Dear all,

I am doing a master degree in forestry and I have in my possession floristic composition (% cover of understory plants) of plots that are settled in two types of environment (one in an open env. and another in a more closed env.). The plots are paired together and are part of a hierarchical design. The hierarchy goes this way: three sectors within which there is 5 clearcuts per sector, and within each of the 5 clearcuts there are 6 pairs of plots (one plot in an retention tree group [the closed env.] and another in the adjacent clearcut zone [the open env.]).

I wish to perform a multivariate analysis to find out which species are associated with the retention tree group and which ones are associated with the clearcut area. The problem is that I don't know which type of multivariate analysis I should use, would anyone have some advice? Moreover, I don't know if I can insert my hierarchical design into the multivariate analysis or if the two types of environment can act as a gradient in the analysis.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Edith Lachance, Biol.
Candidate à la maîtrise en sciences forestières
Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt
Université Laval, Québec



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