A simulation study comparing methods to analyze species-habitat associations of forest trees

Abstract

Studying small-scale habitat associations of tree populations can give insights into the importance of abiotic processes shaping the spatial patterning them. There is no consensus about the importance of abiotic processes for these patterns. Apart from ecological reasons, the perceived strength of species-habitat associations may also depend on the methods used. Therefore, we analyzed species-habitat associations of simulated patterns using methods proposed in the literature and one novel method, namely pattern reconstruction.