Modelling understorey plants species richness in agricultural landscapes in Lowland Sumatra

In order to extend the biodiversity submodel of EFForTS-ABM, we need a better understanding of understorey plants species richness in agricultural landscapes in lowland Sumatra. Statistical models of understorey plants alpha biodiversity will help us to scale plot-level data to larger spatial scales. We will also gain a basic understanding of processes and variables that shape patterns in plant species communities in Indonesian agricultural systems.

Main research questions are:
  • Which environmental variables determine understorey plants species richness in the landuse transformation systems of Indonesia?
  • How can environmental predictor variables be combined into a statistical regression model to predict understorey plants species richness?
  • Can understorey plants species richness be predicted by environmental variables in a sufficiently precise manner?
  • What is the effect of landuse system transformation on understorey plants species richness?