Neutral landscape models as null hypotheses in landscape ecology

NLMs

Landscape Ecology:

Neutral Landscape Models

The neutral landscape model is part of the study of landscape level patterns and processes. These patterns and processes are said to have suffered from lack of statistical design and replication.

The reason for this is because it is difficult to conduct experiments on such a large scale. According to the study referenced here, both the spatial extent as well as the inherent heterogeneity of landscape mosaics makes it a challenge to actually find comparison landscapes that can broaden the lack of such research.

The study also states that neutral landscape models (NLMs) represent null hypotheses at the landscape scale. NLMs are actually defined as a "special class of models" and are stated to be useful in a "discipline where replication and manipulation are logistically problematic."

The objective of utilizing NLMs is in order to provide some sort of a benchmark, and to utilize this for real world interpretation and patterns. The study also mentions:

"Owing to the logistical impossibility of conducting experiments over large areas that may lack true replicates, neutral models provide a very good alternative. These models are used to determine how real landscape properties differ from a theoretical (random) distribution. They can also be used to determine how certain patterns can affect ecological processes such as organism dispersal, disturbance spread, etc. By acting as a null model."