Reference no: EM133636468
Using R to visualize biodiversity data
This assignment requires you to use the same R scripts and data as used in Tutorial 6. Your submission should include the answers to the questions, but you may also include the code that you used (in brief) in case of part-marks.
1. What is the total plant cover (all values are percentages) and species richness for LAHAR 01 in 1985 and 2000?
2. Calculate dissimilarity in plant community composition between 1985 and 2000.
3. Was dissimiliarity greater between 1982 and 1985, or between 1985 and 2000? What does this tell you about the pace of succession in this location?
4. What species were present in LAHAR 01 in 1982, two years after the eruption? You may give your response as species codes but also try to find out the species names by going to the authors' uploaded data, here.
5. Make a plot of abundance of these two species over time (2 plots expected, raw axis labels from the R-output is fine)
6. Given the different patterns abundance over time in each species, what types of tolerance or strategies do they each appear to have in this succession? Provide one hypothetical reason for their different trajectories. Note: in 2010 there was still not full cover of plants, therefore it was probably not highly shaded or late-successional by then. Likely mostly some soil conditions changed from 1985-2010.
7. What syntax would you use to calculate standard deviation of plant cover among species at this site in 2000?
8. How did standard deviation in plant cover (i.e. differences in plant cover) change from 1985 to 2000? Use a sentence in your answer, not just the values.