Abstracts

Diversity of the Vegetation

Results of biogeographical field researches frequently are the large amount of data, which subsequent processing requires essential expenses of time and forces. The wide circulation of personal computers allows to make this process more simple and fast in high degree. Generally it is necessary to enter the data into the computer and to order them for editing and processing by mathematical methods. Many universal and specialized computer programs for the decision of similar tasks are known.

Of the most widespread types of the data are the descriptions of vegetation on the test areas. They are easy for organizing as the summary tables, where the numbers of the descriptions are on columns, and the plant species are arranged on rows. For creation and processing of such tables the program "Orchid" is developed. It is realized on a platform of FoxPro 2.6 DBMS (versions for DOS and Windows). The data of the summary tables and results of their processing are stored as DBF-files. The program is focused on the users not having skills of work is direct with any DBMS and allows easily to create a breadboard model of the summary table and to fill its by concrete data. It is possible to create, to store and to process some summary tables, which will be located in the separate directories. The interface of the program reminds a spreadsheet and allows the user to work in a dialogue mode, using appearing the context helps on a course of work. The summary tables can be imported from other data formats and to export; it is possible to edit, to supplement and to print out the tables. The block of mathematical data processing allows to expect the similarity indexes of plant communities under the formulas by Jakkar, Chekanovsky, Kul’chinsky, Vasilevich, conjugate indexes of species under the formulas by Coul and Brave-Chuprov. It also allows calculating the indexes of frequency of species presence, total number of species in the summary table, average number of species on the test area, index of dispersion, index of composition diversity. Probably also realization of primary sorting of species and descriptions for the future processing on a method of Braun-Blanke. The results of accounts also can be exported to other programs data formats (spreadsheets, statistical packages). There are additional opportunities of search of species in the tables and selection of certain meanings from matrixes of a similarity of species and descriptions.

Since 1999 the "Orchid" program is used in Biogeography Department of MSU and in other research institutes for work both with the descriptions of vegetation, and with other data (for example, lists of species of animals). Its further development assumes expansion of a spectrum of algorithms of data processing both creation of the block of formation and support of databases of the concrete descriptions.

Note. Abstracts are published in author's edition

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