Albion College Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium

 Title: Trying to Find Order in Nature: Mapping Plants Using Multivariate Statistics Speaker: Christopher Van de VenAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Geological SciencesAlbion College Abstract: The geographic distributions of plants are functions of their local environments. Each plant species has a unique set of environmental tolerances that determine where a plant is able to grow. Using a multivariate statistical technique called canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), I estimate the tolerances of plant species to topographic and geologic parameters. Once the tolerances of those plant species are known, or at least approximated, the distribution of the plant can be mapped everywhere the environmental variables are known. These models are calibrated and evaluated based on data collected in numerous field sites. An interesting application of this technique is to predict how species would respond to climate change, by modifying the environmental variables and re-mapping the plant distributions. By predicting the consequences of local environmental change on plant species, I have identified which plants are at risk of local extinction, and estimated the magnitude of change to force them to go extinct. Location: Palenske 227 Date: 2/23/2006 Time: 3:10 PM

@abstract{MCS:Colloquium:ChristopherVandeVenAssistantProfessorDepartmentofGeologicalSciencesAlbionCollege:2006:2:23,
author  = "{Christopher Van de VenAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Geological SciencesAlbion College}",
title   = "{Trying to Find Order in Nature: Mapping Plants Using Multivariate Statistics}",
address = "{Albion College Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium}",
month   = "{23 February}",
year    = "{2006}"
}