Species-environment relationships in three woodlands using canonical correspondence analysis

Abstract

Relations  between plant communities and environment were investigated in an ecological  study in three woodlands in the south of Flanders, Belgium. The vegetation  was sampled and three environmental variables (light penetration, chemical  composition of the soil and species composition of the tree and shrub layer)  were measured. By application of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA),  relations between the vegetation and the environmental variables could be  evaluated. The percentage of Fagus sylvatica in the basal area seemed to be the most decisive environmental  variable determining the presence of plant communities. It could be derived  as well that CCA can be a very useful technique for the determination of the  indicator values of the species for their environment.