Abstract
A framework is described for partitioning the matrix of between-sample distances that forms a starting point for many ecological studies into contributions attributable to different factors in a structured data set. This partitioning enables a series of ordinations to be produced that better enable an insight to be gained into the effects of the factors. More detailed application of the same partitioning provides a decomposition of each factorial effect into single degree-of-freedom contrasts, which enables reasons for observed trends to be investigated. The methods are illustrated by application to data from a study of marine community structure.
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Krzanowski, W.J. Multifactorial analysis of distance in studies of ecological community structure. JABES 7, 222–232 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1198/10857110260141256
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1198/10857110260141256