Spatial Variation as a Tool for Inferring Temporal Variation and Diagnosing Types of Mechanisms in Ecosystems
Figure 2
Spatial imprinting of ecosystem processes.
Theorized mechanism by which temporal fluctuations of patches create spatial variability in the landscape, which may in turn be a proxy for temporal variability. Spatiotemporal patterns (inter-patch synchrony and persistence) modify the correspondence of spatial and temporal variability (Fig. 1), so it is unknown whether the link is strong enough for predictive (e.g., space-for-time substitution) applications and whether modifying terms have diagnostic/descriptive value.