Component Loadings on the 10 Variables

The first component accounted for 51.0% of the variance in the data set and was strongly loaded on salamanders and not loaded much at all on lizards (see illustration above). Grid cells with high scores (see below) should be characterized by above average salamander richness while gird cells with negative scores should have a below average salamander richness. The climate associated with this salamander biodiversity pattern has the following attributes (see illustration above): somewhat low solar radiation load, high annual precipitation, high winter precipitation, few months of continental tropical air but many maritime tropical air, generally low elevation and warm temperatures. Low, warm moist conditions. The red area in the chart below has such attributes while the blue areas to the west cannot be characterized as such. This contrast is between Mobile, Alabama and Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are a salamander hunter there should be little doubt as to where to ply your trade.

Pattern of Component Scores