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Statistical challenges of evaluating diversity patterns across environmental gradients in mega‐diverse communities
Author(s) -
Chao Anne,
Chiu ChunHuo,
Jost Lou
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/jvs.12420
Subject(s) - rarefaction (ecology) , species richness , pooling , abundance (ecology) , ecology , diversity (politics) , phylogenetic diversity , plot (graphics) , geography , phylogenetic tree , statistics , biology , mathematics , computer science , sociology , biochemistry , artificial intelligence , anthropology , gene
Ibanez et al. ( Journal of Vegetation Science , this issue) applied sample size‐ and coverage‐based rarefaction to analyse the elevational richness pattern in New Caledonian tree communities. We comment on the statistical assumptions behind rarefaction/extrapolation and suggest pooling small plot data to effectively assess/detect the diversity pattern. Broadening the analysis to include abundance‐sensitive diversity measures and phylogenetic information can provide important additional insights.