Spatial model of a pyrophite shrub in Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to study the existence of a possible dependence between different individuals of the same species of Mediterranean shrubs, in particular Ulex parviflorus Pourret, located on an area of 100 m2 in the Desert of Las Palmas (Benicassim, Castellón, Spain). The possible correlation between them is limited to the temporal and spatial dependence, that is to say, to identify if the individuals have statistically significant growth curves, and in the case of being, to see if there is a correlation of the individuals located with proximity in the space. The characteristics (variables) studied are the height and diameter of the Ulex parviflorus, and one data per week is available for a period of two years. At the same time, the coordinates (x, y) within the study region for each individual of the species studied are also available. The conclusion is that the spatial pattern of the Ulex parviflorus is not random but is governed by some biological mechanism that provides a structure of inhibition at small distances combining a certain aggregation structure at distances between 3 and 4 m.