Goncharenko I. Quantitative methods for studying diversity, structure and anthropogenic transformation of vegetation

The thesis is devoted to the analysis of quantitative methods used on all stages of phytocoenotic data processing, in particular classification, ordination, phytoindication and assessment of anthropogenic transformation of vegetation. Comparative analysis of methods and testing of new approaches were conducted on five data sets from different regions and of different types of vegetation. A new method of vegetation classification DRSA was developed. We compared and analyzed 11 species fidelity coefficients, as well as the quality partitioning indices in relation to vegetation classification approach. A method of "deviation analysis" was introduced. We have also studied the possibilities of ANOVA analysis and classification trees in phytoindication. The syntaxonomic revision was carried out and two new alliances Betonico officinalis-Quercion roboris and Scutellario altissimae-Quercion roboris of xeromesophytic oak forests were described on the basis of comparative analysis of 45 syntaxa within the temperate zone of Europe. Their ecological and geographical analysis, analysis of sociological structure and species of the highest occurrence of all community layers are presented. Classification, phytoindication, ordination, phytosociological analysis, assessment of anthropogenic transformation, characterization of syntaxa of forest vegetation of Kyiv and environs, as well as meadow floodplain vegetation of the Dnieper and Seym rivers within the Left-Bank Polissya was carried out.