PHYSICAL AND BIOTIC FACTORS AFFECTING EUXOA SPECIES ABUNDANCE IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA: A REGRESSION ANALYSIS

Abstract

In an attempt to evaluate the importance of physical and biotic factors affecting the distribution of species of the cutworm genus Euxoa, a multivariate regression analysis, as based on a light-trapping survey in western North America, has been conducted. The possible contributory factors have been grouped into four major categories relating to geography, habitat, period of flight, and sample size. Sample size is a composite value reflecting both suitability of habitat and suitability of weather conditions at the time the sample was taken. Geographic factors considered were latitude, altitude, and longitude; habitat factors were mean annual temperature, mean July temperature, mean January temperature, mean annual rainfall and plantform; factors relating to period of flight were calendar date, mean temperature on date of sample, photoperiod, and the phenological date. Except for photoperiod, the variables listed were considered in a quadratic as well as a natural function in the regression analysis. With the number of species of Euxoa as the dependent variable and the factors listed above as the independent variables a total reduction of 76.0% in the residual variance was obtained. When only four variables, sample size, mean annual temperature, mean annual rainfall, and phenological date were employed in a similar regression analysis, however, a reduction of 68.7% in the residual variance was obtained. On the basis of present evidence, it appears that temperature and rainfall are primary factors governing the abundance of species of Euxoa in a given habitat.