Abstract
Context The spatial distributions of species and populations are both influenced by local variables and by characteristics of surrounding landscapes. Understanding how landscape features spatially structure the frequency of a trait in a population, the abundance of a species or the species’ richness remains difficult specially because the spatial scale effects of the landscape variables are often unknown.
Objectives Here, we present “siland”, an R package for analyzing the effect of landscape features on georeferenced point observations (described in a Geographic Information System shapefile format).
Methods & Results “siland” simultaneously estimates the spatial scales and intensities of landscape variable effects. It does not require any information about the scale of effect. Two methods are available: one is based on focal sample site (Bsiland method, b for buffer) and one is distance weighted using Spatial Influence Function (Fsiland method, f for function). ‘siland’ allows for effects tests, effects maps and models comparison.
Conclusions Adaptable and user-friendly, the “siland” package is a very practical tool to perform landscape analysis.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
This version is based on version 2.0 of the siland package.
