Measuring Plant Diversity

Presenting sampling approaches, designs and field techniques for measuring plant diversity, this book lays out a range of methods for mapping and measuring species diversity.

This accessible and timely book provides a comprehensive overview of how to measure biodiversity. The book highlights new developments, including innovative approaches to measuring taxonomic distinctness and estimating species richness, and evaluates these alongside traditional methods such as species abundance distributions, and diversity and evenness statistics. Helps the reader quantify and interpret patterns of ecological diversity, focusing on the measurement and estimation of species richness and abundance. Explores the concept of ecological diversity, bringing new perspectives to a field beset by contradictory views and advice. Discussion spans issues such as the meaning of community in the context of ecological diversity, scales of diversity and distribution of diversity among taxa Highlights advances in measurement paying particular attention to new techniques such as species richness estimation, application of measures of diversity to conservation and environmental management and addressing sampling issues Includes worked examples of key methods in helping people to understand the techniques and use available computer packages more effectively

Measuring the abundance of individuals and the diversity of species are core components of most ecological research projects and conservation monitoring. This book brings together in one place, for the first time, the methods used to estimate the abundance of individuals in nature. The statistical basis of each method is detailed along with practical considerations for survey design and data collection. Methods are illustrated using data ranging from Alaskan shrubs to Yellowstone grizzly bears, not forgetting Costa Rican ants and Prince Edward Island lobsters. Where necessary, example code for use with the open source software R is supplied. When appropriate, reference is made to other widely used programs. After opening with a brief synopsis of relevant statistical methods, the first section deals with the abundance of stationary items such as trees, shrubs, coral, etc. Following a discussion of the use of quadrats and transects in the contexts of forestry sampling and the assessment of plant cover, there are chapters addressing line-intercept sampling, the use of nearest-neighbour distances, and variable sized plots. The second section deals with individuals that move, such as birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, etc. Approaches discussed include double-observer sampling, removal sampling, capture-recapture methods and distance sampling. The final section deals with the measurement of species richness; species diversity; species-abundance distributions; and other aspects of diversity such as evenness, similarity, turnover and rarity. This is an essential reference for anyone involved in advanced undergraduate or postgraduate ecological research and teaching, or those planning and carrying out data analysis as part of conservation survey and monitoring programmes.

Although diversity is one of the central themes of ecology there is considerable disagreement ab out how it should be measured. I first encountered this problem 10 ycars ago whcn I started my research career and spent a long time pouring ovcr the literature in order to find the most useful techniques. The intervening decade has seen a further increasc in the number ofpapers devoted to the topic of ecological diversity but has led to no consensus on how it should be measured. My aim in writing this book is therefore to provide a practical guide to ecological diversity and its measurement. In a quantitative subject such as the measurement of diversity it is inevitable that some mathematics are involved, but at all times these are kept as simple as possible, and the emphasis is constantly on ecological reality and practical application. I hope that others ente ring thc fascinating ficld of ecological diversity will find it hclpful. This book grew out of my work in The School of Biological and Environmental Studies at the New University ofUlster, Coleraine, Northern Ircland. I am indebted to all the ecologists there for pro vi ding a stimulating atmosphere. Foremost among these were Amyan Macfadyen and Palmer Newbould. A number of the figures and tables in the book are based on data collected in Northern Irish woodlands.

This book provides an up to date review of the methods of measuring and assessing biological diversity, together with their application.

Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) is a methodology developed by The Nature Conservancy to provide comprehensive and reliable information about biodiversity resources in situations where time and financial resources are limited. REAs utilize a combination of remote-sensed imagery, reconnaissance overflights, field data collection, and spatial information visualization to generate useful information for conservation planning. Nature in Focus is an in-depth guide to the theory and practice of REAs, offering a detailed approach for assessing biodiversity in a rapid and integrative manner. It provides researchers with the essential tools and techniques they need to conduct an REA, and offers valuable advice about the planning and implementation aspects. The book: presents an overview of the REA methodology and sampling framework reviews all aspects of an REA: planning and management, mapping and spatial information, information management describes surveys of vegetation and fauna presents a generalized description of threat assessments explores the manner in which large amounts of data produced by different REA teams are integrated and synthesized into a cohesive set of management recommendations explains how the REA effort is documented, published, and disseminated offers a detailed REA case studyAlso included is a set of twelve color maps that describe the sequence of mapping activities in the case-study REA, along with other map examples from a range of REAs. In addition to the case study, appendixes offer a full set of REA field forms for sampling, and a model "Scope of Work" that describes the nature of work to be conducted in an REA and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the participating organizations. Nature in Focus presents the collective experience of more than ten years of REA field-testing. Conservation practitioners and biodiversity scientists who are involved with REA initiatives, along with managers, policymakers, and others involved with conservation programs will find the book a useful and nontechnical guide to an essential element of successful conservation.