Approaches to Classifying Vegetation

Abstract

Plant communities are classified through a process of interaction between a phytosociologist and vegetation (Whittaker 1962). The phytosociologist moves through the landscape and observes that certain kinds of communities repeat themselves: similar combinations of species appear in similar biotopes at a number of points in the landscape. Similar communities, once observed, are grouped together in the phytosociologist's memory as an informal, preliminary conception of a community-type. The manner in which the phytosociologist groups communities, and frames his conception of a type, is likely to be influenced by what he thinks is most important and interesting about these communities. He may also change his conception of a type as further observations influence his interpretation of it. In time, however, the phytosociologist wishes to abstract from his conception a more formal definition of a community-type which can be communicated to others. This definition will describe a class, a grouping of individuals or observations by their shared characteristics. In this case the class unites a number of stands, or particular communities in the field (or samples representing these), that are alike in ways the phytosociologist regards as significant.