PLOT SIZE AND ESTIMATION EFFICIENCY IN PLANT COMMUNITY STUDIES

被引：36

作者：

KENKEL, NC

PODANI, J

机构：

[1] International Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences and Technologies, I.C.T.P, Trieste, I-34100

[2] Department of Botany, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba

[3] Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, L. Eötvös University, Budapest, H-1083

来源：

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE | 1991年 / 2卷 / 04期

关键词：

COVARIANCE; EIGENANALYSIS; PATTERN; SAMPLING; SPATIAL PROCESS; UNDERSTORY; VARIANCE;

D O I：

10.2307/3236036

中图分类号：

Q94 [植物学];

学科分类号：

071001 ;

摘要：

We examine the effects of changing plot size on parameter estimation efficiency in multivariate (community-level) ecological studies, where estimation efficiency is defined in terms relating to the statistical precision of estimates of all variables (e.g. species) in a data set. Three 'efficiency criteria' for multivariate estimation are developed, and the relationship between estimation efficiency and plot size examined using three field data sets (deciduous understory, coniferous understory, and mire vegetation) from central Canada. For all three communities, estimation efficiency was found to increase monotonically with increasing plot size. However, relative gains in efficiency at larger plot sizes were offset by substantial increases in sampling effort (enumeration time per plot). Our results indicate that the largest plot size possible, given the constraints of time, should be used for parameter estimation in plant communities. Also, plots that are larger than the mean patch size should be utilized when sampling heterogeneous vegetation.

引用

页码：539 / 544

页数：6

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