A comparison of vegetation patterns in the tree and herb layers of a hardwood forest

摘要

Meta-analysis is used to compare the patterns of the tree and the herb layers in a Central-European deciduous hardwood forest. Vegetation patterns are represented by distance matrices and dendrograms. The significance of the relation between the patterns is evaluated through permutation (Mantel) tests and full randomization (Monte Carlo simulation) tests. The relationship between the two layers is significant but weak. When using ecological indicators as variables for characterising the herb layer, the relation is stronger. Distance matrices and dendrograms describe the vegetation pattern similarly. However, the results of pairwise tests of significance strongly depend on the "level" of comparisons, i.e., whether distance matrices or dendrograms arecompared. This follows perhaps from the differences between permutation and fall randomization tests.