SER: an R package to compute environmental regime over a certain time period

Abstract

O_LIEnvironmental regime (or environmental legacy or historical legacy) is the environmental dynamic characteristics over a given (either long or short) time period, such as frequency of mean or extreme events and rate of change, which might be masked by using only contemporary variables. C_LIO_LIWe present SER, an R package for estimating environmental regimes for different environmental variables. Using the data included in the package, several examples are shown. C_LIO_LISER is suitable for any types of environmental variables e.g., nutrient concentration, light, dissolved oxygen. In addition, by changing the argument "days_bf", it is possible to compute environmental regimes in any interested time period, such as days, months or years. C_LIO_LIOur case study showed that inclusion of environmental regimes dramatically increased the explained variation of temporal {beta}-diversity and its components. Environmental regimes, particularly in a given time period, are expected to advance the "environment - community" relationships in ecological studies. In addition, they can be implemented in other subjects, e.g., social science, socioeconomics, epidemiology, with important applied implications. C_LI