| Research using computer models to predict distributions of vegetation patterns has failed to adequately incorporate the processes of dispersal, establishment, and competition. A multimodal dispersal model that includes a lifecycle process was created to study the importance of dispersal and the effects of fragmentation on vegetation movement across the landscape. The model was tested against a ubiquitous dispersal model to determine if any differences existed in spatial pattern. Moreover, the model was run through a series of fragmented landscapes all of which retained the same fractal dimension, but varied in terms of their degree of contagion.; Results indicate that dispersal is important in determining the pattern of vegetation on the landscape. The importance of the size and shape of fragmentation on the landscape, rather than degree of fragmentation is also indicated by the results; however, individual importance of fragmentation on different modes of dispersal requires further testing. Future models should incorporate explicit dispersal process to more realistically model vegetation movement across the landscape. |
