Map of bivariate spatial correlation in R (bivariate LISA)

Question

I would like to create a map showing the bi-variate spatial correlation between two variables. This could be done either by doing a LISA map of bivariate Moran's I spatial correlation or using the L index proposed by Lee (2001).

The bi-variate Moran's I is not implemented in the spdep library, but the L index is, so here is what I've tried without success using the L index. A answer showing a solution based on Moran's I would also be very welcomed !

As you can see from the reproducible example below, I've manged so far to calculate the local L indexes. What I would like to do is to estimate the pseudo p-values and create a map of the results like those maps we use in LISA spatial clusters with high-high, high-low, ..., low-low.

In this example, the goal is to create a map with bi-variate Lisa association between black and white population. The map should be created in ggplot2 , showing the clusters:

• High-presence of black and High-presence of white people
• High-presence of black and Low-presence of white people
• Low-presence of black and High-presence of white people
• Low-presence of black and Low-presence oh white people

Reproducible example

library(UScensus2000tract)
library(ggplot2)
library(spdep)
library(sf)

# load data
  data("oregon.tract")

# plot Census Tract map
  plot(oregon.tract)


# Variables to use in the correlation: white and black population in each census track
  x <- scale(oregon.tract$white)
  y <- scale(oregon.tract$black)


# create  Queen contiguity matrix and Spatial weights matrix
  nb <- poly2nb(oregon.tract)
  lw <- nb2listw(nb)


# Lee index
  Lxy <-lee(x, y, lw, length(x), zero.policy=TRUE)

  # Lee’s L statistic (Global)
    Lxy[1]
    #> -0.1865688811


# 10k permutations to estimate pseudo p-values
  LMCxy <- lee.mc(x, y, nsim=10000, lw, zero.policy=TRUE, alternative="less")

# quik plot of local L
  Lxy[[2]] %>% density() %>% plot() # Lee’s local L statistic  (Local)
  LMCxy[[7]] %>% density() %>% lines(col="red") # plot values simulated 10k times 


# get confidence interval of 95% ( mean +- 2 standard deviations)
  two_sd_above <- mean(LMCxy[[7]]) + 2 * sd(LMCxy[[7]])
  two_sd_below <- mean(LMCxy[[7]]) - 2 * sd(LMCxy[[7]])


# convert spatial object to sf class for easier/faster use
  oregon_sf <- st_as_sf(oregon.tract)


# add L index values to map object
  oregon_sf$Lindex <- Lxy[[2]]

# identify significant local results  
  oregon_sf$sig <- if_else( oregon_sf$Lindex < 2*two_sd_below, 1, if_else( oregon_sf$Lindex > 2*two_sd_above, 1, 0))


# Map of Local L index but only the significant results
  ggplot() + geom_sf(data=oregon_sf, aes(fill=ifelse( sig==T, Lindex, NA)), color=NA)

Answer 1

What about this?

I'm using the regular Moran's I instead of that Lee Index you suggest. But I think the underlying reasoning is pretty much the same.

As you may see bellow -- the results produced this way look very much alike those comming from GeoDA

library(dplyr)
library(ggplot2)
library(sf)
library(spdep)
library(rgdal)
library(stringr)
library(UScensus2000tract)

#======================================================
# load data
data("oregon.tract")

# Variables to use in the correlation: white and black population in each census track
x <- oregon.tract$white
y <- oregon.tract$black

#======================================================
# Programming some functions

# Bivariate Moran's I
moran_I <- function(x, y = NULL, W){
        if(is.null(y)) y = x

        xp <- (x - mean(x, na.rm=T))/sd(x, na.rm=T)
        yp <- (y - mean(y, na.rm=T))/sd(y, na.rm=T)
        W[which(is.na(W))] <- 0
        n <- nrow(W)

        global <- (xp%*%W%*%yp)/(n - 1)
        local  <- (xp*W%*%yp)

        list(global = global, local  = as.numeric(local))
}


# Permutations for the Bivariate Moran's I
simula_moran <- function(x, y = NULL, W, nsims = 1000){

        if(is.null(y)) y = x

        n   = nrow(W)
        IDs = 1:n

        xp <- (x - mean(x, na.rm=T))/sd(x, na.rm=T)
        W[which(is.na(W))] <- 0

        global_sims = NULL
        local_sims  = matrix(NA, nrow = n, ncol=nsims)

        ID_sample = sample(IDs, size = n*nsims, replace = T)

        y_s = y[ID_sample]
        y_s = matrix(y_s, nrow = n, ncol = nsims)
        y_s <- (y_s - apply(y_s, 1, mean))/apply(y_s, 1, sd)

        global_sims  <- as.numeric( (xp%*%W%*%y_s)/(n - 1) )
        local_sims  <- (xp*W%*%y_s)

        list(global_sims = global_sims,
             local_sims  = local_sims)
}


#======================================================
# Adjacency Matrix (Queen)

nb <- poly2nb(oregon.tract)
lw <- nb2listw(nb, style = "B", zero.policy = T)
W  <- as(lw, "symmetricMatrix")
W  <- as.matrix(W/rowSums(W))
W[which(is.na(W))] <- 0

#======================================================
# Calculating the index and its simulated distribution
# for global and local values

m   <- moran_I(x, y, W)
m[[1]] # global value

m_i <- m[[2]]  # local values

local_sims <- simula_moran(x, y, W)$local_sims

# Identifying the significant values 
alpha <- .05  # for a 95% confidence interval
probs <- c(alpha/2, 1-alpha/2)
intervals <- t( apply(local_sims, 1, function(x) quantile(x, probs=probs)))
sig        <- ( m_i < intervals[,1] )  | ( m_i > intervals[,2] )

#======================================================
# Preparing for plotting

oregon.tract     <- st_as_sf(oregon.tract)
oregon.tract$sig <- sig


# Identifying the LISA patterns
xp <- (x-mean(x))/sd(x)
yp <- (y-mean(y))/sd(y)

patterns <- as.character( interaction(xp > 0, W%*%yp > 0) ) 
patterns <- patterns %>% 
        str_replace_all("TRUE","High") %>% 
        str_replace_all("FALSE","Low")
patterns[oregon.tract$sig==0] <- "Not significant"
oregon.tract$patterns <- patterns


# Plotting
ggplot() + geom_sf(data=oregon.tract, aes(fill=patterns), color="NA") +
        scale_fill_manual(values = c("red", "pink", "light blue", "dark blue", "grey95")) + 
        theme_minimal()

You can get results closer (but not identical) to that of GeoDa by making changes in the confidence interval (e.g. using 90% instead of 95%).

I suppose the remaining discrepancies come from a slightly different method of calculating the Moran's I. My version gives the same values of that function moran available in the package spdep. But GeoDa probably uses another approach.