Abstract

CUETO, Víctor R.. Scale in ecology: its importance for the study of avian habitat selection. Hornero [online]. 2006, vol.21, n.1, pp.1-13. ISSN 0073-3407.

I discuss about the meaning of scale in ecology, and how spatial dimensions of our study influence observed patterns and conclusions about processes producing them. I analyze the importance of establishing the spatial scale in our studies when we evaluate avian habitat selection, and I discuss methods and conclusions of a multiple-scale investigation on bird-vegetation relationships. I conclude that understanding the importance of scale in our investigations allows a better planning of the research project, facilitates the interpretation of the obtained results, and improves the potential to find explanations for the problem under study.

Keywords : extent; grain; habitat selection; multiscale studies; scale definition; scale domains; scale types.

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