PHYTOECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE, MUTUAL REDUNDANCY AND PHYTOLOGICAL THRESHOLD VALUES OF CERTAIN CLIMATIC FACTORS

A combination of methods (intensity of indication, floristic and mesological redundancy analysis, beta-diversity analysis, principal components analysis and Wildi's interactive ranking procedure) were used to evaluate redundancy and relative phytoecological importance among 80 climatic variables in Galicia (N.W. Spain). The information they contained was found to be adequately summarized by just 3 factors thought to play a major role in regulating the distribution of the species considered in the study area and similar areas: Baudiere's QE index, mean minimum temperature in the coldest month and mean temperature range in the coldest month. For these three factors, phytoclimatic thresholds were determined by examining beta-diversity and were used to define phytoclimatic zone types. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.