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On non-linear species response models in ordination

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Summary

Ordination techniques are plagued by the non-linearity of vegetation data. The purpose of ordination is discussed and considered to be the process of arranging samples (or species) in relation to one or more environmental gradients or abstract axes that may represent such gradients, the arrangement to be ecologically significant. The appropriateness of various models of vegetation to current ordination techniques is considered, particularly the gaussian species response curve. Two alternatives are suggested based on β-functions and an ecological response curve model incorporating competition between species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Land Use Research, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia

    M. P. Austin

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This study is an extended version of a paper given at the International Botanical Congress in Leningrad, 1975. Some of the ordination tests reported here were carried out at Cornell University with support from a National Science Foundation grant. I am indebted to I. Noy-Meir for the tests of parametric mapping and M. Fasham for those on non-metric multidimensional scaling. The manuscript has benefited very considerably from the comments of and discussions with R.H. Whittaker and H.G. Gauch, Jr. together with those of R. Cunningham and A. Nichols.

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Austin, M.P. On non-linear species response models in ordination. Vegetatio 33, 33–41 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00055297

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