A brute-force approach to vegetation classification

SCHMIDTLEIN, Sebastian, Lubomír TICHÝ, Hannes FEILHAUER and Ulrike FAUDE. A brute-force approach to vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science. Uppsala: Opulus Press, 2010, vol. 21, No 6, 10 pp. ISSN 1100-9233.

Basic information

• Original name: A brute-force approach to vegetation classification
• Authors: SCHMIDTLEIN, Sebastian (276 Germany), Lubomír TICHÝ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor), Hannes FEILHAUER (276 Germany) and Ulrike FAUDE (276 Germany).
• Edition: Journal of Vegetation Science, Uppsala, Opulus Press, 2010, 1100-9233.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 10600 1.6 Biological sciences
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 2.457
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/10:00045595
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• UT WoS: 000283600000014
• Keywords in English: Cluster optimization; Indicator species; Isomap; Isometric feature mapping; Isopam; Twinspan; Vegetation databases

Abstract

Introduction of a novel approach to the classification of vegetation data (species by plot matrices). This approach copes with a large amount of noise, groups irregularly shaped in attribute space and species turnover within groups. Method The proposed algorithm (Isopam) is based on the classification of ordination scores from isometric feature mapping. Ordination and classification are repeated in a search for either high overall fidelity of species to groups of sites, or high quantity and quality of indicator species for groups of sites. The classification is performed either as a hierarchical, divisive method or as non-hierarchical partitioning. In divisive clustering, resulting groups are subdivided until a stopping criterion is met. Isopam was tested on 20 real-world data sets. The resulting classifications were compared with solutions from eight widely used clustering algorithms. Results When looking at the significance of species fidelities to groups of sites, and at quantity and quality of indicator species, Isopam often achieved high ranks as compared with other algorithms.

Links

• GA206/09/0329, research and development project: Name: Vegetace České republiky: dokončení národního přehledu rostlinných společenstev

Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Vegetation of the Czech Republic: completion of the national survey of plant communities

• MSM0021622416, plan (intention): Name: Diverzita biotických společenstev a populací: kauzální analýza variability v prostoru a čase

Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR, Diversity of Biotic Communities and Populations: Causal Analysis of variation in space and time