Research & Development

Title: A quantitative topographic analysis of the Sky Islands: a closer examination of the topography-biodiversity relationship in the Madrean Archipelago

Author: Coblentz, David; Riitters, Kurt H.

Date: 2005

Source: In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Edminster, Carleton B., comps. Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II. Proc. RMRS-P-36. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 69-74

Station ID: P-RMRS-036

Description: The relationship between topography and biodiversity is well documented in the Madrean Archipelago. However, despite this recognition, most biogeographical studies concerning the role of topography have relied primarily on a qualitative description of the landscape. Using an algorithm that operates on a high-resolution digital elevation model we present a quantitative analysis of the topographic fabric in the Madrean Archipelago and explored its utility by evaluating a topography-based predicted biodiversity map. In general, we find excellent agreement between the predicted and observed (based on land cover imagery) biodiversity throughout much of the Sky Island region. While readily acknowledging that many other biological factors influence biodiversity, this study establishes an important first-order estimate of the role topography plays in the regional- to continental-scale biodiversity, particularly in regions characterized by insular mountain fabrics such as the Sky Island region.

Keywords: topography, biodiversity, biogeography, geoecology, land cover, Sky Islands, Madrean Archipelago

View and Print this Publication (338 KB)

Publication Notes: 

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

 Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility

Citation

Coblentz, David; Riitters, Kurt H.  2005.  A quantitative topographic analysis of the Sky Islands: a closer examination of the topography-biodiversity relationship in the Madrean Archipelago.   In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Edminster, Carleton B., comps. Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II. Proc. RMRS-P-36. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 69-74.