Advanced techniques in environmental data analysis 2600-BS-ATBIOL-2-S2

Classes include the application of advanced methods of research design and environmental data analysis: experimental design (completely randomized design, randomized complete blocks, pseudoreplicates, latin squer design ect.), gradient analysis (models of response to gradients, estimating species optima by weighted averaging, calibration, relating two biotic communities), permutation tests and variation partitioning (Pseudo-F statistics and significance, testing individual constrained axes, tests with spatial or temporal constraints, tests with hierarchical constraints, significance adjustment for multiple tasks), similarity measures and distance-based methods (significance of cases versus similarity of communities, similarity between species in trait values, PCO, constrained PCO – db-RDA, non-metric multidimentional scaling, Mantel test), classification and regression methods (mixed effect models, classification and regression trees- CART), interpreting community composition with functional traits (two approaches in traits – environmental studies, community based approach) advanced use of ordination (PRC, separating spatial variation, linear discriminant analysis, hierarchical analysis of community variation, partitioning diversity indices into alpha and beta components, predicting community compositions), visualizing of multivariate data, key studies