Latent Variable Modeling of Wetland Hydroperiod
A primary mechanism by which climate will affect amphibian communities is by modifying the hydrology of wetlands in which they breed. Our ability to estimate hydroperiod is vital for predicting how wetland assemblages will respond to fluctuations in water availability as a result of environmental change.Understanding these links, however, is complicated by our uncertainties in how climate and hydrology are linked, and imprecision in measuring relevant local climate and hydrologic dynamics.
Intensive instrumentation and measurement of weather variables and water levels at a fine scale are the ideal approach for predicting responses in wetland dynamics to changes in climate. However, these methods cannot be cost-effectively replicated on a large scale due to resource constraints. Instead, ecologists typically rely on proxy variables, such as wetland area or depth, that are often correlated with wetland hydroperiod. Yet, previous studies have also shown that the correlative relationship between wetland size and hydroperiod does not hold for all systems. |
Latent variable modeling (e.g., confirmatory factor analysis) will allow us to directly estimate correlations between the characteristics of a wetland (i.e., area, depth) and its hydroperiod. This approach will provide insight into what factors can be used to estimate wetland hydroperiod and can subsequently be expanded to compare between systems and across scales.
This project is still in progress - check back soon for more updates!