Statistical Modelling · R · 2025
Impact of Land Use & Habitat Features on Bird Diversity
Applied regression modelling to assess how land use and habitat features affect bird species richness and functional diversity in Northern Italy.
Rggplot2dplyrMASSAER
Mean bird species richness by habitat (n = 906 sites)
Computed directly from the Northern Italy habitat survey data underlying the related coursework (Case 6): forest sites average higher bird species richness than non-forest sites, consistent with the case study's hypothesis test.
Problem / Research Question
Understanding how land-use change affects biodiversity requires connecting habitat features to measurable outcomes like species richness. The project modelled that relationship statistically.
Dataset
Bird survey and land-use/habitat feature data across sites in Northern Italy.
Methodology
- 01Applied regression modelling (via MASS and AER in R) to assess species richness and functional diversity across land-use types.
- 02Built visualizations with ggplot2/dplyr to communicate environmental effects across spatial scales.
Key Findings
- Land-use type and habitat features showed measurable relationships with species richness and functional diversity across the surveyed sites.
- Visual communication of the results was designed specifically for a non-technical audience, not just a statistical readout.
Limitations
- Findings are correlational, drawn from regression on observational survey data rather than a controlled experiment.