El método compativo en ecología vegetal

In this paper a review of the uses of the comparative method in plant eco logy is presented. Particular attention is devoted to statistical methods that analyze variation in continuos phenotypic traits. The comparative method incorporates the phylogenetic relationships of the species in recognition that species usually do not provide independent points in statistical analysis because they share characteristics through descent from common ancestors. This review is divided in three sections. In the first one, the different statistical analysis that comprises the comparative method are presented, particular attention is devoted to: i] Evolutionary correlations, ii] phylogenetic inertia, and iii] ancestral character estimation. The second section presents the different papers that had applied these different methodologies, in both, origin al or reanalyzed data. Finally, in the third section the use of comparative methods to study adaptation and the debate between the use of phylogenetically based statistical methods and conventional statistical analyses are discussed.