Measuring similarity among plots including similarity among species: an extension of traditional approaches.

Ricotta, Carlo; Pavoine, Sandrine; Wildi, Otto

Aims Presence/absence coefficients of (dis)similarity are generally based on various combinations of the matching/mismatching components of the classical 2 × 2 contingency table. While a few extensions of the contingency table to species abundance data were proposed, a generalization of such coefficients that includes species resemblances is still lacking. Methods In this paper we introduce a new family of plot-to-plot (dis)similarity coefficients, which include species abundances and interspecies resemblances in the calculation of the matching/mismatching components of the contingency table. Within this family, the behaviour of five similarity coefficients is examined by graphical comparisons based on simulated data. Conclusions This new family of similarity coefficients can equally apply to functional or phylogenetic resemblance among species, thus providing a unified framework for comparing species turnover among plots.

SYMPATRIC speciation; BIOLOGICAL classification; SPECIES hybridization; CONTINGENCY tables; GENERALIZATION

Journal of Vegetation Science, 2015, Vol 26, Issue 6, p1061

1100-9233

Academic Journal

10.1111/jvs.12329