[R-sig-eco] quantifying directed dependence of environmental factors

[Rich Shepard]

On Thu, 7 Mar 2013, Philippi, Tom wrote:

> I would look at packages bio.infer, paltran, fossil, and analogue, and
> search to see if anyone has pushed them in the direction you want to go.

   bio.infer is based on the EPA's EMAP-West (Environmental Monitoring and
Analysis Program for the western states) and uses benthic macroinvertebrates
and fish with selected water chemistry parameters. It uses the ITIS
(International Taxonomic Identification System) to provide consistency in
naming taxa to the lowest reasonable level.

   Conceptually, one could assemble equivalent dataframes for diatom taxa and
environmental conditions, but I don't know if ITIS has plants/algae in the
system; problably does. However, the biota-environments relationships would
be based on current conditions and whether this would be valid for sediment
core data would need to be judged by a limnologist, not a stream ecologist
like me.

Rich