Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies

K.R. Clarke; J.R. Tweedley; F.J. Valesini

doi:10.1017/S0025315413001227

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Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies

K.R. Clarke, J.R. Tweedley and F.J. Valesini

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Vol.94(01), pp.1-16

2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315413001227

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Abstract

Shade plots, simple visual representations of abundance matrices from multivariate species assemblage studies, are shown to be an effective aid in choosing an overall transformation (or other pre-treatment) of quantitative data for long-term use, striking an appropriate balance between dominant and less abundant taxa in ensuing resemblance-based multivariate analyses. Though the exposition is entirely general and applicable to all community studies, detailed illustrations of the comparative power and interpretative possibilities of shade plots are given in the case of two estuarine assemblage studies in south-western Australia: (a) macrobenthos in the upper Swan Estuary over a two-year period covering a highly significant precipitation event for the Perth area; and (b) a wide-scale spatial study of the nearshore fish fauna from five divergent estuaries. The utility of transformations of intermediate severity is again demonstrated and, with greater novelty, the potential importance seen of further mild transformation of all data after differential down-weighting (dispersion weighting) of spatially 'clumped' or 'schooled' species. Among the new techniques utilized is a two-way form of the RELATE test, which demonstrates linking of assemblage structure (fish) to continuous environmental variables (water quality), having removed a categorical factor (estuary differences). Re-orderings of sample and species axes in the associated shade plots are seen to provide transparent explanations at the species level for such continuous multivariate patterns.

Details

Title: Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies
Authors/Creators: K.R. Clarke (Author/Creator) - Plymouth Marine Laboratory
J.R. Tweedley (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
F.J. Valesini (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
Publication Details: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Vol.94(01), pp.1-16
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Identifiers: 991005540201107891
Copyright: © 2013 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.2 Marine Biology; 3.2.605 Benthic Biodiversity
Web Of Science research areas: Marine & Freshwater Biology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science