Fractal geometry: a tool for describing spatial patterns of plant communities |
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Authors: | Michael W Palmer |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Botany, Duke University, 27706 Durham, NC, USA |
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Abstract: | Vegetation is a fractal because it exhibits variation over a continuum of scales. The spatial structure of sandrim, bryophyte, pocosin, suburban lawn, forest tree, and forest understory communities was analyzed with a combination of ordination and geostatistical methods. The results either suggest appropriate quadrat sizes and spacings for vegetation research, or they reveal that a sampling design compatible with classical statistics is impossible. The fractal dimensions obtained from these analyses are generally close to 2, implying weak spatial dependence. The fractal dimension is not a constant function of scale, implying that patterns of spatial variation at one scale cannot be extrapolated to other scales. |
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Keywords: | Geostatistics Gradient analysis Heterogeneity Homogeneity Ordination |
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