Vegetation Description and Data Analysis

Vegetation Description and Data Analysis: A PracticalApproach, Second Edition is a fully revised and up-datededition of this key text. The book takes account of recent advancesin the field whilst retaining the original reader-friendly approachto the coverage of vegetation description and multivariate analysisin the context of vegetation data and plant ecology. Since the publication of the hugely popular first edition therehave been significant developments in computer hardware andsoftware, new key journals have been established in the field andscope and application of vegetation description and analysis hasbecome a truly global field. This new edition includes fullcoverage of new developments and technologies. This contemporary and comprehensive edition of this well-known andrespected textbook will prove invaluable to undergraduate andgraduate students in biological sciences, environmental science,geography, botany, agriculture, forestry and biologicalconservation. * Fully international approach * Includes illustrative case studies throughout * Now with new material on: the nature of plant communities;transitional areas between plant communities; induction anddeduction of plant ecology; diversity indices and dominancediversity curves; multivariate analysis in ecology. * Accessible, reader-friendly style * Now with new and improved illustrations

Preface to the second edition ix Acknowledgements xi Safety in the field xiii Chapter 1 The nature of quantitative plant ecology andvegetation science 1 Chapter 2 Environmental gradients, plant communities andvegetation dynamics 23 Chapter 3 The description of vegetation in the field 49 Chapter 4 The nature and properties of vegetation data 101 Chapter 5 Basic statistical methods for understandingmultivariate analysis 139 Chapter 6 Ordination methods 171 Chapter 7 Phytosociology and the Z¨urich-Montpellier(Braun-Blanquet) School of subjective classification 273 Chapter 8 Numerical classification, cluster analysis andphytosociology 307 Chapter 9 Computer software for the analysis of vegetation andenvironmental/biotic data 359 Chapter 10 Future developments in vegetation science andquantitative plant ecology 369 References 371 Index 403