Table 2. Relationships in univariate spatial models between the slope of the power and semi-logarithmic species-area relationships (SARs), and measures of the rate of increase in habitat heterogeneity (from 10 km to 290 km quadrats); temperature; normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, a measure of plant productivity); human population density, and species richness. Model fit is measured by Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), and we report ΔAIC values, i.e., the difference between the focal model’s AIC and that of the best fitting model, i.e., that with the smallest AIC. These exploratory analyses were conducted to decide which form of each variable should be included in subsequent multiple regression analyses. The selected variables, based on AIC values, were: increase in broad habitat diversity, summer temperature (10 km grain), annual NDVI (10 km grain), log10 human density (10 km grain), and species richness (10 km grain). Parameter estimates for the intercept and predictor variables are provided, with positive and negative effects indicated by + and – respectively. Note that r² values cannot be calculated from these spatial models, but are reported for nonspatial equivalents solely to give an indication of explanatory power.


Predictor Spatial grain (km) Slope of power SAR (z) Slope of semi-log SAR (m)
Intercept Predictor ΔAIC r² Intercept Predictor ΔAIC r²
Increase in fine habitat richness 10–290 0.110 +0.002 219.3 0.39 13.558 +0.165 278.4 0.36
Increase in broad habitat richness " 0.119 +0.007 207.1 0.25 14.141 +0.538 258.0 0.25
Increase in fine habitat diversity " 0.109 +0.032 0.4 0.11 13.346 +2.333 10.1 0.16
Increase in broad habitat diversity " 0.113 +0.043 0.0 0.08 13.668 +3.100 0.0 0.11
Summer temperature 10 0.356 -0.017 0.0 0.25 31.292 -1.223 0.0 0.29
" 290 0.292 -0.012 221 0.20 28.058 -1.000 241.5 0.25
Annual temperature 10 0.269 -0.017 20.2 0.16 24.921 -1.226 8.5 0.22
" 290 0.201 -0.011 36.5 0.13 22.131 -1.005 250.1 0.15
Summer NDVI 10 0.162 -0.067 20.7 0.12 16.0 -2.695 2.9 0.08
" 290 0.437 -0.509 13.8 0.20 32.983 -30.08 10.6 0.17
Annual NDVI 10 0.166 -0.086 0.0 0.70 16.619 -4.449 0.0 0.05
" 290 0.276 -0.295 24.1 0.80 23.672 -17.802 8.4 0.08
Log10 human density 10 0.137 -0.009 0.0 0.22 15.448 -0.628 0.0 0.25
" 290 0.217 -0.043 23.3 0.32 20.617 -2.850 74.1 0.31
Species richness 10 0.257 -0.002 0.0 0.88 24.187 -0.112 0.0 0.86
" 290 -2.116 +0.013 3225.5 0.32 138.64 +0.856 5826.2 0.43