Abstract
The spatiotemporal resolution of observations should match the level of the ecological process under study to yield reliable insights. We present a concept of designing ecological studies that integrates three axes: temporal resolution of the study, spatial resolution of the study, and the resolution of the ecological process addressed. Focusing on the integration of the temporal axis in landscape ecology, we provide two examples from our long-term research on black bears (Ursus americanus) where erroneous selection of temporal resolution yields inaccurate results. In both examples, we incorporate temporal dynamics into spatial phenomena to understand complex systems. We synthesize demographic and behavioral results from our bear research and invoke hierarchy theory to understand the effects of timber harvesting on habitat quality for bears. We propose that the temporal scales at which different vital rates are manifested in a bear population may differ, which may affect the way perturbations (e.g., clear-cuts, roads, etc.) affect habitat quality for bears.
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REYNOLDS-HOGLAND, M.J., MITCHELL, M.S. (2007). Three Axes of Ecological Studies. In: Bissonette, J.A., Storch, I. (eds) Temporal Dimensions of Landscape Ecology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-45447-4_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-45447-4_11
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