
species and processes.
- Generate
a generic model predicting spatial patterning
of genotypes.
Spatial variability is critical
at two distinct scales of habitat pattern, namely
within-forest (genetic) heterogeneity and the
landscape area and pattern of forest compared
with other habitat. An understanding of the genetic
composition of the main components of an ecosystem,
and the extent of spatial variation in its genetic
composition and functioning, is essential for
the effective management, conservation and sustainable
exploitation of any natural system. In addition
to genetically-based heterogeneity, knowledge
of the scale of variation of key ecosystem functions,
provides a basis for prediction of the system's
responses to natural environmental change, such
as geomorphological history (Frank
& Groffman, 1998), fire (Schimmel
& Granstrom, 1999), management
of large herbivore densities (Pastor
& Naiman, 1992), or to habitat
fragmentation due to anthropogenic causes such
as felling pattern (Foreman
& Franklin, 1987). Maintenance
or active enhancement of biodiversity requires
a sound knowledge of the critical area and composition
of habitat, that maximises biodiversity at a range
of trophic levels, and maintains ecosystem function.
This knowledge is required to effectively designate
areas for conservation or management or to identify
an area that would be impacted by development.
A key question is whether genetic heterogeneity
correlates with community composition in different
trophic levels. The current drive towards
woodland conservation at the landscape level,
acknowledges that, in reality, this will be achieved
by accumulation of a network of component patches
which must be ‘….of sufficient size
to sustain local populations of plants, animals
and other organisms…[and be]…sufficiently
well connected to allow interaction between them’;
rules of thumb have been proposed on the basis
of autecological studies of particular species
(Hampson
1999, Peterken 2000). The proposed
spatial analysis of the diversity of different
components of the pine ecosystem, will permit
objective identification of the area of habitat
required to conserve its different components
(genetic variability and species composition)
and processes.
In order to further our understanding
of generation of genetically based spatial variation
we are developing an object oriented spatio-temporal
genetic model, which predicts distribution and
spatial patterning of genotypes in relation to
environmental spatial heterogeneity.
Contact: Jack
Lennon
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