Information theory methods for the study of spatial processes and succession

The use of mathematical methods based on Shannon's entropy function is proposed for the evaluation of the consequences of sampling unit size and for the study of vegetation succession. The concept of diversity is extended to sets of phytosociological relevés under the term florula diversity. It is shown that Shannon's entropy as well as two other related characteristic functions can express the local behaviour and overall relationships of species. Characteristic areas are defined in terms of the maxima and minima of these functions. Several study areas yielded the data which are used in the examples. Some theoretical problems of the methods are discussed and a computer, written in FORTRAN, is described.

[1]  Ganapati P. Patil,et al.  Ecological Diversity in Theory and Practice. , 1980 .

[2]  O. Loucks,et al.  Evolution of diversity, efficiency, and community stability. , 1970, American zoologist.

[3]  J. Matthews.  AN APPLICATION OF NON-METRIC MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN IMPROVED SPECIES PLEXUS , 1978 .

[4]  P. Greig-Smith,et al.  The Use of Random and Contiguous Quadrats in the Study of the Structure of Plant Communities , 1952 .

[5]  J. Matthews.  A Study of the Variability of Some Successional and Climax Plant Assemblage-Types Using Multiple Discriminant Analysis , 1979 .

[6]  R. M. Cormack,et al.  A Review of Classification , 1971 .

[7]  F. Pineda,et al.  Succession, diversité et amplitude de niche dans les pâturages du centre de la péninsule ibérique , 1981 .

[8]  D. Goodall,et al.  Objective methods for the classification of vegetation. III. An essay in the use of factor analysis , 1954 .

[9]  R. Green,et al.  Sampling Design and Statistical Methods for Environmental Biologists , 1979 .

[10]  G. N. Lance,et al.  Studies in the Numerical Analysis of Complex Rain-Forest Communities: IV. A Method for the Elucidation of Small-Scale Forest Pattern , 1969 .

[11]  A. Rényi.  On Measures of Entropy and Information , 1961 .

[12]  Robert Van Hulst,et al.  On the dynamics of vegetation: Markov chains as models of succession , 1979, Vegetatio.

[13]  Wim G. Beeftink.  Vegetation dynamics : proceedings of the Second Symposium of the Working Group on Succession Research on Permanent Plots, held at the Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research, Yerseke, October 1-3, 1975 , 1980 .

[14]  Quantitative Plant Ecology , 1960 .

[15]  L. Orlóci.  An Information Theory Model for Pattern Analysis , 1971 .

[16]  P. Greig-Smith,et al.  QUANTITATIVE PLANT ECOLOGY , 1959 .

[17]  R. Gittins.  Towards the analysis of vegetation succession , 1981, Vegetatio.

[18]  J. Ord,et al.  Spatial Processes. Models and Applications , 1982 .

[19]  Ganapati P. Patil,et al.  Many species populations, ecosystems, and systems analysis , 1971 .

[20]  L. Orlóci.  Probing time series vegetation data for evidence of succession , 1981, Vegetatio.

[21]  L. G. Monthey.  Dynamics of Vegetation , 1949 .

[22]  R. Cowan,et al.  Vascular Plant Systematics , 1974 .

[23]  Manual of Vegetation Analysis. , 1960 .

[24]  J. Aitchison,et al.  The Lognormal Distribution. , 1958 .

[25]  D. Goodall.  Objective Methods for the classification of Vegetation. IV. Pattern and minimal area , 1961 .

[26]  A. Auclair,et al.  Diversity Relations of Upland Forests in the Western Great Lakes Area , 1971, The American Naturalist.

[27]  Charles R. LaFrance.  Sampling and Ordination Characteristics of Computer-Simulated Individualistic Communities , 1972 .

[28]  R. Whittaker,et al.  GRADIENT ANALYSIS OF VEGETATION* , 1967, Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[29]  M. B. Usher,et al.  Modelling ecological succession, with particular reference to Markovian models , 1981, Vegetatio.

[30]  Ganapati P. Patil,et al.  Ecological Diversity in Theory and Practice. , 1980 .

[31]  László Orlóci,et al.  Multivariate Analysis in Vegetation Research , 1975 .

[32]  S. Kullback,et al.  Information Theory and Statistics , 1959 .