EFFECT OF HABITAT SELECTION STRATEGY ON SPATIAL CORRELOGRAMS IN A HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENT - A SIMULATION STUDY

Habitat occupancy patterns of a hypothetic habitat specialist or habit at generalist species were simulated in general homogeneous and hetero geneous environments, in contiguous quadrats along a transect. Spatial autocorrelation analysis (measured by Moran's I coefficient) proved t o be helpful to reveal spatial aspects of habitat selection. The figur e of spatial correlograms showed the periods of systematic changes in spatial characteristics of the habitat both at low and high density of the population. Blocking of raw data may help to detect spatial scale s and is advisable if population density is low. Comparison of habitat and species correlograms offers a helpful technique in the study of s pecies-habitat relationships.